Ndizzy4glo: added new stub initial version

2026-03-30T06:16:51Z

added new stub initial version

New page

{{Short description|Indian politician and chartered accountant}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
'''Rustom Cavasjee Cooper''' (18 August 1922 – 18 June 2013) was an Indian politician and chartered accountant.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Livelaw News Network |date=2013-06-21 |title=R C Cooper, Petitioner in Bank Nationalization case passes away |url=https://www.livelaw.in/r-c-cooper-petitioner-in-bank-nationalization-case-passes-away/ |access-date=2023-03-13 |website=www.livelaw.in |language=en}}</ref> He served as treasurer and general-secretary of [[Swatantra Party]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |title=Dr Rustom C. Cooper |newspaper=[[The Times]] |language=en |url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/asia-travel/india/dr-rustom-c-cooper-ng6wsnkjs0w |access-date=2023-03-13 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref> Between 1963 – 1964, he also served as president of [[Institute of Chartered Accountants of India]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=ICAI - The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India |url=https://www.icai.org/ |access-date=2023-03-13 |website=ICAI |language=en}}</ref>

== Early life ==
R. C. Cooper got his early education from [[Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics]] and University School of Economics in [[Bombay]].<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":6" /> Later, he received his [[PhD]] from [[London School of Economics]].<ref name=":5" />

On 19 December 1954, Cooper married Zarin Mehta. They both had two daughters.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/menofachievement0000unse_j2s8 |title=Men of achievement |location=Cambridge, Eng. |publisher= Melrose Press |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-948875-75-5 |pages=173 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Satyajit |url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.176016 |title=Indian Who's Who 1980-81 |year=1981 |pages=44 |language=en}}</ref>

== Positions held ==

* 1960-65 – Member, Research Programmes Committee in [[Ministry of Finance (India)|Ministry of Finance]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Lal |first=Sham |url=http://archive.org/details/cftri.0143timesofindiadire0000sham |title=The Times Of India Directory And Yearbook |date=1973 |publisher=The Times Of India Press, Bombai |others=Servants of Knowledge |pages=749 |language=en}}</ref>
* 1960-71 – Senior Partner, ''Touche, Ross, Bailey & Smart.''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kay |first=Ernest |url=http://archive.org/details/menofachievement0000unse_j2s8 |title=Men of achievement |location=Cambridge, Eng. |publisher= Melrose Press |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-948875-75-5 |pages=173 |language=en}}</ref>
* 1963-64 – President, [[Institute of Chartered Accountants of India]].<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" />
* 1964-65 – Member, Central Direct Taxes Advising Committee.<ref name=":4" />
* 1964-66 – chairman, [[Bennett, Coleman]].<ref name=":4" />
* 1966 – Vice Chairman, [[Indian Merchants' Chamber]].<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Nanporia |first=N. J. |url=http://archive.org/details/cftri.timesofindiadire0000njna |title=The Times of India Directory & Yearbook |publisher=The Times of India Press |others=Servants of Knowledge |year=1967 |pages=970 |language=en}}</ref>
* 1967 – President, [[Indian Merchants' Chamber]].<ref name=":4" />

== ''Rustom Cavasjee Cooper vs Union of India'' ==
On 19 July 1969, Acting President [[V. V. Giri]] gave assent to the ordinance prepared by [[Indira Gandhi]]'s government to nationalize fourteen banks, which held the deposits of more than fifty crores rupees. On 20 July 1969, Cooper who was one of the shareholders in [[Central Bank of India]], [[Bank of Baroda]], [[Union Bank of India]] and [[Bank of India]] filed petition in [[Supreme Court of India]] challenging the ordinance and claiming violation of their rights under ''Article 14, Article 19'' and ''Article 31'' of [[Indian Constitution]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Austin |first=Granville |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r42bAAAAMAAJ |title=Working a Democratic Constitution: The Indian Experience |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1999 |isbn=0195648889 |pages=215 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=10 February 1970 |title=Rustom Cavasjee Cooper vs Union Of India |url=https://indiankanoon.org/doc/513801/ |website=indiankanoon.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kidwai |first=Rasheed |date=23 July 2019 |title=The Singaporean who took Indira Gandhi to court |url=https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/the-singaporean-who-took-indira-gandhi-to-court-53298/ |access-date=13 March 2023 |website=Observer Research Foundation}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kidwai |first=Rasheed |date=2019-07-24 |title=When a Singaporean critic of Marxist socialism took Indira Gandhi to court |url=https://theprint.in/opinion/when-a-singaporean-critic-of-marxist-socialism-took-indira-gandhi-to-court/267244/ |access-date=2023-03-13 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US}}</ref>

