Bylaws | Karnataka Chapter

Membership

Life members: Candidates for membership shall be nominated by two members of the association. The application form is downloadable from the website and should contain all the information as required in the form. Persons holding any of the following qualifications are eligible to apply:- MD / DNB in pathology, Diploma in clinical pathology, MD / DNB in microbiology, Diploma in medical microbiology / Bacteriology, MD in laboratory medicine, PhD in pathology or medical microbiology. Students studying for their post-graduation in any of the above are also eligible. Membership of persons other than those having the qualification listed above will be subject to approval by the executive council based on the contributions made by the applicant to the field of pathology / microbiology / laboratory medicine.
Ordinary members: The provision for enrolling new ordinary members has been stopped and all ordinary members existent at the time of implementation have been upgraded to life members.
Honorary members: Honorary membership may be conferred on individuals of repute after obtaining approval of the executive council during the executive meeting as per agenda. Honorary members shall have the right of attending the meetings of the association and of taking part in discussion but shall have no voting rights.
Affiliate members: Members from affiliated bodies, as per rules, can become affiliate members and will be subject to rules of the association. Affiliate members shall be eligible to attend the conference and to present papers / posters and the GBM but have no right to vote. Affiliate members shall not be nominated / elected into the executive committee of KC-IAPM.

Subscription for Membership

The fee for life membership is Rs. 3000/- as a one time subscription made at the time of application. The subscription may be revised from time to time with the approval of the general body.
Honorary membership is not chargeable as it is conferred upon individuals as decided by the executive committee.
Affiliate membership subscription shall depend on the mutual agreement between the two associations that are affiliated.

Termination of Membership

Any member may terminate his own membership by notifying the secretary in writing.
Under extra-ordinary and adverse circumstances, the executive may take a consensus decision (with at least 2/3 of members voting in favor) to expel any member including a member of the executive committee. This decision shall be taken during a special meeting convened for the purpose and in the general interest of the association. The decision to expel a given member shall be communicated in writing, which shall be signed jointly by the Hon. Secretary and the President of the association.

Formation of Zonal / Regional Chapters

The members of the association in any zone / zones shall wherever deemed possible / necessary, group themselves into local chapters, subject to written approval by the council of the association. This shall follow a formal application being made to this effect by the zonal members to the council of the association. The zones may formulate their own byelaws subject to the approval of the same by the executive committee of KC-IAPM. The zonal members may elect / nominate their own council from among themselves and keep the association (KC-IAPM) informed about the same. It shall be mandatory for all such nominated members to be full and active members of the association (KC-IAPM) and at the same time, it is advisable that all zonal members become members of the parent association of IAPM.The zones so formed shall call themselves “xyz zone of KC-IAPM” where xyz denoted the region to which the zone belongs. In order to avoid conflicts of interest, the executive may with hold such permission in the event of a zonal chapter already existing in that region. The regional / zonal chapters shall meet regularly for academic and business related discussions. The secretary of KC-IAPM or any other person from the executive committee who is nominated for this purpose by approval of the general body, shall oversee the activities of the zonal / regional chapters. The secretary of the zonal / regional chapter shall send regular reports to the secretary of KC-IAPM, who will include these in his annual report. The president and secretary of the zonal / regional chapters shall be invited to attend the annual meeting of the executive committee of KC-IAPM as observers and will have no voting rights.

Nomination / election, eligibility & terms of office of the members of executive committee

The members of executive council of KC-IAPM are either nominated by the members during the general body meeting, or are elected by secret ballot or by show of hands as decided by the general body of the association. In the event of formal election, the secretary shall call for nominations for the vacant posts by a formal communication as per guidelines given below:

Call for nominations: A formal communication shall reach all members of the association not later than May 31st^h of the current year and shall contain details of vacant posts as well as guidelines of eligibility. The individual nominee shall be required to have his / her nomination proposed and seconded by full members of the association. Last date for receipt of nominations shall be June 20^th of the current year.
Last date for withdrawal of nomination shall be June 30^th of the current year
Ballot papers for election shall be sent to all life members of the association along with brief CVs of the candidates. The ballot paper shall clearly indicate the name of the individual against the vacant post and shall clearly communicate that a “X” mark shall be put in the box against the name. The ballot paper by itself shall be anonymous, which shall be placed in an envelope, which shall in turn be placed in a self addressed envelops. The latter shall provide space to enter details of the voter (name and membership number). The process of dispatch of ballot papers shall be done in the first half of July of the current year, with the last date for acceptance of votes being August 31^st of the current year.
Counting of votes shall be done by the Hon.secretary of KC-IAPM in presence of at least two other executive members. The final tally sheet shall be signed by all the members present.
Eligibility and terms of office shall be as follows:
1. President:. Eligibility for the post of president shall be uninterrupted membership of the association for a minimum of 10 years and having attended at least three chapter conferences within the past 5 years and should have contributed actively to the development of the association. The person should have already served at least one term in the executive committee / council in whatever capacity. The person shall also be a full life member of the parent body of Indian Association of Pathologists and Microbiologists (IAPM). The term of office shall be 1 year, subject to further extension by one or more terms of one year each, as decided by the general body of the association.
2. Vice president: Eligibility for the post of vice-president shall be uninterrupted membership of the association for a minimum of 10 years and having attended at least three chapter conferences within the past 5 years and should have contributed actively to the development of the association. The person should have already served at least one term in the executive committee / council in whatever capacity. The person shall also be a full life member of the parent body of Indian Association of Pathologists and Microbiologists (IAPM). The term of office shall be 1 year, subject to further extension by one or more terms of one year each as decided by the general body of the association
3. Hon. Secretary: Eligibility for the post of Hon. secretary shall be uninterrupted membership of the association for a minimum of 5 years and having attended at least two chapter conferences within the past 3 years and should have contributed actively to the development of the association. The person should have already served at least one term in the executive committee / council in whatever capacity. The person shall also be a full life member of the parent body of Indian Association of Pathologists and Microbiologists (IAPM). The term of office shall be 3 years, subject to further extension by one term as decided by the general body of the association. The Hon. Secretary shall be based in the headquarters (Bangalore)
4. Hon. Treasurer: Eligibility for the post of Hon. Treasurer shall be uninterrupted membership of the association for a minimum of 5 years and having attended at least two chapter conferences within the past 3 years and should have contributed actively to the development of the association. The person should have already served at least one term in the executive committee / council in whatever capacity. The person shall also be a full life member of the parent body of Indian Association of Pathologists and Microbiologists (IAPM). The term of office shall be 3 years, subject to further extension by one or more terms as decided by the general body of the association
5. Executive committee members: Eligibility for the post of EC member shall be uninterrupted membership of the association for a minimum of 3 years and having attended at least one chapter conference within the past 3 years and should have contributed actively to the development of the association. The person shall also be a full life member of the parent body of Indian Association of Pathologists and Microbiologists (IAPM). The term of office shall be 1 year, subject to re-nomination by one or more terms as decided by the general body of the association
6. Additional posts: Additional posts / portfolios may be created with in the executive based on recommendations and approval by the general body of KC-IAPM

Travelling allowance to Executive Members

Traveling allowance to executive committee members shall be at the discretion of the council and approval by general body.

General Procedure of meetings

Minutes of meetings shall be correctly maintained and shall be confirmed at the following meeting of the executive committee and general body as the case may be. Minutes of the meetings shall be circulated to all the members at least one month prior to the scheduled meeting date.
No resolution adopted or negated at a meeting shall be reconsidered unless either 12 months have elapsed or 1/3^rd of the members of executive committee or 30 full life members of the association sign a requisition for its consideretion.
No resolution shall be implemented until the same has been ratified by the executive and general body.
The meetings of executive committee as well as the general body shall be chaired by the president (in his absence, the vice president) and proceedings conducted by the Hon. Secretary.
In the event of a quorum of at least 2/3^rd of members not being present at the meeting, the president may exercise his option of adjourning and re-convening the meeting. This shall be recorded in the minutes.
The president shall have the right to adjourn the meeting in the event of adverse situations and shall also have the right to pull up errant members who intend to disrupt the meeting.
Both the executive committee and general body meeting shall be conducted as per a pre-determined agenda which shall be circulated to all the members at least one month prior to the scheduled meeting date.

