Charity Commissioner orders Tata Trusts to defer its Saturday board meeting

Venu Srinivasan raises the issue of perpetual trustees with Charity Commissioner

Tata Trusts on Friday deferred indefinitely its much-awaited board meeting scheduled for Saturday following an order from the Charity Commissioner of Maharashtra.

Interestingly, the order has made reference to representation/complaint from Tata Sons Director and Tata Trusts Trustee Venu Srinivasan and Adv Katyayani Agrawal. It’s clear from the order of the Charity Commissioner that Srinivasan and Agrawal raised the issue of reducing the number of perpetual trustees.

In an email to the trustees, the trust has not given any reason for the indefinite postponement of the meeting.

The board meeting was originally supposed to be held on May 8, but the trust had postponed it to May 16 without assigning any reason. The key issues on the agenda of Tata Trusts board meet included review of Tata Trusts representation on the board of Tata Sons, differing views among trustees regarding the potential listing of Tata Sons and the issue of perpetual trustees.

In an order dated May 15 addressed to Tata Trusts, Charity Commissioner Amogh S Kaloti said, “A direction is issued to the Board of Trustees of Tata Trusts to defer the meeting of the Board of Trustees scheduled to be held on 16-05-2026. It is further directed not to hold any such meeting till submission of report of Inspector inquiry.”

“The issues highlighted by them are serious and require due consideration,” the order said.

“The office of Charity Commissioner received an e-mail dated April 18 sent by Adv.Katyayani Agrawal. This e-mail communication requested urgent intervention of the Charity Commissioner for violation of Section 30A (2) of the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act,” the order said.

“Charity Commissioner was urged to exercise his statutory powers under the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act and initiate an immediate inquiry into the composition of the Board of Trustees of Sir Ratan Tata Trust and direct the Trust to comply with the mandatory conditions in Section 30A (2) by reducing the number of perpetual trustees to not more than one-fourth of total strength (i.e. maximum one perpetual trustees in a board of six),” the order said.

It also urged the Charity commissioner to take all consequential actions, including removal of excess perpetual trustees and appointment of trustees in accordance with law, as may be necessary to restore legality and pass any other appropriate orders to prevent further violation of the Act and to protect the interest of the public trust and its beneficiaries.

The office of Charity Commissioner had forwarded the said complaint/representation to concerned Assistant Charity Commissioner (ACC) who, on May 13, directed the concerned Inspector to conduct an inquiry and submit report. “Thus, direction for an Inspector inquiry, to be conducted under section 37 has already been passed, and a report under section 39 to the Charity Commissioner is awaited,” the order said.

Subsequently, complaint of similar nature dated April 28 by Venu Srinivasan was also received through e-mail.

“This was also placed before the concerned ACC who directed to keep it with the pending proceeding. The ACC on Friday placed these complaints and the order of the Bombay High Court before the Charity Commissioner. The High Court did not entertain the petition for the reason that the representations referred to by the petitioner were not made by him or on his behalf, but by some other/third party, the order said.

“It is clear from the text that Venu Srinivasan also made a representation to the Charity Commissioner. The issues highlighted by them are serious and require due consideration. An Inspector inquiry into these complaints has already been ordered and a report of the inquiry is awaited,” it said.

“In case, a meeting of the Board of Trustees is called and any important decisions regarding the administration, management or composition of the Trust are taken during pendency of the said inquiry, that would lead to further complications and multiplicity of the proceedings,” the order said.

It would therefore be in the interest of the Trust as well as interest of justice that such meeting is deferred till submission of report of the Inspector inquiry ordered by ACC, the order said.

Section 36A(1) of the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act mandates the trustee of every public trust to, administer the affairs of the trust in accordance with lawful directions which the Charity Commissioner may issue, it said.

The Maharashtra Public Trusts (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, states that the number of perpetual trustees cannot exceed 25% (one-fourth) of the total board strength. However, at Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT), there are currently three perpetual trustees — Jimmy Tata, Noel Tata, and Jehangir HC Jehangir — out of a total strength of six.

