Constitution of The Indian Society of Nephrology - Southern Chapter
The Indian Society of Nephrology - Southern Chapter was founded by the efforts of Dr. M. S Amaresan and other members of Indian Society of Nephrology from the southern states Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Pondicherry as defined by the Indian defence code. Later on Goa was also included into the southern chapter. The meeting at the time of foundation of the society was held at the seminar hall of Madras Medical College and attended by the following nephrologists. Dr. MS Amaresan, Dr. J C M Shastry, Dr. A Gopal Kishen, Dr. Thomas Mathew, Dr. Meshak Kirupakaran, Dr. N. C Talwalkar, Dr. B. R Nammalwar,  Dr. Muthu Jayaraman, Dr. R. Kasi Visweswaran, Dr. J. H. Balasingh and Dr. Chakko K Jacob, Dr. P. Soundararajan, Dr. P. Soundarapandian, and Dr. R Dwarakanathan.

1.The Name of the Society is Indian Society of Nephrology (Southern Chapter)

2. Aims and Objectives

1. To encourage and advance the knowledge, study and practice of the speciality of Nephrology.
2. To encourage research, both clinical and experimental in the field of Nephrology.
3. To hold meetings, conferences, exhibitions and study circle for promoting the study and research in problems relating to Nephrology.
4. To make pecuniary grants by way of scholarship, donation subscription and allowance to scholars, research workers and other persons who are worthy of receiving such grant by reason of their skill and proficiency in the field of Nephrology.
5. To award prizes, medals or certificates or diplomas of proficiency in the speciality of Nephrology to person found fit after test, examination or other scrutiny as may be prescribed from time to time.
6. To hold essay competitions and give away research awards for promoting the subject of nephrology among young doctors.
7. To make rules, prescribing standards of professional conduct of members of the society and to enforce their observance.
8. To print publish, distribute or sell books, pamphlets, pictures, periodicals, newspapers or magazines or any other printed literature or any other matter concerning or related to the speciality of Nephrology.
9. To cooperate with other national and international societies and agencies to promote the objects of the society.
10. To suggest, study criticize or otherwise, or take part in framing of laws affecting the science  of practice of Nephrology.
11. To construct, provide, purchase, lease, regulate and maintain buildings, rooms or other structure for the purpose of the society and to alter, add, to remove or dispose of any of them in the best interest of the Society.
12. To receive any gift or legacy of movable property (including money) either with or without condition to promote the objects of the society.
13. To acquire by purchase, lease, or otherwise, any property, rights, privileges for the purpose of the society.
14. To sell, improve manage, develop, mortgage, lease or let, under lease or sublet, dispose off, turn to account or otherwise deal with, all or any part of the property of the society.
15. To act as trustees, agents or managers of property endowed by any person for objects of or similar to those of the society.
16. To organize branches or sub-chapters of the society or to appoint agents and correspondents in the southern zone of India as specified earlier and else where for promoting all or any of the objects of the society.
17. To draw, make, accept, endorse, execute, negotiate, purchase, lend money discount, hold and dispose of cheque, promissory notes, bill of exchange, drafts and other instruments and to cancel of any such instruments.
18. To advance, invest and deal with the societies money in or upon such investments and securities as may be deemed financially advisable for the betterment of the finances of the society.
19. To engage such officials, servants or other persons as may be found necessary or convenient for the conduct and management of the affairs of the Society.
20. To make by laws, rules and regulations of the society and to delete, change or add to the same from time to time.
21. To do all such other acts as may be necessary, incidental, conducive or convenient to the attainment of the above objects or any of them.

3. Office of the society
The registered Office of the Society shall shift to the place of work of the Honorary Secretary of the Society at the time of assumption of the charge of his office.

The following shall be rules (subject to such modifications as may be made from time to time in accordance with the provisions made here under rules of the Indian Society of Nephrology (Southern Chapter) hereinafter called the Society.

4. Membership
The membership of the society shall be of four classes:
i.      Honorary members
ii.     Life members
iii.   Ordinary members
iv.   Associate members

4.1 Honorary members
A person of exceptional eminence who has contributed already towards the aims of the Society and who is unanimously elected by the Governing Body of the Society at a meeting held after a minimum period of three months notice of the proposal to nominate him or her has been communicated to all members of the Society.  An honorary member shall have all the right of an ordinary member except the right to vote in the election of office bearers, and shall not be liable to pay subscription of membership or registration fees at conferences of the society, its branches and chapters.

