By-Laws Regional Centres

Formation of Regional Centres:

If at least twenty eligible Corporate Members of the Institute residing or practising or carrying on business in one locality desire in a body, the formation of a Regional Centre of the Institute, the Council shall, subject to the provisions of these clauses, authorise them to do so.
If some small Regional Centres, which are closely located in a particular zone, consider that it would make them financially viable with the formation of a group amongst themselves to bolster their activities such as arranging seminars, chemcons, factory visits, continuing educations, etc., then such Regional Centres should seek for the permission of the Council in writing to do so. The arrangements for administration and finance shall be intimated to the Council and any surplus resulting from such an arrangement, shall be shared with the Head Quarters, following a well-established norm set up by the Council.

Territorial limit of Regional Centres:

The Council in consultation with the Committee of each Regional Centre, shall have power to demarcate definite territorial limits for their individual activity. Normally the territorial activity of each Centre shall be restricted to an area equivalent to a circle of a radius of fifty kilometers. However, the Council at the discretion, shall fix the radius based on the individual merits of the Regional Centres. No Regional Centre shall be allowed to extend its activities beyond its territorial limits without written consent of the Council. Such consent may be given only after due notice has been served on the Regions and areas likely to be affected and the views of all those concerned heard and considered.

Membership of Regional Centres:

3.1	Every Member residing or practising or carrying on business within the territorial limits of a regional centre, shall ordinarily belong to that Centre, until the Council, for any special reason approves of his desire, expressed in writing, to opt out of that Regional Centre and to join some other centre already formed or to be formed according to clause 1.
3.2	Any applicant at the time of applying for new membership or any Member at the time of transfer from one category of membership to another, or at the time of change of his address may indicate his choice as to which Regional Centre he would like to be associated with. A Member who is not normally residing within the territorial limits of a Regional Centre may be permitted by the Council, as a special case, to join the Regional Centre of his choice.
3.3	No Member can belong to more than one Regional Centre at the same time.

Objectives and Activities of Regional Centres:

The primary objective of Regional Centres shall be to promote and complement the objectives and activities of the Institute within the Centre’s territorial limits. It shall also render all assistance possible to the Headquarters of the Institute in professional matters relating to the Members of the Regional Centre. The activities arranged by the Regional Centre in furtherance of the aims and objectives of the Institute, may specifically include the following :

4.1	To arrange Meetings and Conferences of the Regional Centre, to discuss problems of Chemical Engineering and related fields of interest.
4.2	To arrange Lectures, Counselling, Film Shows, etc., related to Chemical Engineering Profession.
4.3	To arrange Seminars, Workshops and Symposia on the topics of interest to Chemical Engineers and to promote interaction with other Regional Centres and organisations.
4.4	To arrange for Refresher Courses on subjects of interest to the Chemical Engineering Profession.
4.5	To arrange excursions and plant visits of interest to the Members of the Regional Centre.
4.6	To extend the services which involve application of Chemical Engineering to rural development.
4.7	To institute and to operate Awards, Prizes, Scholarships and honoraria to promote the Chemical Engineering Profession.
4.8	To promote research in Chemical Engineering related subjects, publications of Books, Periodicals, Technical Papers etc., for advancement of the profession of Chemical Engineering.
4.9	To assist and guide young Chemical Engineers in their career planning.
4.10	To promote any other activities of Social, Technical and Professional interest to the Members of the Regional Centre, as will be decided from time to time.

Administration of the Regional Centres and Functioning of the Regional Executive Committee:

5.1	The affairs of each Regional Centre shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of these rules and such other Bye-laws as may be framed and aproved by the Council from time to time.
5.2	5.2 The business of the Regional Centre shall be conducted and the properties and funds thereof shall be administered by a Committee (herein after referred to as Executive Committee) consisting of a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, a Honorary Regional Secretary, a Honorary Joint Regional Secretary, a Honorary Regional Treasurer and not less than four but not exceeding eight Executive Committee Members who shall be Corporate Members of the Institute belonging to the Regional Centre. In addition, the immediate past Honorary Regional Secretary or the Honorary Joint Regional Secretary shall be an Ex-officio Member of the new Executive Committee.
5.3	5.3 The Executive Committee may co-opt other eligible Members into the Executive Committee as Co-opted Members. The total number of such co-opted Members shall not exceed three. Such co-opted Members shall enjoy all the rights and privileges enjoyed by the other Members of the Executive Committee.
5.4	The Executive Committee of the Regional Centre shall, inter alia, promote and advance within its territorial limits, the aims and objectives of the Institute as laid down in clause 4.
5.5	The Executive Committee shall at the beginning of every year, frame and adopt a programme for the year’s activities, communicate to the Council, allocate budget provisions and at subsequent Meetings examine, scrutinize and approve the accounts of income and expenditure presented by the Honorary Regional Secretary and/or Honorary Regional Treasurer. Expenses shall be approved in advance by the Executive Committee, or in an emergency, by the Chairman or the Vice-Chairman, and have to be examined and approved at the next Meeting of the Executive Committee.
5.6	The Executive Committee shall meet at least once in three months and the proceedings shall be minuted and approved by the Members attending the Meetings.
5.7	Five Members of the Executive Committee including co-opted Members shall form the quorum for the Meetings.
5.8	The Executive Committee may invite other Members to participate in the Executive Committee Meetings as invitees. Such invitees shall not have the right to vote at the Meetings.
5.9	The Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be presided over by the Chairman and in his absence, by the Vice-Chairman. In the absence of both Chairman and Vice-Chairman, any Member of the Committee may be elected to take the Chair.
5.10	The Honorary Regional Secretary shall call meetings of the Executive Committee and shall notify the date of any such meeting 7 days in advance with the agenda and circulate the minutes. In the absence of the Honorary Regional Secretary, the Honorary Joint Regional Secretary shall act as the Honorary Secretary, and in absence of both, the Chairman/Vice-Chairman shall authorise one of the members present to act as the Honorary Regional Secretary for the Meeting. A copy of the minutes duly signed by the Honorary Regional Secretary or the Chairman/Vice-Chairman shall be sent to Headquarters within one month from the date of the Meeting.
5.11	The Council members, past and present office bearers of the IIChE belonging to a particular Regional Centre, should be invited in all meetings of the Executive Committee to seek for their suggestions/recommendations. However, they shall not have voting rights in any decision-making.
5.12	If a member of the Executive Committee (E.C.) fails to attend 50% of the meetings of the E.C., in a year, his membership of the E.C. shall be terminated by the Executive Committee. In such a case of termination, he shall not be eligible for contesting the election to the Executive Committee in the subsequent year.

Office-bearers of the Regional Centres and their functions:

6.1	Chairman He shall chair all meetings and shall direct the affairs of the Regional Centre. He shall be a corporate Member of the Institute, who should have served on the Executive Committee of any Regional Centre or could be a current or past Council member. Past Presidents of the Institute shall not contest the Chairman’s post any time in order to maintain the dignity and prestige of the President’s post.
6.2	Vice-Chairman He shall assist the Chairman in directing the affairs of the Regional Centre and chair all Meetings in the absence of Chairman. He will also perform such functions as the Executive Committee may assign to him from time to time. He shall be a corporate Member of the Institute.
6.3	Honorary Regional Secretary He shall be responsible for all correspondence, conducting general business of the Regional Centre and maintaining or arranging to maintain the records and property (ies) acquired by the Regional Centre. He shall be responsible for planning and execution of the programme of activities of the Regional Centre, and for authorising all disbursements in accordance with the provisions of the approved programme under the superintendence and control of the Chairman/Vice-chairman and the Executive Committee Members. He shall, in consultation with the Honorary Regional Treasurer, arrange for submitting up-to-date Statement of Accounts to the Executive Committee and for timely completion of Annual Accounts, their auditing and submission to the Honorary Secretary of the Institute at the headquarters every year within time limits specified in para 9.3. He shall be a corporate member of the Institute. The Honorary Regional Secretary shall maintain an up-to-date list of members of the Regional Centre and mail periodically to the Headquarters.
6.4	Honorary Joint Regional Secretary He shall assist the Honorary Regional Secretary in his duties and assume and shall discharge the Honorary Regional Secretary’s responsibilities in his absence. The Honorary Joint Regional Secretary may be assigned specific responsibilities by the Regional Centre’s Executive Committee from time to time. He shall be a corporate member of the Institute.
6.5	Honorary Regional Treasurer He shall be responsible for all financial matters of the Centre jointly with the Honorary Regional Secretary, under superintendence and direction of the Chairman and the Regional Centre’s Executive Committee. He shall be a corporate member of the institute. He shall be the custodian of all the funds of the Regional Centre and shall be responsible for safe custody of all securities, Fixed Deposits, Cheque Books etc. He shall be responsible for maintaining the accounts and getting it audited.

