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In a setback to industrialist Nusli Wadia, Pune’s Deputy Charity Commissioner NV Jagtap has rejected his plea to reconstitute and manage the Maharashtra Education Trust Society (MES) by becoming its first permanent chief trustee. Wadia’s plea to appoint his sons Ness and Jehangir as permanent trustees was also turned down, a copy of the order with BusinessLine showed.
“In the interest of the society, it is necessary to give representation to other persons also,” Jagtap observed.
MES is recognised among India’s top 25 institutions for higher education. It runs seven campuses in Mumbai and Pune, including DG Ruparel College in Matunga and New Law College in Dadar, and also owns their land. A 21-acre plot in Wagholi, Pune, is part of its landholdings. The grandson of VK Joag, the founder of MES, had opposed Wadia’s plea.
When contacted, Manoj Wadekar, advocate for the Wadias, said: “The foremost point of our plea — that the constitution of MES was not authenticated — has been accepted. Therefore, framing of the new scheme was necessary. Also, the commissioner has allowed three members from the Wadia family on the board, which can be changed every five years. Again three members from the Wadia family can be nominated after five years.”
Exclusive powers
Wadia last year had sought to frame new rules with regard to MES and appealed to the charity commissioner that he be made the society’s first permanent chief trustee. It was his plea that his sons be made permanent trustees and hold office for life or till they voluntarily resign. He also sought exclusive powers to appoint one or more of the existing permanent trustees (his sons) or any other person as the chief trustee in his place.
His argument was that the copy of the MES constitution was not authenticated and life members had virtually usurped all powers and were trying to sidetrack other members, particularly the board of life members.
The commissioner declared that it would not be proper in a democratic set-up, as a balance had to be struck between the management and the teaching community in regard to their representation in the trust.
Instead, the commissioner ruled that the trust should have three members from the Wadia family, three others from teaching and non-teaching staff of MES and one independent member from the general public. He also ruled that the tenure of the trust should be five years or till electing a new board of trustees as per the scheme.
The commissioner removed clause 8 (b) in the scheme — proposed by Wadia — that sought to make him and his sons chief permanent trustee and permanent trustees respectively.
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