Memorandum of the Society

To encourage and advance the knowledge, study and practice of the specialty of Nephrology.

To encourage research, both clinical and experimental in the field of Nephrology.

To hold meetings, conferences, exhibitions and study circle for promoting the study and research in the problems relating to Nephrology.

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.

To award prizes, medals or certificate or diplomas of proficiency in the specialty of Nephrology to person found fit after test, examination or other scrutiny as may be prescribed from time to time.

To make rules, prescribing standards of professional conduct of members of the Society.

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 specialty of Nephrology.

To cooperate with other national and international societies and agencies to promote objects of the Society.

To suggest, study criticize or otherwise, or take part in framing of laws affecting the science or practice of Nephrology.

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.

To receive any gift or legacy of movable property (including money) either with or without condition to promote the objects of the Society.

To acquire by purchase, lease, or otherwise, any property, rights, privileges for the purpose of the Society.

To sell, improve manage, develop, mortgage, lease or let, underlease or sublet, dispose off, turn to account or otherwise deal with, all or any part of the property of the Society.

To act as trustees, agents or managers of property endowed by any person for objects of or similar to those of the Society.

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.

To advance, invest and deal with the society’s money in or upon such investments and securities as may be deemed financially advisable for the betterment of the finances of the Society.

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. 2.18 To make by laws, rules and regulations of the society and to delete, change or add to the same from time to time. 2.19 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.

The registered office of the Society shall shift to the work of the Hony Secretary of the Society at the time of assumption of the change 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 Andhra Society of Nephrology hereinafter called the Society.

Membership

The membership of the society shall be of three classes (a) Honorary members (b) Life members (c) Associate members.

 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 rights of an ordinary member except the right to vote in the election of the office bearers, and shall not be liable to pay subscription of membership or registration fees at conferences of the society.

Life Members

A person with the following qualification will be eligible for becoming an life member.

Having degree of DM/DNB or equivalent qualification in Nephrology from other countries recognized by Medical Council of India.

Students registered for DM/DNB having at least one year training.

Any person is qualified to be admitted to the life membership of the Society should pay single payment (for life time), the quantum of which shall be laid down from time to time by the Governing Body, to be admitted as a life member.

 Associate Members

Any person who lacks the qualification mentioned above, but is working in a department of Nephrology, or allied specialities mentioned in clause  or is directly involved in dialysis or transplantation, and who is a medical graduate with postgraduate medical qualifications recognized by the Medical Council of India may be admitted as an associate member. Associate members will not have any right of voting for the election of office bearers. The admission fees of an associate member will be 50% of the fee of an ordinary member. It is a grey area as dialysis nurses, administers of dialysis units may become members.

Notwithstanding any condition mentioned in clause 2.1 to 2.6, persons who are already admitted members of the society shall continue to remain members in the categories in which they had previously been admitted.

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 General Body. Those who are considered suitable shall be admitted to the membership.

A register of members containing their names and addresses shall be maintained and brought up to date as and when new members are admitted or old members cease to be members. Any change of address shall be recorded when this is communicated by any member. List of members of the Society shall be circulated to all the members of the Society once in three years.

Cessation of Membership Any member may resign his or her membership of the Society by giving notice in writing to the Hony. Secretary. On receipt of such notice by Secretary, he or she will cease to be a member.

Any member whose subscription is in arrears for a period of six months after 1st of October of any year despite a notice having been issued to him by the Secretary, shall cease to be a member. However, he or she will remain liable to pay the dues accumulated till that year.

If any member brings to notice of the Governing Body about the conduct of any member which is not in keeping with the norms of behaviour expected by the Society, the Governing Body may inquire into such allegations and if it so decides, may recommend to the General Body that the accused member be removed from the membership of the Society. The accused member would be given the opportunity to present his or her case to the General Body in person or in writing and may be removed from the membership of the Society only if two thirds of the members present and voting are in favour of his or her removal from the membership.

A member so expelled may be readmitted if the Governing Body makes recommendation to that effect to the General Body, and if two thirds of members present and voting are in favour of his or her readmission.