Election of Office-bearers & Executive Committee Members:

7.1	All the conditions of eligibility for voting shall be the same as the conditions in force, as laid down by the Institute. Only the Members of the Regional Centre, whose names appear in the list of the eligible Members for nomination/voting as circulated by the Headquarters, shall be eligible to nominate, second and vote in election to the Executive Committee. Any member desiring of contesting for election to the Executive Committee should be a Corporate Member of the Institute of at least three years standing, whose subscriptions have been fully paid by 31st March of the year.
7.2	The Honorary Regional Secretary shall invite, before 15th May of each year, nominations for election of Executive Committee Members as specified in clauses 5.2. Nominations have to be proposed and seconded by corporate members from the Regional Centre and must reach the Honorary Regional Secretary before 31st May of each year enclosing nominee’s consent in writing. If necessary, a Returning Officer will be nominated by the Executive Committee to conduct the election. The newly elected Executive Committee at its 1st meeting shall elect the office bearers i.e. Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Honorary Regional Secretary, Honorary Joint Regional Secretary, Honorary Regional Treasurer. Nominations for this purpose can be proposed and seconded by any Executive Committee Member of that Regional Centre.
7.3	The tenure of Executive Committee shall be from 1st July to 30th June of the next year and the newly elected Executive Committee shall take over the administration of the Regional Centre from the retiring Committee on 1st July every year.
7.4	Any shortfall in the strength of the Executive Committee after the election, or any vacancy that may occur in the Committee during the year shall be filled by co-option from amongst the Members of the Regional Centre.
7.5	The newly elected Honorary Regional Secretary shall inform the Honorary Secretary of the Institute, the particulars of the new Executive Committee so as to reach him by 10th July every year. He shall also inform the Secretary of the Institute in respect of any changes in the Executive Committee from time to time.

Tenure of Office-bearers:

8.1	The Chairman shall hold the office for a period of one year and shall be eligible for re-election for the second consecutive year, but not for the third consecutive year. He may again be eligible after a gap of one year.
8.2	The Vice-chairman, Honorary Regional Secretary, Honorary Joint Regional Secretary, Honorary Regional Treasurer and all the Executive Committee Members shall hold the office for one year and shall be eligible for re-election to the Executive Committee.

Annual General Meeting (AGM):

9.1	The Regional Centre shall hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) before 25th June every year. The agenda, venue, date and time of the Meeting shall be notified to the Members belonging to the Regional Centre at least 30 days in advance.
9.2	At the Annual General Meeting, the Annual Report of the Regional Centre, together with the certified and audited Statement of Accounts shall be presented by the Executive Committee for consideration and adoption.
9.3	On adoption at the Annual General Meeting, a copy of the Annual Report and the Statement of Accounts duly audited and signed shall be forwarded to the Honorary Secretary of the Institute at the headquarters before 30th June every year.
9.4	Any other business, for which prior notice has been given, may be, transacted at the Annual General meeting. No Member whose subscription is in arrears shall have a right to vote at the Annual General Meeting.
9.5	Twenty five percent of the total membership or fifteen Members, which ever is lower, shall be the quorum for the Annual General Meeting. If there is no quorum, the Meeting shall be adjourned and called on a later date and time and the quorum is not specified for such Meetings.
9.6	A Regional Centre not holding the AGM and not submitting its Annual Report and/or Audited Annual Accounts to the Head Quarters by 10th July shall not be considered for the Annual Regional Centre Awards. In case, the AGM is not held and/or the Annual Report/Annual Audited Accounts are not submitted to the Headquarters by 10th July, the Regional Centres shall not be entitled for any subvention for the next year and Council will take suitable action regarding the Regional Centre as deemed fit.

Extra-ordinary General meeting (EGM):

10.1	An Extra-ordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the Regional Centre may, at any time, be convened by the Executive Committee, either on their own initiative or on receipt of a requisition signed by a minimum of ten of its Corporate Members. The requisition shall state the purpose of convening the Meeting. Notices of Extra-ordinary General Meeting of the Regional Centre shall be issued by the Honorary Regional Secretary or the Honorary Joint Regional Secretary at least 21 days before the proposed date of the Meeting. If the meeting is not convened within 45 days from the date of requisition, the requisitionists themselves may proceed to convene a Meeting giving sufficient notice which will be deemed consitutional.
10.2	Fifty percent of the total membership or fifteen Members, whichever is less, shall be the quorum for Extra-ordinary General Meeting. If there is no quorum, the Extra-ordinary General Meeting shall be adjourned.
10.3	Only such resolution or resolutions as have been duly notified, shall be considered and adopted with or without amendments by a three fourths majority of the Members present. No Member whose subscription is in arreas shall have a right to vote at the Extra-ordinary General Meeting.

