Sai Baba to continue heading all institutions: Trustees

This decision was unanimously taken by the members of the Trust –– P N Bhagawati, Indulal Shah, S V Giri, V Srinivasan and R J Ratnakar –– at a meeting held in Prashanthi Nilayam on Thursday. The meeting lasted over two hours and the decision was taken as the trustees did not find a replacement for Sai Baba.

Confirming the decision to Deccan Herald, Baba’s nephew R J Ratnakar said from Puttaparthi: “We will choose/elect a chairman from the existing trustees for every meeting of the Trust. We will meet under a different chairperson every time we meet.”

There were reports that Bhagawati (90) was one of the forerunners for the position of chairman and that Ratnakar was also in the race.

The Trust has empowered three of the five trustees –– R J Ratnakar, former CVC S V Giri and V Srinivasan — to sign cheques.

“Any two of the three can, at a given point of time, sign a cheque or financial agreements pertaining to the activities of the Trust,” Ratnakar said.

Justice Bhagawati to head varsity

The Sathya Sai Central Trust on Friday decided to appoint 90-year-old former chief justice of India P N Bhagawati as the Chancellor of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (deemed university), reports DHNS from Bangalore.

The Board of Trustees also appointed former Supreme Court Judge A P Mishra, former Madras University Vice-Chancellor S P Thyagarajan and Sai Baba’s nephew R J Ratnakar on the Board of the institution. Bhagwati had on Thursday chaired Sri Sai Sathya Baba Central Trust meet.