Funds of the association

Income: Funds of the association shall be derived from the following sources
1. Subscription from members
2. Special contributions or voluntary donations from well-wishers
Voluntary contributions from zonal chapters from funds raised during academic discussions / conferences
Contributions from chapter / institutions organizing the annual conference. A minimum contribution equivalent to 5% of delegate fees collected during the conference shall be remitted to the KC-IAPM account. This contribution shall be made by way of cheque during the valedictory function of the conferences
Contributions from individuals with interest in the organization or with special requests to institute awards / orations (subject to approval by the executive committee and general body)
Interest on deposits
Other sources as authorized by the executive committee.
Reserve funds: Interest generated from the fixed deposits.

Expenditure

An amount not exceeding Rs.1,00,000/- per annum is earmarked for routine office expenses
Financial assistance shall be for conducting academic programs at Rs.15000/- for a full day program and Rs.7500/- for a half day program. The organizers of such programs are also given the liberty to generate their own funds in excess of the contribution from the association.
TA/DA for executive members to attend the special EC meetings other than those held during the annual conference
Any others with the permission of EC and general body.

Duties & Powers of office bearers

President (chairman)
1. Shall chair all the council and general body meetings
2. Shall preside over the annual conference and all meetings of the association
Shall guide and control activities of the association
Shall regulate proceedings of meetings and conferences, interpret rules and byelaws and decide on doubtful issues
Shall in addition to his or her ordinary vote, have a casting vote if so required when there is no majority

In the event an emergency arises by reason of any cause such as death, detention, resignation or absence for a considerable time, duties of the president shall devolve upon the vice-president. Resignation of president will become effective on acceptance of the executive committee, and vice-president shall subsequently become the president.

Vice President (vice chairman)
1. Shall preside at the annual conference and council in absence of the president and carry out all the duties of the president.
2. Honorary secretary:
  1. Shall be in charge of head quarter office
  2. Shall conduct all correspondences
  3. Shall have general supervision of accounts and bills for payment
  4. Shall ensure preparation of annual statement of accounts by the treasurer, and duly audited by the authority for adoption by general body.
  5. Shall get the budget prepared by the treasurer for approval by general body
  6. Shall organize, arrange, and convene conferences, lectures and demonstrations
  7. Shall attend and conduct the executive and general body meetings
  8. Shall be ex-officio member of all committees
  9. Shall maintain correct and up to date record of all members of the association
  10. Shall give notice of scheduled meetings and circulate the agends as well as the minutes
  11. Shall conduct elections to various offices as per rules and byelaws
  12. Shall coordinate and monitor activities of the zonal / regional chapters
  13. Shall present report of activities of the association at the meeting of national body
  14. Shall do such other acts as are essential for smooth functioning of the association
3. Honorary treasurer
  1. Shall receive all money of the association and deposit in bank / banks approved by the executive committee / general body, and operate the account
  2. Shall be responsible for collection of all subscriptions of and contributions to the association
  3. Shall dispose of the bills for payments
  4. Shall have the right to point out any error / discrepancy in the order of payment of the hon. Secretary, and refer the order back with remarks. In the event of disagreement still persisting, the matter shall be referred to the president for final decision
  5. Shall be responsible for keeping up to date the accounts of the association with all the account books posted up to date
  6. Shall get the accounts audited by the auditors of the association
  7. Shall prepare the statement of accounts to be placed before the executive committee and general body
  8. Shall prepare an annual statement of accounts and balance sheet showing financial position of the association, get it audited by the duly appointed auditors and submit ot for adoption by the executive committee and general body
  9. Shall work in close consultation with the appointed auditors in order to safe-guard and improve the financial position of the association.