4.2 Ordinary Members
A person with the following qualification will be eligible for becoming an ordinary member:
1.Having degree of DM/DNB or equivalent qualification in Nephrology from other countries recognized by Medical Council of India.
2.Students registered for DM/DNB having at least one year training.
3.Physicians/Paediatricians with MD/DNB having at least two years training in Nephrology in a recognized hospital/institution within or outside the country.

4.3 Life Members
As far as possible only applications for life membership will be entertained. Any person who is qualified to be admitted to the ordinary membership of the Society may by a single payment, the quantum of which shall be laid down from time to time by the Governing Body, be admitted as a life members.  Life members shall not be liable to pay the annual subscription of the society subsequently.

4.4 Associate Members
Persons having postgraduate degree in other disciplines of Medicine such as pathology, pharmacology, physiology, biochemistry, radiology, surgery, urology, immunology, genetics or molecular biology whose work has a bearing on Nephrology shall be admitted as associate members.  The fee for associate members shall be laid down from time to time by the governing body of the society.  Admission fee shall be collected from all categories of members except honorary members.  Associate Members will not have any right of voting for the election of office bearers.  The admitting fee of an Associate member will be 50% of the fee of an ordinary member.

4.5. Applications for the membership shall be submitted on a form prescribed by the Governing Body, shall be proposed and seconded by life members of the society, and would be received by the General Secretary of the Society at least one month before the date of the Annual Meeting of the Governing Body.  Those who are considered suitable shall be ad

Sub chapters and branches
There shall be a maximum of four sub chapters comprising different states as follows:
Kerala, Karnataka and Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.Any city or town or group of towns having at least ten valid members of the Society can form a Branch.All branches and chapters, zonal or city, shall be governed by the Constitution of the Society.  They may adopt their own constitution, which should be in accordance with the Constitution of the Society for their own functioning.
Membership of chapters and branches
1.      The sub chapters and branches may collect their own subscriptions and should note deny membership to any member of the society who lives and works within the area of the chapter. However the chapters and branches shall accept doctors with interest in Nephrology as their own members. This local / regional membership will not bestow the right for membership in the southern chapter to such incumbents
2.      Each chapter and branch shall submit to the General Secretary a written report of its activities during the proceeding year including a statement of audited accounts, which should reach the Secretary at least two months before the Annual General Meeting.

Governing Body
The Governing Body shall manage the affairs of the Society and do all acts as may be required in accordance with the Constitution of the Society.  The quorum of Governing Body Meeting will be 50% of its total strength.
The following shall form the Governing Body:

* Immediate Past Chairman, and immediate past Secretary will be ex-officio members for succeeding one year. The Chairman elect and Secretary elect will be members of the governing body for the preceding one year.  The Chairman may Co-opt other members as special invites to the governing body.

Term of Office
The term of office members will be 2 years.  They will not be eligible for re-election to the same post. These officers will not serve in the same post for more than two terms.
The term of the office of the members of the Governing Body shall commence from the valedictory function of the Annual Conference where the outgoing Chairman shall formally hand over the Chairmanship of the Society to the Chairman Elect.  The new Chairman will then introduce and induct the newly elected members of the Governing Body and take over the activities of the association.

Elections/ Resignations/Vacancies
The elections to the various posts in the governing body will be held as follows:
The Secretary will notify the elections of officials from time to time. In the event of a contest to any post, the Chairman will nominate a returning officer for conducting the election. If the election is unanimous this will be announced in the governing body and general body meeting at the annual conference and the office bearer will be inducted during the valedictory function.

