Centenary Birth Celebrations of Dr. Trimbak Krishna Tope was held at the Mumbai University Convocation Hall on the 28th of February at 5:30 PM.

Tthe Centenary Birth Celebrations of Dr. Trimbak Krishna Tope was held at the Mumbai University Convocation Hall on the 28th of February at 5:30 PM.
Renowned speakers  (names appended below) delivered hard hitting speeches on the state of affairs in the nation, with a special emphasis on the ability of Constitutional mechanisms to correct flaws in the system and the role of the Judiciary in ensuring social justice.
The event also saw the release of the second edition of Dr. Tope’s award winning book on Indian social activist and freedom fighter, Justice MG Ranade.
The list of speakers included:
1. Former Additional Solicitor General, Senior Advocate Rafique Dada
2. Former Solicitor General of India, Senior Advocate Gopal Subramaniam
3. Dance maestro and Padma Bhusan recipient Dr. Kanak Rele
4. Former Judge of the Bombay High Court, Justice Narendra Chapalgaonkar
5. Former Judge of the High Court, Padma Bhushan recipient and renowned Gandhian Justice Chandrashekhar Dharmadhikari

This public event was graced by several sitting and retired Judges of both the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court of India, reputed lawyers from across the city, academics and scholars from both legal and cultural backgrounds and Principals and students of various colleges and educational institutions.

The event went on for two hours,  begining with a High Tea for all invitees in the lawns of the University of Mumbai.


Media Coordinator: Anish Gawande (angawande@gmail.com, 9757424271)

Short Note on Dr. Tope
Dr. Tope was born on the 28th of February, 1914. Dr. Tope began his life with meager means in Yeola, a small town in Maharashtra. His zeal for education saw him reach Mumbai and achieve great heights in his field. With the fame and prestige he achieved, he managed to work for the betterment of both his home village, Yeola, and the entire Nashik district around it.
He served as Principal of Government Law College (Mumbai) for seventeen years, and went on to become the Vice Chancellor of Mumbai University, a post he held for two terms. His tenure as Vice Chancellor was marked by the introduction of the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and the Eurasian Studies department. He was honoured as the Sheriff of Bombay, a post which saw him interact with political and academic luminaries from across the nation.
Dr. Tope was a legal luminary who worked closely with Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar in both the drafting of India’s Constitution and in Dr. Ambedkar’s tenure as Law Minister. He put forth a book on “Why Hindu Code?” which was distributed to all members of the erstwhile Constituent Assembly. He himself taught Constitutional Law during his tenure at Government Law College and his students went on to achieve great heights. They include former President Dr. Pratibha Patil, eminent lawyer Soli Sorabjee and renowned jurists Justice Srikrishna and Justice Ajit Shah.
He was also a Member of the Law Commission of India between 1962 and 1968, and of the Maharashtra State Law Commission between 1977 and 1980. Additionally, as a scholar of Sanskrit, he served as President of various Sanskritic and cultural societies. An accomplished author, he wrote over twenty books on various topics, the most famous being his “Constitutional Law of India”, which is cited even today.
As a patriot who took part in the Independence Struggle (both in the Civil Disobedience Movement and the Quit India Movement), he continued his devotion to the nation by rising to the rank of Major in the NCC.
Thus Dr. Tope not only was an educationist and a legal luminary, but also a scholar of Sanskrit and a visionary who established the Fine Arts as an academic discipline. A member of the NCC and a freedom fighter, he worked for the betterment of the nation through his service in both the national and the state Law Commissions. As a capable administrator and respected individual, he held the coveted post of Sheriff of Bombay