Annual Conferences

An annual state level conference of KC-IAPM shall be organized on a rotational basis throughout the state of Karnataka.
The preferred time shall be during the second half of the year – preferably August / September.
This conference may be organized by any institution (teaching / non-teaching) (department of pathology &/or microbiology &/or allied sciences) within the state of Karnataka.
The venue for the conference shall be proposed by the executive body based on requests / bids that have been received, and finally approved by the general body of KC-IAPM.
Requests for hosting the next annual state level conference shall be submitted to the Hon. Secretary of KC-IAPM in writing on official letter head, well before the association meets for the annual executive and general body meetings (during the already scheduled conference). The executive committee shall take various factors including date of request, location of the proposed conference in the light of previous locations and also capability of the proposed organizers, before putting it up the general body for final approval.
The conference shall be of two days duration including the time allotted for inauguration. The organizers may choose to hold the inauguration on the eve of the conference or during the first half of the first day, but not later.
Organizers of the conference may also opt to have a one or two day CME program / workshop immediately preceding or following the conference.
Topics for the CME / workshop shall be at the discretion of the organizing committee of the current conference.
Topics for the main conference shall be charted out in consultation with the hon. Secretary and President of the KC-IAPM, and shall include an oration lecture and a symposium in addition to guest lectures / slide seminars. Sufficient time shall be allotted for free paper and poster presentation.
The executive committee meeting of KC-IAPM shall be held on the day prior to the main conference. The organizing committee shall make arrangements of space and other facilities.
The general body meeting of KC-IAPM shall be held during the second half of the first day of the main conference. The organizing committee shall make arrangements for the same by way of space, manpower etc. It shall also ensure that there are no academic sessions coinciding with the general body meeting.
The organizing committee may be permitted to introduce short presentations from the representatives of the industry who sponsor the conference. However, the contents / topic should be purely scientific in nature and not business oriented. The organizing secretary / chairman should obtain prior permission from the Hon. Secretary of the KC-IAPM about inclusion of such sessions.
Attendance to the conference is open to all but only life members of KC-IAPM shall be allowed to present papers / posters.
Steps shall be taken to institute a committee to scrutinize the papers and posters prior to acceptance. The committee shall include at least one person from the executive committee of KC-IAPM in addition to other persons appointed by the organizing committee for this purpose.
The screening committee shall verify the authenticity and suitability of the submitted abstracts and categorize them into oral presentations / posters based on pre-set guidelines.
The organizing committee shall decide on the delegate fee subject to final approval of the secretary of KC-IAPM.
Decision to provide travel compensation to guest speakers shall rest with the organizing committee. However, local hospitality of the guest speakers shall be taken care of by the organizing committee.
The organizing committee of the conference shall generate and manage its finances for the conference as per its discretion.
The organizing committee shall if it wishes to, receive an initial loan amount called “seed money” from the KC-IAPM to assist in initial arrangements of the conference. The quantum of this loan amount shall be decided by the executive committee. This loan amount shall be returned to the association once sufficient funds accumulate within the corpus of the conference fund.
The organizing committee shall commit to donate a minimum amount to the corpus fund of KC-IAPM of 5 % of income generated from delegate fees. This amount may be paid after successful completion of the conference and settling of accounts.

Appointment of Auditors

Appointment of auditors shall be approved by the general body, from the list recommended by the executive committee. The auditors shall be responsible for computing and auditing the accounts of the association and its journal and other publications and shall be registered accountants whose duties shall be as below:

Shall audit the accounts at the end of the year or more often if so desired by the general body and shall certify to their correctness
Shall give suggestions for proper maintenance of accounts and funds of the association.

Responsibility of KC – IAPM to the national body of IAPM

Being a chapter of the national body, KC-IAPM shall abide by the rules and regulations that are applicable to all the chapters, and byelaws as and when they are amended. The following may be used as guidelines
Shall take steps to encourage membership to the national body of IAPM. As a bare minimum, KC-IAPM shall ensure that all the executive committee members are full members of the national body.
Secretary of KC-IAPM shall communicate the activities of the chapter to the Jt. secretary of IAPM on a regular basis to highlight the functioning of the chapter, during the national conference.
Attend the national conference and represent the state chapter in the executive meeting of IAPM based on invitations received from the parent body.
Host national conference of IAPM on a time-to-time basis.
Contribute to the corpus fund of IAPM in any manner possible / feasible