IPSA Membership Rules and Regulations
Article I : Membership
The Indian Planetary Science Association or Bharatiya Grahiyavignyana Sangathan hereinafter referred to as the 'Association' or 'Sangathan' shall have the following categories of members: Regular members, Student members, Institutional members, Donor members, corporate members and honorary fellows The regular members shall form the General Body of the Association in which shall vest the primary authority in all the matters concerning the Association The Association shall function through the General Body and through such Chapters as may be constituted by the general body from time to time. For the purpose of managing the affairs of the Association and matters relating to the Association, the general body shall from time to time, elect from amongst its members an Executive Council hereinafter referred to as the Council, in such manner as hereinafter prescribed in these Rules and Regulations.
Admission to all categories of membership, shall be made by the Council on consideration of applications for such membership. The secretary shall communicate the decision on an application within one month after the decision is taken a newly admitted member must pay the admission fee and term subscription within two months of admission to membership failing which his/her admission to membership shall stand cancelled.
The admission fee and term subscriptions to the various categories of membership shall be fixed by the Council with a provision to alter the same if and when necessary. The current fees shall be as listed in Article IV of the Rules and Regulations.
The eligibility and procedure of admission for various categories of membership shall be as follows
A. Regular members: Any person who is associated with research/teaching in any aspect of Planetary Science or related branch of science shall be eligible for a regular membership of the Association. An application for a Regular membership must be supported by two Regular members. A Regular member shall have the right to attend meetings of the General Body and to vote and shall be eligible to hold an elective office. Only a Regular member of the Association may be admitted by the Council as a Life member on payment of such lump sum amount as may be determined by the Council.
B. Student members: Any person studying Planetary Science or a related branch of science at post-graduate or doctoral level, may be admitted as a Student member for such period until he/she becomes eligible for a regular membership. There is no age limit for Student membership. An application for a Student membership should be supported by two regular members. A Student member shall have no right to attend business meetings of the General body, or to vote or to hold an elective office.
C. Institutional members: A Research Institute, an Educational Institution, a recognized statutory body, a department of the Central or State Government, or a registered Commercial or Industrial undertaking, associated with any aspect of Planetary Science or related branches of science, and its applications, shall be eligible to apply for Institutional membership. They shall be entitled to send one representative to the meetings of the General Body, who shall not have the right to vote or to hold an elective office.
D. Donor members: Any person who donates a sum specified in Article IV to the Association shall be eligible for admission as a Donor Member, Such a member shall have all the privileges of a Regular Member except the right to vote or to hold an elective office.
E. Corporate members: Any start-up or company interested in the goals and mission of the Association may join as Corporate Member. This will be a lifetime membership* Applicants for corporate membership must be nominated by two Members of the Association. Corporate Members will not have right to vote or hold post in Executive Council. Corporate Members will nominate their representatives for participation and their exhibition during events of Society at reduced rates. They will add their advertisement in publications/web page of Society at reduced rate. The reduced rate and number of representatives will be decided by the Executive Council.
F. Honorary fellows: Upon nomination by not less than five Regular members, the Council may elect distinguished scientists as honorary fellows who shall have all the privileges of regular membership without payment of any duesx Only one Honorary fellow may be elected in any one year and the total number of honorary fellows shall not exceed ten at any given time. Honorary member shall have all privileges of a Regular member except the right to vote or hold an elective office.
A member whose annual subscription has been in arrears for a period exceeding three months shall be deemed to have lost his/her membership and shall not be entitled to the right to vote or to hold elective office or to participate in business meetings of the Association. He/She may however be readmitted to the Association without paying the admission fee provided he/she pays all the arrears up to the date of his/her readmission.
Any member whose conduct is considered by the Council as prejudicial to the interests of the Association may be expelled after first being given an opportunity to explain his/her conduct to the Council.