The nomination shall be proposed and seconded by two life members and should also be signed by the candidate.The candidate should be a member of the society.  If he/she ceases to be such a member at any time between the date of his nomination and the date fixed for election, his name shall be removed from the list of candidates.In case of a contest  the secretary shall send ballot papers to all the members of the society with voting rights after getting them attested by the returning officer. The ballot papers have to be returned by the members after casting their votes in double envelopes to the secretary.
In case the secretary himself is contesting for  a second term, the Chairman should nominate

another member of the governing body to conduct the elections.The counting of votes will be done by the Returning Officer and the Secretary in the presence of representatives of the candidates, if any.  The Secretary shall inform the respective candidates for the elections about the date and place of counting of votes.  The Returning Officer will declare the results as well as inform the Chairman about the results.  The candidates will also be informed of the results and will be formally inducted at the valedictory function of the subsequent annual conference.

No candidate shall stand for election to more than one post at any one time.If the nominations are less than the seats on the Governing Body, the vacancies shall be filled up by nomination and voice vote at the time of the Annual General Body Meeting.

Resignation of officers
Any member of the Governing Body may resign his or her post by giving notice in writing to the Chairman.  The resignation shall take effect from the date of its acceptance by the Chairman.Any member of the Governing Body who ceases to be a valid member of the Society shall be deemed to have vacated his or her office.If a vacancy arises in the office of the Chairman otherwise than by the due completion of the term of office, the Vice Chairman shall take over as Chairman for the remainder of that term when he will hand over to the Chairman Elect.  A vacancy in the office of Secretary shall be filled by the Treasurer.  If the post of the Treasurer falls vacant the General Secretary shall co-opt another member from his own city with the approval of the Chairman.  The vacancies will be filled along with other posts during the next election.

The Chairman shall preside over all the meetings of the Governing Body and General Body.  In his absence the meeting will be chaired by Chairman Elect Past Chairman/or any senior member elected by the members present in the meeting.The existing Governing Body shall meet at the time of the Annual Conference.  The new members can also be invited for attending this meeting.  However, they will not have any voting rights till they take over at the valedictory function.

If a quorum for any meeting is not complete within 15 minutes after the appointed time, the meeting shall stand adjourned to a later hour in the same place and day or next day as fixed by the Chairman.  If at such adjourned meeting, a quorum is not present, any three members shall make quorum and may transact the business for which the meeting was called.If the Chairman or the Governing Body so directs any business or class of business of the Governing Body may be transacted by circulation instead of the meeting.

Powers of the Governing Body Management
The Governing Body shall manage the affairs of the Society and do all acts as may be required in accordance with the constitution of the Society.Without prejudice to the general powers conferred, the Governing Body shall have the following powers:

1.    To acquire by purchase, lease or otherwise for the Society any property, rights, or privileges which the Society is authorised to acquire at such price and generally on such terms and conditions as they may think fit
2.    To borrow or secure the payment of any sum or sums of money for the purposes of the society.
3.    To institute, conduct, defend compound or abandon any legal proceedings by or against the Society or otherwise concerning the affairs of the Society and to compound and allow time for payment or satisfaction of any debts due and of any claims of demands by or against the Society
4.    To refer any claims or demands by or against the Society to arbitration and observe and perform the awards.
5.    To make and give receipts, releases and other discharges for money payable to the Society and for the claims and demands of the Society.
6.    To receive donations and all and any other sums of money and all and any other materials articles and things due to or intended for the Society
7.    To incur all necessary expenses for the maintenance and carrying out of the objects and intentions of these Rules and Memorandum of Society.
8.    To appoint one or more persons whether members or not to constitute a Board of Examiners whenever necessary.
9.    To appoint and at their discretion remove or suspend such managers, clerks, agents and servants for permanent, temporary or special services as they may from time to time think fit, and to determine their powers and duties and fix their salaries or emoluments and to require security in such instances and to such amount as they may think fit.
10.  To appoint committees and to delegate, subject to such conditions as they may impose, any of their powers to such committees or such member or members of their body as they may think fit and to revoke from time to time such delegation.
11.  To make, vary and repeal bye-laws for the regulation of the business of the Society, its officers, managers, clerks, agents and servants.
12.  The property movable or immovable belonging to the society shall vest in the Governing Body.
13.  No sale, exchange, mortgage, lease or other transfer of immovable property belonging to the Society shall be valid unless at least the Chairman and the Honarary. Secretary shall execute the document of transfer.
14.  The income and property of the Society when-so-ever derived shall be applied solely towards the promotion for the objects of the society as set forth in this memorandum of society.
15.  True accounts shall be kept of the sums of money and other articles of things received in respect of which receipts and expenditures take place and of the properties, credits and liabilities of the Society and subject to any reasonable restrictions, as to the time and manners of inspecting, the same that may be imposed in accordance with the rules of the Society for the time being in force, the same shall be open to inspection of the members.

