Several public charitable trusts have challenged the Income Tax Department’s insistence that trust deeds must explicitly state they are “irrevocable” to retain tax-exempt status. Trusts and professional bodies argue that the law does not require such a clause and that public trusts are inherently irrevocable unless expressly stated otherwise. The matter is now before the Bombay High Court, with concerns that denial of registration renewals could jeopardise longstanding charitable institutions.