On 21 July 1969, [[Indira Gandhi]]'s government brought ''Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings)'' ''Act'' on the floor of [[Parliament of India]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Nagpal |first=Abhinav Kumar & Chetan |date=2020-06-17 |title=50 Years to Bank Nationalisation Case: Rustom Cavasjee Cooper v. Union of India |url=https://www.livelaw.in/columns/50-years-to-bank-nationalisation-case:-rustom-cavasjee-cooper-v.-union-of-india-(1970)-1-scc-248-158474 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617132526/https://www.livelaw.in/columns/50-years-to-bank-nationalisation-case:-rustom-cavasjee-cooper-v.-union-of-india-(1970)-1-scc-248-158474 |archive-date=17 June 2020 |access-date=2023-03-13 |website=www.livelaw.in |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=21 July 1969 |title=Ordinances under Provisions of Articles 123(2) (a) of the Constitution |url=https://eparlib.nic.in/handle/123456789/853153 |website=Lok Sabha Digital Library}}</ref> On 22 July 1969, an eight-judge bench of [[Supreme Court of India|Supreme Court]] gave interim order restraining the government to remove banks chairmen and giving the direction to the banks under ''Banking Companies Act 1968,'' despite [[Attorney-General for India|Attorney-General]] [[Niren De]]'s argument that nationalization is a policy decision and not subject to court scrutiny''.''<ref name=":0" /> On 4 August 1969, [[Parliament of India]] passed ''Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings)'' ''Act'' ''1969.''<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=4 August 1969 |title=Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) |url=https://eparlib.nic.in/handle/123456789/852943 |website=Lok Sabha Digital Library}}</ref>

On 10 February 1970, eleven-judge bench of [[Supreme Court of India|Supreme Court]] with a majority judgement of ten to one struck down the Act. ''Section 15(2)(e)'' of the Act was held unreasonable by the bench which prohibited these banks from carrying on banking business. But the court ruled that the said Act is not violative of ''Article 19(1)(f)'' as the State has the right to carry absolute monopoly, giving reference to ''Akadasi Padhan vs State Of Orissa'' judgement of 1962.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Austin |first=Granville |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r42bAAAAMAAJ |title=Working a Democratic Constitution: The Indian Experience |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1999 |isbn=0195648889 |pages=216–217 |language=en}}</ref> Justice [[A. N. Ray]] was the lone dissenter in this eleven-judge bench. He held that the compensation fixed by legislature cannot be questioned in court.<ref name=":02" />

In this case, Justice [[Jayantilal Chhotalal Shah]] presided over the bench. [[Chief Justice of India]] [[Mohammad Hidayatullah]] recused himself from the case as he gave the assent to the Act as an Acting President.<ref name=":02" /> R. C. Cooper was represented by lawyers [[Nanabhoy Palkhivala]], [[M. C. Chagla]], J. B. Dadachanji, etc. Government side was represented by [[Attorney-General for India|Attorney-General]] [[Niren De]], [[Solicitor General of India|Solicitor General]] Jagdish Swarup, [[M. C. Setalvad]], [[C. K. Daphtary]], etc. Intervenor for the government included [[Mohan Kumaramangalam]], [[V. K. Krishna Menon]], etc.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":02" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-06-03 |title=Take it to the bank |url=https://punemirror.com/news/india/take-it-to-the-bank/cid5105357.htm |access-date=2023-03-13 |website=punemirror.com |language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:1922 births]]
[[Category:2013 deaths]]
[[Category:Swatantra Party politicians]]
[[Category:Singaporean people of Parsi descent]]

R. C. Cooper - Revision history

Ndizzy4glo: added new stub initial version