2020-01-16 Thu

Nanabhoy "Nani" Ardeshir Palkhivala, the legendary lawyer who saved our democracy was born today on 16th January 1920. He was one of the greatest Indian jurists, civil rights activists, and economists. Palkhivala was admired in India as a top authority on constitutional law and finance.

Born into a middle-class Parsi family, Nani Palkhivala completed his education from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. Later on, he enrolled at Government Law College, Bombay, where he discovered that he had a gift for unraveling the intricacies of jurisprudence. He was an excellent barrister at his time.

He appeared before the Supreme Court in the landmark Keshavananda Bharati case and persuaded the Apex Court to put a limitation on the power of Parliament to amend the Constitution. Indian national newspaper The Hindu, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary, noted that this was the case which saved the Indian democracy and thanked Shri Kesavananda Bharati and jurist Nanabhoy Palkhivala for the same.

Palkhivala received several prestigious awards and honor including Padma Vibhushan Award and Dadabhai Naoroji Memorial Award. India Postal Department has issued a commemorative stamp to honor this illustrious jurist on 16th Jan 2004 for his notable contributions to India.

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