Tata Trusts on Friday deferred indefinitely its much-awaited board meeting scheduled for Saturday following an order from the Charity Commissioner of Maharashtra.

Interestingly, the order has made reference to representation/complaint from Tata Sons Director and Tata Trusts Trustee Venu Srinivasan and Adv Katyayani Agrawal. It’s clear from the order of the Charity Commissioner that Srinivasan and Agrawal raised the issue of reducing the number of perpetual trustees.

In an email to the trustees, the trust has not given any reason for the indefinite postponement of the meeting.

The board meeting was originally supposed to be held on May 8, but the trust had postponed it to May 16 without assigning any reason. The key issues on the agenda of Tata Trusts board meet included review of Tata Trusts representation on the board of Tata Sons, differing views among trustees regarding the potential listing of Tata Sons and the issue of perpetual trustees.

In an order dated May 15 addressed to Tata Trusts, Charity Commissioner Amogh S Kaloti said, “A direction is issued to the Board of Trustees of Tata Trusts to defer the meeting of the Board of Trustees scheduled to be held on 16-05-2026. It is further directed not to hold any such meeting till submission of report of Inspector inquiry.”

“The issues highlighted by them are serious and require due consideration,” the order said.

“The office of Charity Commissioner received an e-mail dated April 18 sent by Adv.Katyayani Agrawal. This e-mail communication requested urgent intervention of the Charity Commissioner for violation of Section 30A (2) of the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act,” the order said.

“Charity Commissioner was urged to exercise his statutory powers under the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act and initiate an immediate inquiry into the composition of the Board of Trustees of Sir Ratan Tata Trust and direct the Trust to comply with the mandatory conditions in Section 30A (2) by reducing the number of perpetual trustees to not more than one-fourth of total strength (i.e. maximum one perpetual trustees in a board of six),” the order said.

It also urged the Charity commissioner to take all consequential actions, including removal of excess perpetual trustees and appointment of trustees in accordance with law, as may be necessary to restore legality and pass any other appropriate orders to prevent further violation of the Act and to protect the interest of the public trust and its beneficiaries.

The office of Charity Commissioner had forwarded the said complaint/representation to concerned Assistant Charity Commissioner (ACC) who, on May 13, directed the concerned Inspector to conduct an inquiry and submit report. “Thus, direction for an Inspector inquiry, to be conducted under section 37 has already been passed, and a report under section 39 to the Charity Commissioner is awaited,” the order said.

Subsequently, complaint of similar nature dated April 28 by Venu Srinivasan was also received through e-mail.

“This was also placed before the concerned ACC who directed to keep it with the pending proceeding. The ACC on Friday placed these complaints and the order of the Bombay High Court before the Charity Commissioner. The High Court did not entertain the petition for the reason that the representations referred to by the petitioner were not made by him or on his behalf, but by some other/third party, the order said.

“It is clear from the text that Venu Srinivasan also made a representation to the Charity Commissioner. The issues highlighted by them are serious and require due consideration. An Inspector inquiry into these complaints has already been ordered and a report of the inquiry is awaited,” it said.

“In case, a meeting of the Board of Trustees is called and any important decisions regarding the administration, management or composition of the Trust are taken during pendency of the said inquiry, that would lead to further complications and multiplicity of the proceedings,” the order said.

It would therefore be in the interest of the Trust as well as interest of justice that such meeting is deferred till submission of report of the Inspector inquiry ordered by ACC, the order said.

Section 36A(1) of the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act mandates the trustee of every public trust to, administer the affairs of the trust in accordance with lawful directions which the Charity Commissioner may issue, it said.

The Maharashtra Public Trusts (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, states that the number of perpetual trustees cannot exceed 25% (one-fourth) of the total board strength. However, at Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT), there are currently three perpetual trustees — Jimmy Tata, Noel Tata, and Jehangir HC Jehangir — out of a total strength of six.