The board meeting of Tata Trusts has been deferred again, after being pushed from May 8 to May 16, as the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner has initiated an immediate inquiry into the composition of the Board of Trustees of Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT).
The authority has asked SRTT to comply with the mandatory conditions under Section 30A(2) of the Maharashtra Public Trust (Second Amendment) Act, 2025. Accordingly, the trust would be required to cut down the number of perpetual trustees to 25% of its total strength.
The development comes at a time when governance questions within the Tata Trusts network have widened beyond trustee appointments to broader concerns over board procedures and compliance with trust deeds across multiple entities.
Earlier, on Wednesday, the writ petition challenging Sir Ratan Tata Trust's life trustee structure has been withdrawn from the Bombay High Court, with the bench observing that the petitioner has not been fair.
The petitioner, Suresh Tulsiram Patilkhede, had argued that the amended Maharashtra Public Trust Act bars the count of perpetual trustees exceeding one-fourth of the total number of trustees, unless the trust's instrument expressly mandates it.
ALSO READ: Petition Challenging Sir Ratan Tata Trust's Life Trustee Structure Withdrawn From Bombay High Court
At the centre of the dispute is a provision in the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act that limits lifetime or perpetual trustees to 25% of a trust's board strength. The petition claimed that the Sir Ratan Tata Trust exceeds that ceiling, with three of its six trustees - Noel Tata, Jimmy Tata and Jehangir Jehangir - serving as perpetual trustees.
Notably, governance issues have intensified in recent months following objections related to reappointment procedures and the validity of resolutions passed by certain trusts.
At the Tata Education and Development Trust, Mehli Mistry voted against the proposal to reappoint Srinivasan and Singh, whose terms expire on May 11. The trust's board has five trustees - Mistry, Noel Tata, J N Mistry, Srinivasan and Singh - and agenda items require unanimous approval to pass.
The immediate question is whether Srinivasan's continuation as vice-chairman of Tata Trusts could come under scrutiny after his exit from the Tata Education and Development Trust.
The development followed Srinivasan's resignation last month from the Bai Hirabai Jamsetji Tata Navsari Charitable Institution, where he stepped down citing other commitments. His exit came days after Mistry approached Maharashtra Charity Commissioner questioning the eligibility of Srinivasan and Singh under the trust deed.
Complaints filed before the charity commissioner have raised concerns over trustee eligibility, board processes and compliance with governing rules across entities linked to Tata Trusts.
ALSO READ: Legal Cloud Over Tata Trusts Board Meeting: All About The Now-Withdrawn Plea In Bombay HC
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