Funds and Accounts of the Regional Centre:

11.1	Every Regional Centre is entitled to receive/retain as subvention an amount equal to 25% of the Annual Subscription and proportionate amount from the interest accrued on life subscription realised by the Institute from the Corporate Members of the Regional Centre. The life membership fees received by the Regional Centres must be sent to the Head Quarters in toto without any deduction, for deposition in the corpus of the “IIChE Life Membership Fund”. Appropriate portion of the interest accrued shall be sent as subvention to the concerned Regional Centre every year, subject to the fulfillment of criteria under Clause 9.6.
11.2	In addition to the subvention, the income to the Regional Centre may consist of registration fees, sale of publications, grants, donations, etc. received directly by the Regional Centre, for itself and for any activities arranged by it.
11.3	The income of and property acquired by the Regional Centres, shall be applied primarily for and towards the promotion of the objectives of the Institute and the Regional Centres. Such property(ies) shall always be held for and on behalf of the Institute as Custodian. The Regional Centres shall take prior consent for acquisition of any immovable property (ies) from the General Body of that Regional Centre and shall ensure that those are held in the name of the Regional Centre / Students’ Chapter. Custodian of the property shall be as given in Clause 6.5. Honorary Secretary of the Institute is to be informed accordingly for information of the Council.
11.4	If upon winding up or dissolution of the Regional Centre, there remains, after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities, any surplus money or property whatsoever, the same shall not be paid to or distributed among the Members of the Regional Centre, but shall be reverted to the Institute.
11.5	The financial year of the Regional Centres covers the period 1st April to 31st March every year. The accounts for the year shall be closed on the 31st day of March, and the Annual Statement of Accounts duly audited and certified as being correct, by the Chairman, the Honorary Regional Secretary and the Honorary Regional Treasurer, shall be forwarded to the Honorary Secretary of the Institute every year within the time limits as specified by the Council. The income and expenditure statement should be prepared in consultation with the Head Quarters since the Institute is a non-profit making charitable society. Thus, all expenses towards seminars, lectures, factory visits, continuing education, etc. shall be jointly treated as R&D expenditures in the Statement of Accounts.
11.6	Regional Centres shall get their annual accounts audited by a Chartered Accountant.
11.7	All funds of a Regional Centre shall be administered by a Finance Committee consisting of four Members of the Executive Committee, who shall normally be the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Honorary Regional Secretary and the Honorary Regional Treasurer, with the Honorary Regional Treasurer as the Convener of the Finance Committee. All Funds of the Regional Centre shall be kept in Financial Instruments or in Current/Saving Accounts with Nationalised or approved banks. The Bank Accounts of the Regional Centre as also the fixed deposits shall be operated under the signatures of any two of the four Members of the Finance Committee with the seal of Authorised Signatories.
11.8	The Honorary Regional Secretary can have in hand a maximum amount of Rs. 2000/- (Rupees two thousand only) at any time as cash.
11.9	Any expenditure exceeding Rs. 2500/- (Rupees two thousand five hundred only) shall be approved by the Executive Committee in advance.
11.10	For special Programs like Seminars, Symposia, Workshop, Refresher Course, etc. a separate budget shall be drawn up and approved by the Executive Committee. For these a separate account may be operated, under the signature of any two out of four specified Members of the Organising Committee. For any such individual programme, if the Income/Expenditure is in excess of Rs. 25,000/-, accounts for the same shall be separately audited by a Chartered Accountant. In other cases, its account shall be audited along with the accounts of the Regional Centre. The Executive Committee may authorise some advance payments from the main account for such activities, and any surplus/deficit of such programmes shall be reverted to the account of the Regional Centre.
11.11	Council shall revise such limit as and when required for the purpose of auditing by Chartered Accountant.
11.12	All payments above Rs. 5,000/- shall be made by cheques only after obtaining proper bills. The bill for a single item shall not be split to counter the objective of this limit. As a guideline, no advance above Rs 2000/- shall be paid in cash to anyone (individual or organization) for reasons whatsoever. The amount shall be reviewed in every five years.

Subscription/Subvention:

12.1	Since the financial year of the Institute is from 1st April to 31st March, the subscription falls due from 1st April every year. The same shall be paid to the Honorary Regional Secretary or Honorary Regional Treasurer by 15th June every year.
12.2	Receipts shall be issued by the Honorary Regional Treasurer or Honorary Regional Secretary for the collection of Subscription, Admission Fees, Transfer Fees, Registration Fees etc. made by the Regional Centre from the Members of the Regional Centre.
12.3	The Consolidated amount of Annual Subscription payable to the Headquarters and the Headquarters copy of the receipts shall be sent along with the list of members to the Institute by 15th April every year.
12.4	The Regional Centre may retain 25% of the Annual Subscription collected from the Members as Subvention.
12.5	The Regional Centre shall not retain any portion of the Admission Fees, Transfer Fees, Registration Fees and the Life Subscriptions collected from the Members and shall send the total amount to the Headquarters of the Institute.
12.6	The Headquarters of the Institute shall send to the concerned Regional Centres, as Subvention every year, the eligible portion of the Subscription amount that will be transferred from the term deposits of the Life Subscription Account. The Head quarters also shall send to the concerned Regional Centres, the eligible portion of the Subscription received from Members.