Jurist Fali "Nariman is truly an example to be emulated by practitioners of law around the world… He is one of India’s most distinguished constitutional lawyers,” noted vice president M. Venkaiah Naidu, while presenting the senior advocate the 19th [Prime Minister (PM)] Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award on October 22, 2018 in New Delhi, according to news reports.
In his acceptance speech quoted in The Indian Express of October 23, Nariman said "I remember that the Pakistani Prime Minister was taller than Shastri-ji. But looking at his legacy, I always thought he (Shastri) was such a tall leader.” The jurist was responding to an incident narrated by Amit Shastri, son of the late PM. The PM had waited outside Amit’s classroom to receive his report card. He was informed that Amit’s school report could have been delivered to his residence. The leader told the teacher that "It seems after I have become the PM, you have changed, I have not.”
Above, from l: Dr Manmohan Singh, M. Venkaiah Naidu, Fali Nariman
Photo: Press Information Bureau
The annual Award was instituted in 1999 by the Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management, Delhi and is presented to a business leader, management practitioner, public administrator, educator or institution builder for sustained individual contributions for excellence. Previous awardees include NDTV founder Prannoy Roy (2015), Dr Rajendra Badwe, director, Tata Memorial Centre (2013) and cardio vascular surgeon and chairman of Medanta Medicity Dr Naresh Trehan (2003).