CONSTITUTION OF THE PRESS ASSOCIATION

Name and Address
Clause 1: The Association shall be called “Press Association", hereinafter referred to as "Association".

Clause 2: The office of the Association shall be Room No 011, Ground Floor, National Media Centre, Raisina Road, New Delhi-110001. However, the Executive of the Association may decide to have a camp office for correspondence and other day to day activities at any other place for a prescribed period, as and when required.

OBJECTS

Clause 3: The objects of the Association shall be:
(a) to secure and safeguard the rights and privileges of the newspersons in general and the members of the Association, in particular in the discharge of their duties;
(b) to conduct, organise and sponsor professional activities, such as lectures seminars, press conferences, workshops and others.
(c) to elevate the status of the journalistic profession and safeguard the freedom of the Press;
(d) to secure representation of the Association on official and no-official bodies for furthering the objects of the Association.
(e) to forge / promote cooperation with newspersons in other parts of the country for furthering the objects of the Association;
(f) to set up regional units for furthering the objects of the Association;
(g) to acquire assets, properties, loans, securities in furtherance of the activities of the Association;
(h) to undertake, initiate, promote and/or sponsor well are activities for newspersons in general and members of the Association, in particulars;
(i) to cooperate and collaborate with other professional bodies of journalists on matters of mutual interest and
(j) to do all such acts as may be considered conductive and/or incidental to the attachment of all or any of the aforesaid objects of the Association.

Clause 4: Membership There shall be two categories of membership Primary and Associate.

Clause 5: Primary Membership- Eligibility all those covered by any one of the following sub-clause may apply for "Primary" membership of the Association on a prescribed form:
(a) Correspondents accredited to the Government of India on behalf of newspapers, news agencies, news magazines and other periodicals;
(b) Correspondents who had earlier been accredited to the Government of India on behalf of newspapers, news agencies and other periodicals, but are currently accredited as correspondents under any other category.
(c) Correspondents who had earlier been accredited to the Government of India and who were members of the Association earlier provided they have not taken up any other profession.

Clause 6: Associate Membership (Eligibility) all those covered by any one of the following sub-clause may apply for "Associate Membership" of the Association on the prescribed form:

(a) Journalists not covered under any of the sub-clauses applicable for "Primary Membership", who is provided professional facilities by the Government of India;
(b) Media Critics accredited to the Government of India; and
(c) Correspondents credited to any State Government.

Clause 7: Procedure to become a member:

(a) Every application for membership shall be proposed by an existing member of the Association;
(b) Every application for membership shall be in the prescribed form annexed to this Constitution and shall be accompanied by the prescribed entrance fee and subscription;
(c) The application shall be processed by the Credentials Committee and forwarded to the Executive Committee with its recommendations;
(d) The Executive Committee may accept or reject an application or ask for more information, as it considers necessary;
(e) In the event of an application being rejected, the Association shall refund the entrance fee and subscription deposited by the applicant;
(f) The entrance fee shall be Rs. 110/- (including ten rupees for form) and subscription Rs. 150/- per annum for Primary Members. The entrance fee for Associate Members shall be Rs.110 and annual subscription shall be Rs.150/-. However, the General Body may revise the fees, as and when it deems necessary.

Clause 8: The proposer of the candidate whose application has been rejected may appeal to the General Body for reconsideration of the case.

Clause 9: The Association "Year" means a period of twelve months commencing from the first day of January.

Clause 10: Cessation of Membership: an individual may cease to be a member of the Association under any of the following conditions:
(a) Resignation.
(b) If he/she ceases to be qualified for membership under any of the provisions contained in clauses 5) and (6);
(c) If he/she remains in arrears of his/her subscription for more than six terms.
(d) If he/she is expelled from membership by a resolution of the General Body by a majority of two thirds of the members present and voting at a meeting in which the proposed expulsion is on the agenda duly circulated to the members; Provided however, no such resolution shall be allowed to be moved unless the Executive Committee forwards the resolution for the consideration of the General Body with or without its recommendation. Provided further the Disciplinary Action Committee has examined the case and the member concerned has been given an opportunity to defend himself/herself at the General Body meeting. However, if the member concerned has not availed the opportunity offered to him/her, the Disciplinary Action Committee/Executive Committee / General Body may take their decision ex-parte;
(e) Death.

Clause 11: Readmission: A member may be readmitted if the Executive Committee is satisfied that the grounds on which he/she had ceased to be a member are no longer applicable.

Clause 12: Composition of the Executive Committee: The administration of the affairs of the Association and all the properties of the Association shall be vested in an Executive Committee consisting of:
a) President (one)
b) Vice-president (one)
c) General Secretary (one)
d) Joint Secretary (one)
e) Treasurer (one)
and not exceeding 7 (Seven) other members including two to be co-opted by the Executive Committee. One of the co opted Members shall be a woman if no woman is elected for any post. The term of the co-opted members will be the same as that of the other members.

Clause 13: All office bearers and elective members shall be elected for a period of two years by the members of the Association in accordance with a schedule of elections prepared by the Returning Officer in consultation with the Executive Committee. Until a new Executive Committee takes over, the old Executive Committee will continue to function. The elections shall be held within six monthly of the expiry of the term of the old Executive. Only the primary members will be eligible to vote and hold office. However, the Associate Members may be called as special invitees to the meetings and the Executive Committee of the Association may nominate Associate Members on the sub-committees and assigns such tasks to them as it considers proper. No decision of the Executive Committee shall be invalid on the ground that certain vacancies remained to the filled up. The Associate Members will not have voting rights.

