Wadias and the Society

Industrialists Nusli and Ness Wadia have been appointed as the first trustees of the Modern Education Society (MES) by the deputy charity commissioner, Poona region N. V. Jagtap, noted the Business Standard (BS) of October 13, 2018. The MES runs seven campuses in Bombay and Poona — Nowrosjee Wadia College (established 1932), Cusrow Wadia Institute of Technology (1938), D. G. Ruparel College (1952), New Law College (1954), Ness Wadia College (1969), Neville Wadia Institute of Management Studies and Research (1993) and College of Engineering (1999). Its landholdings include a 21-acre plot at Wagholi in Poona. "The cumulative value of these assets is worth several hundred crore rupees,” according to the news report. An elaborate scheme for the management of MES has been ordered. "There is no doubt that the Wadia family is playing an important role to establish and develop this Society (with generous contributions of land and funds). The Wadia brothers (Sir Cusrow and Sir Ness) spent a huge amount on the erection of the buildings of the colleges,” Jagtap reportedly stated in the order.

From left: Nusli, Ness and Jehangir Wadia

The ruling turned down an application from Nusli seeking to appoint himself as the chief trustee and his sons Ness and Jehangir as trustees for life of the MES (see "Assertion of authority,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, August 21, 2018). Jagtap’s order noted that having a chief trustee and trustees for life would not be proper in a "democratic set-up” and a balance had to be struck between the management and the teaching community with regard to representation in the trust. He ruled that the trust should have three members from the Wadia family, three others from the teaching and non-teaching staff of MES and one independent member from the general public.