Functions of the Office Bearers
The Chairman
The Chairman shall be the overall in-charge of the policies and directions of the Society and be the spokesman of the Society at national and international forums.  Chairman shall preside over all ordinary and extraordinary meetings of the Governing Body and the General Body and over the inaugural and valedictory functions of the Annual Conference.  The Chairman shall chair all guest lectures and orations of the Society at the annual conference.  The Chairman will deliver a Presidential address at the inaugural function of the annual conference.

Honorary Secretary
1.The Honorary Secretary shall be subject to the directions and the regulation of the Governing Body.
2.The Secretary will maintain the correspondence of the Society.  He will have administrative control of the office.  The secretary shall maintain the minutes of all the meetings and perform all the tasks incidental to the office.
3.Convene meetings of the Governing Body whenever necessary or called upon to do so.
4.Have administrative control over all the affairs of the society.
5.Have charge of the correspondence of or in relation to, the Society.
6.Keep accurate minutes of the meetings of the Society, Governing Body and Committees thereof.
7.Prepare the Annual Report of the Society.
8.Be in change of the furniture library and all documents and other assets of the Society.
9.Collect all dues of the Society and pay in all such amounts into the banking account of the society, and inform the treasurer once in every month of the money so paid.
10.Make disbursement and maintain vouchers, provided that any expenditure exceeding Rs.5000/- in a month shall be made after obtaining the sanction of the Governing Body or the Chairman
11.Perform all such duties as are incidental to his office.
12.All notices, communications, letters memoranda and other papers, whether they are acts of the Governing Body or of any officer of the Society shall be signed or authenticated by the Hon. Secretary and when so signed or authenticated shall be conclusive.

Treasurer
1.  The treasurer shall maintain the accounts and finances of the society.  Once at least in every year the accounts of the Society shall be examined by one or more registered accountants.
2.   All cheques shall be signed by any two of the following:
The Chairman, the Secretary and the Treasurer.

General Body Meetings
1.      The annual General Body Meeting shall be held each year during the Annual Conference of the Society.  The Chairman shall preside over the meeting.  In her or his absence, the meeting will be chaired by the Chairman Elect and in his or her absence the immediate Past Chairman, and in her or his absence by Vice Chairman or senior most Member of the Governing Body elected by the members present in the meeting.  The notice of the meeting and the agenda thereof shall be posted to all the members at least 15 days before the date of the meeting.
2.      The governing body shall submit an Annual Report of the Proceedings of the Governing Body and its Committees, if any and of the activities of the Society together with a statement of the assets and liabilities of the Society and an abstract of receipts and disbursement during the year, and the Report of the Auditors, if any.
3.      On receipt of a request the Chairman, may, whenever he thinks fit, and shall, upon a requisition made in writing and signed by not less than /10th members of the Society, convene a Special General Meeting at such place he may decide.  Any requisition made by the members shall state the object of the Special Meeting proposed to be called and shall be addressed to the Honarary. Secretary.  The quorum for such a meeting will be 30 members.
4.      The Hon. Secretary shall on receipt of such a requisition proceed to convene under orders of the Chairman a Special General Meeting which shall be held within sixty days from the date or receipt of such requisition at a place a time fixed by the Chairman.
5. The secretary shall present the minutes of the previous meeting of the General Body, a report of the activities of the society in the preceding year and a sum of summary of the deliberations of the Governing Body meetings.
6. The Treasurer shall present an audited report of the accounts of the Society.
7. The Editor shall present a brief report about the journal.
8. At all General Meetings only the business of which notices have been given or such questions as naturally arise thereon shall be discussed.  Any member desiring to move a resolution at the Annual General Meeting shall give notice to the same in writing to the Secretary at least 15 days before the date fixed for the General Meeting.
9. Twelve members present at a General Meeting shall be the quorum for that meeting.
10. If within half an hour from the time appointed for a General Meeting the quorum is not present the meeting if convened on the requisition of members shall be dissolved, and in any other case shall stand adjourned to a later hour in the same day and place or the next day as fixed by chairperson.
11. The person presiding over the General Meeting may with the consent of the members adjourn the same for some time and to another place but no business shall be transacted at any place of meeting other than the business left unfinished at meeting from which the adjournment took place.
12. No quorum shall be necessary for any adjourned General Meeting.
13. Subject to the law for the time being in force, the resolutions passed in a General Body Meeting shall be given effect to by the officers of the Society.
14. Every item brought for discussion in the Governing or General Body meeting shall be decided according to the majority of votes cast by the members present and voting at such meeting.  In case of equality of votes the person presiding shall have second/casting vote in addition to his vote as a member.
15. Once at least in every year the accounts of the society shall be examined and audited and their correctness ascertained by one or more regd. accountants elected for the ensuring year by the members at the Annual General Meeting each year of the Annual Report submitted to the next following General Meeting.  The Auditors of the Society shall hold office until the next Annual General Body Meeting.  The retiring Auditors shall be paid such remuneration or honorarium as the members may fix at the Annual General Meeting at which such auditor or auditors may be appointed.
16. Any notice required by these rules may be given by sending by ordinary post prepaid a letter to the address mentioned in the register of members and the same shall be deemed to have been received by the addressee on the date on which it would have reached him in the ordinary course of post.