Clause 14: Any vacancy in the Executive Committee after the elections shall be filled up by the Executive itself. The information will be placed before the General Body at its next meeting.

Clause 15: The Executive Committee shall have the authority to set up sub-committees for different purposes and call special invitees at its meetings. Provided, however, no member of the Executive Committee shall be a member of the Credentials Committee and Disciplinary Action Committee.

Clause 16: Meetings: The Executive Committee shall meet as often as it considers it necessary. There shall be at least four meetings during a year. The General Body shall meet at least once in a term. The agenda of the annual General Body meeting will include annual accounts and General Secretary's report covering activities of the Association during the year and proposals for the next year.

Clause 17: Quorum: The quorum of the Executive shall be one third of the strength. The quorum of the General Body will be 10 per cent of the total strength or 40 members whichever is less.

Clause 18: Decisions: Unless otherwise provided, all matters at the meetings of the Executive, General Body or any of the Sub-Committees shall be decided by a majority of the members present and voting.

Clause 19: A meeting adjourned for lack of quorum may meet the same day at the same for which no quorum will be necessary. Otherwise, a fresh notice shall be will have to be issued.

Clause 20: Notice: At least 15 days notice shall be necessary for an ordinary meeting of the General Body. An extraordinary meeting may be called by giving seven days notice. In the case of Executive Committee, a notice for seven days will be normally necessary. An extraordinary meeting will require 24 hours notice. However, the agenda transacted at an extraordinary meeting shall be placed before the normal meeting of the Executive as soon as possible.

Clause 21: Subject to the overall guidelines obtained from the General Body, the Executive shall have the power to lay down the policies and programmes of the Association. It may establish branches in the States wherever considered feasible. The Executive shall have the authority regarding the interpretation and application of the provisions of the Constitution.

Clause 22: It shall be competent for the Executive Committee to frame subsidiary rules for the conduct of the business of the Association.

Clause 23: All business discussed or decided at a meeting of the General Body Executive Committee shall be recorded in the Proceedings Book and shall be signed by the President and General Secretary.

PRESIDENT

Clause 24: The President shall generally supervise all the activities of the Association. He will preside over the meetings of the Executive Committee, General Body and other committees headed by him. He shall sign the proceedings register, resolutions, audited accounts and other documents, as required by the Executive Committee.

Clause 25: The President may delegate any of his powers and duties to the Vice-President for such period as he thinks necessary.

VICE – PRESIDENT
Clause 26: Vice President shall assist the President in the discharge of his responsibilities and undertake such other tasks as are entrusted to him by the President or the Executive Committee.

Clause 27: In the event of the President going out of station for a long period or the President becoming incapacitated, the Vice-President shall exercise all the powers of the President and discharge all his responsibilities, until the President returns or recovers or a new President takes over.

General Secretary

Clause 28: Subject to the general supervision of the President, the powers and duties of the General Secretary shall be as follows:
(i) to maintain correctly and up-to-date the prescribed papers and registers;
(ii) to sign on behalf of the Association and to conduct its correspondence;
(iii) to summon and to attend general meetings;
(iv) to record the proceedings of such meetings and have them duly signed;
(v) to prepare the annual statements and submit them to the auditors within the time prescribed by him;
(vi) to control the staff under him;
(vii) to certify copies of entries in the books under the provisions of the relevant law or decision of the Association;
(viii) to incur contingent expenditure within limits fixed by the Executive Committee;
(ix) to delegate any of his powers and duties to the Secretaries;
(x) generally to conduct the business of the Association and perform all duties entrusted to him by the Executive Committee.

JOINT SECRETARY

Clause 29 The Joint Secretary shall perform all the tasks as are entrusted to him/her by the Executive Committee or the General Secretary and shall generally assist the General Secretary in the discharge of all his duties and responsibilities.

TREASURER

Clause 30: The Treasurer shall take charge of all money received by the Association from any source and shall make disbursement in accordance with the directions of the Executive Committee. He shall sign the cash book in token of its correctness and produce the cash balance whenever called upon to do so by the President, Executive Committee, or Auditor or any other appropriate authority.

Clause 31: The elections will be held by secret ballot on a date and time appointed by the Returning Officer in consultation with the Executive Committee.

Clause 32: The Executive Committee may frame rules for the conduct of elections.

Clause 33: Voting by proxy will not be permitted.

Clause 34: Any notice or communication required by the Constitution or Rules framed there under to be given or made to a member may be given or made either personally or by sending it by post to him/her to the address supplied by him/her to the Association.

Clause 35: Any appeal provided by the constitution or Rules framed there under shall be preferred within thirty days of the date of the communication of the decision appealed from.

AMENDMENTS

Clause 36: No amendment shall be made in these clauses except by a resolution passed at an ordinary meeting of the General Body by a majority of two-thirds of the members present and voting.

Clause 37: The Executive Committee shall have full discretion to act in any manner not provided for in the constitution or Rules framed there under in the best interest of the Association.

SD/

Jaishankar Gupta
President

Shisir Soni
Vice President

C K Nayak
General Secretary

Ananda Mishra
Joint Secretary

J C Verma
Treasurer