All life, ordinary members of the Society shall be entitled to participate in all activities of the society. They shall be entitled to vote for the election of the office bearers.

Any zone within Andhra Society of Nephrology having at least ten valid members of the society can form a zonal branch.

All the zones within Andhra Society of Nephrology shall be governed by the Constitution of the society.

Membership of chapters and branches:

Only persons who are members of the Society shall be accepted as members of the respective zones of the Society. The zonal chapters may collect their own subscriptions, but shall not accept as a member anyone who is not a member of the Society, nor the zonal Chapters can deny membership to any member of the Society who lives and works within the area of the zonal chapter or branch concerned.

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. President/chairman 01 Vice President 02 Secretary 01 Treasurer 01 Members 04 (one from each state) The following will be ex-officio members:- Chairman, Scientific Committee• Organising Secretary of the Annual Congress•

Term of Office

The President shall hold office for 1 year and the Vice President shall hold office for two years. On completion of his term, immediatePast President shall not offer himself for election to any office of the Governing Body.

A member elected to office of Vice President shall not serve in this office for more than one term.

The Honorary General Secretary, the Treasurer and the elected members of the Governing Body shall hold office for two years. None of these officers will 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 inaugural function of the Annual Conference where the outgoing President shall formally hand over the Presidency of the Society to the President Elect. The new President will then introduce and induct the newly elected members of the Governing Body, if any, and deliver his Presidential Address.

Barring the Organizing Secretary of the next Congress, Zonal Representatives and the Ex-Officio members, the rest shall be elected in the following manner: -

Elections shall be conducted by Presiding Officer, who shall be nominated by the Governing Body at its Annual Meeting from among the members present at the Annual Conference. Once nominated, the officer concerned shall liaise with the Secretary to conduct the elections.

Nominations for the vacancies on the Governing Body shall be called for by the General Secretary by the 15th September each year. The nomination shall be received by the 15thOctober. Once the Secretary has received nominations for various posts, he will screen nominations and if there are more than one candidates for one post the information in this regard will be posted to all the candidates by 31st October. The last date of withdrawal is 10th November.

The secretary will forward the bundle containing the ballot papers before 15thNovemberwith the separate envelops for sealing the ballot paper, signature and membership number of the member, brief biodata of the candidates, and reply paid addressed (address of Presiding Officer) to the Presiding Officer. The Presiding Officer is in charge from this point till announcement of results.

Those who do not get the ballot papers shall be given time to respond and inform the Presiding Officer before 15thDecember. The presiding officer will then send the ballot papers by 'speed post' to those few (if any).

The last date for receipt of ballot papers by the presiding officer will be 15thJanuary. Counting will take place at a date and time suitable for the presiding officer between 15th and 25th January where the secretary/ president/ or one representative of the President and the candidate / or one representative of each candidate are to be invited to attend.

The Presiding Officer will declare the result of election on the same day as counting and the result will be communicated to members by 31st January.

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..

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, or if there are no nominations, the vacancies shall be filled up by election at the time of the Annual General Meeting. Resignation of Officers

Any member of the Governing Body may resign his or her post by giving notice in writing to the President. The resignation shall take effect from the date of its acceptance by the President.

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 in the office of President otherwise than by the due completion of the term of office, the senior of the Vice Presidents shall take over as President for the remainder of that term when he will hand over to the President 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 President. The vacancies will be filled along with other posts during the next election.

The President shall preside over all the meetings of the Governing Body and General Body. In his absence the meeting will be chaired by any senior of the Vice Presidents elected by the members present in the meeting.

The old Governing Body shall meet at the time of the Annual Conference prior to the inaugural ceremony. The new members will also be invited for attending this meeting. However, they will not have any voting rights during this meeting.

The new Governing Body shall meet after the General Body meeting in order to plan strategy for the next year. The venue and timings of the meeting will be announced by the Secretary in the General Body Meeting.

If a quorum i.e. half the number of members 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 President. If at such an adjourned meeting, a quorum is not present, any one third of total members shall make quorum and may transact the business for which the meeting was called.

If the President of the Governing Body so directs any business or class of business of the Governing Body may be transacted by circulation instead of the meeting.