Annual Conference of the Society
Members of the Society may request the Chairman or the Secretary in writing to have the privilege of organising the forthcoming Annual Conference.  The final decision of the venue of the conference shall rest with the General Body.  In the absence of suitable offer, the General Body may request an individual member belonging to undertake the responsibility.  At the annual meeting of the General Body the venue and the organising secretaries of the conference of the next two years may be decided.
The organising secretary shall remit to the Society 50% of the registration fee and a proportion of the profit if any obtained from holding the annual conference. In case of a loss the society shall be liable to pay a maximum of Rs. 25,000 towards partially compensating for the loss. The organising secretary shall submit an audited statement of accounts of the conference atleast one month before the conduct of the next conference.

The Scientific Committee:
The physical organisation of the conference will be in the hands of the organising secretary of the conference. He can form a local organising committee from among his colleagues and well wishers. The names of the members of the organising committee should be intimated to the chairman and secretary of the society. Honorary General Secretary of the society will be the Convenor of the Scientific Committee.  The chairman and secretary in consultation with each other will appoint from time to time, panels of atleast three members for judging abstracts of papers and posters, awards and competitions. The governing body will also decide upon guest lecturers and other special events based on the suggestions of the general body.

Academic Wings
The Society may consider forming one or more Academic wing under the framework of the Society to carry our academic and research activities.  The Society may consider formation of Indian College of Nephrology at an appropriate time.

Repeal of Rules/Addition/Deletions
Subjected to the law for the time in force, the members in General Meeting shall have power to add to, vary repeal any for the provisions contained in these rules, provided that such addition, variation or repeal is effected by means of a resolution of which due notice shall have been given and which shall be assented to by the vote of a least three-fourths of the numbers of members present at the meeting. In case the society decides to publish journals or newsletters and supplements or decides to formulate guidelines, such activities will have to be done as per the rules and regulations made for the purpose by the general body.

The income and property
The income and property of the Society whensoever derived shall be applied solely towards the promotion for the objects of the society as set forth in this memorandum of society.

Properties, Credits and liabilities
True accounts shall be kept of the sums of money and other articles or things received in respect of which receipts and expenditures take place and of the properties, credits, and liabilities of the Society and subject to any reasonable restrictions, as to the time and manners of inspecting the same that may be imposed in accordance with the rules of the Society for the time being in force, the same shall be open to inspection of the members.

Dissolution of the Society
The Society can be dissolved if the ¾ of the total membership of the society in a meeting for the convened purpose decide so.  If on the dissolution of Society there shall remain after the satisfaction of the debts and liabilities any property, whatsoever, the same shall not be paid or distributed amongst the members of the society.  It shall be given to some other society or association having similar objects.