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SCIENCE WRITER
A PROFESSIONAL BODY OF SCIENCE WRITERS'/ JOURNALISTS'/ COMMUNICATORS' OF INDIA
INDIAN SCIENCE WRITERS’ ASSOCIATION
(Professional Body of Science Writers/ Journalists/ Communicators)
Memorandum of Association
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2. Address : The registered office for all legal purposes is : C/o PTI Building, 1st Floor, Room No. 8-B, 4, Parliament Street, New Delhi-110001. Address for communication is : 25/3, Sector-I, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi-110017.
3. Aims and Objectives : The aims and objectives of the society, which is being established in response to the increasing need and scope of science popularization and technical communications, are as under :
To bring together the vast number of working and freelance science journalists in the print, broadcast and television media and act in the arger interest of popularization of science among the community;
To explain science to the public at large;
To maintain standards of professional conduct on the part of science writers in keeping with the highest traditions of journalism;
To promote links between this association and other similar associations in India and abroad,
To arrange get- together with scientists and heads of scientific agencies to facilitate members to keep abreast of developments in frontline areas;
To arrange visits by members to laboratories, project, etc and to promote exchange of science journalists among countries in this region;
To hold workshops, seminar, symposia, etc to sharpen the skills of young science reporters and newcomers to this profession;
To publish a bi-monthly Newsletter and other publications on professional matters affecting science writing and similar matters of interest to its members;
To explore avenues for instituting awards annually to best reporting in science;
To publish science features which will be a collection of articles and news reports from its members who have no means of publishing their works directly in the print media. The articles will be processed and edited by experienced members of the association, cyclostyled and mailed to newspapers and media outlets;
To help members gain access to sources of science news; To purchase take on lease or otherwise acquire any land or building which may be necessary for carrying out the purposes of the Association;
To perform all other acts which are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the object of the association; and
To ensure that income derived out of the activities of the association is utilized for the promotion of its objects.
“All the incomes, earnings, movable or immovable properties of the society shall be solely utilized and applied towards the promotion of its aims and objects only as set forth in the Memorandum of Association and no portion there shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividends, bonus, profits or in any person claiming through any one or more of the present or the past members. No member of the society shall have any personal claim on any moveable or immovable properties of the society or make any profits, whatsoever, by virtue of this membership”.
The names, addresses, occupations and designations of the present Members of the Executive Committee to whom the management and affairs of the Society are entrusted as required under Section 2 of the Societies Registration Act, XXI of 1860 (Punjab Amendment Act, 1957), as extended to the Union Territory of Delhi, are as under (i.e., 10 Founder Members).
We, the undersigned, are desirous of forming a Society named as “INDIAN SCIENCE WRITERS’ASSOCIATION” under the Society Registration Act, XXI of 1860 Section 2 (Punjab Amendment Act, 1957), as extended to the Union Territory of Delhi, in pursuance of this Memorandum of Association.
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INDIAN SCIENCE WRITERS’ ASSOCIATION
(Professional Body of Science Writers/ Journalists/ Communicators)
Rules and Regulations
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1. In these Rules :
(a) The “Association” means Indian Science Writers’ Association.
(b) “Executive Committee” means the Body, which under these Rules is constituted to be the Executive Committee of the Association.
(c) “President” means the President of the Executive Committee and of the Association.
(d) “Vice-President” means the Vice-President of the Executive Committee and of the Association.
(e) “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Association.
(f) “Treasurer” means the Treasurer of the Association.
(g) “Joint-Secretary” means the Joint-Secretary of the Association.
2. Membership of the Association shall consist of :
(i) Individual (Annual) Membership : Ordinary membership shall be open to persons in India who are on the editorial staff of newspapers, periodicals, agencies, broadcasting and television authorities; freelance writers who specialize in science reporting and other persons whose qualifications or achievements satisfy the Executive Committee of the Association, provided that their standards of professional conduct satisfy the Executive Committee of the Association.
(ii) Individual (Life) Membership : As above.
(iii) Academic Membership/ Fellowship : Academic membership shall be conferred on eminent scientists (by conferring “ISWA Fellowship”), whose public works or activities have advanced public understanding of science and thereby have furthered the aims of the Association.
3. The Executive Committee shall, have the discretion to admit or refuse to admit any person to the Member of the Association, however the reasons for not admitting would be intimated to the concerned.
4. Membership Register : The Association shall maintain a Register of Members.
5. Termination of Membership : The Executive Committee shall have powers to terminate the membership of any Member on the following grounds: (i) Any conduct prejudicial to the interest of the Association. Conviction by a Court of Law. Written resignation. Death or unsound mind. Failure to pay subscription as prescribed.
6. Readmission : Member, expelled on the grounds of non-payment of subscription, can be re-admitted by the Executive Committee upon clearing of all arrears.
7. General Body : It shall consist of all the members of the Association on the membership-roll, not disqualified by any prior resolution of the Executive committee.
8. General Body Meeting : There shall be an Annual General Body Meeting of the Association every year at such time, place and venue as may be fixed by the Executive Committee of which not less than 30 days notice shall be given to the members of the Association. This meeting shall be held within a period of six months from the close of the financial year of the Association.
9. The Quorum for General Meetings : The Quorum present to constitute a meeting-Annual or Special- of the Association shall be one eighth of members, whichever is more. If Quorum is not present at the appointed hour of AGM or special general meeting the meeting shall stand adjourned by half an hour the same place. At such adjourned meeting, the members present shall constitute the Quorum.
10. Voting at the Annual General Meeting shall be by Individual & Life Members of the Association present. Each such member shall have one vote.
11. The Officers of the Association shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Joint-Secretary who shall be elected bi-annually from the Individual (Annual/life). Members of the Association, and who shall take up office immediately after the Annual General Meeting at which they are elected. None of the Officers of the Association may hold office for more than two consecutive terms. Their election after a break is not, however, ruled out. The Executive Committee shall consist of these Officers and Five Individual (Annual/life) Members similarly elected, and two co-opted Members.
The President will normally preside over all the meetings. In the absence of the President, the Vice-President will conduct the meetings.
The President, in consultation with the Secretary, will decide the date and place of the meetings of the Executive Committee, General Body, as well as the agenda of business for discussion at such meetings. The Secretary shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Association. Members should communicate their suggestions and comments in writing to the Secretary, sufficiently in advance.
12.The Committee small have authority to co-opt two members at any time and additional members to fill up vacancies arising by resignation or death of committee members or for any reason. The Committee may appoint acting officers from the members of the Association in the event of any elected officers ceasing to act for any reason. Co-opted members of the Committee and acting officers shall hold office until the next AGM.
13. Elections shall take place4 by postal ballot of the membership and shall only be valid if the number of votes represents a quorum. If not, the vote shall take place at the Annual General Meeting. Nominations for posts will be open until five weeks before the date of the AGM, after which ballot papers will be distributed by post as quickly as possible. All the ballot papers received at the Association’s address by noon on the day of the AGM be scrutinized by two tellers. These tellers shall be appointed at the previous AGM. The tellers shall not be eligible for election to any post. The result of the ballot will be announced during the AGM.
14. The Auditor shall be appointed for each year at the Annual General Meeting of the Association.
15. The Excessive Committee shall meet at as often as necessary but at least two times a year at such times. And places as the Committee shall determine. There shall be a quorum of six. Voting shall be by simple majority of those present and voting. In the event of a tie, the President shall have the casting vote.
16. Nominations for membership of the Association shall be made in writing and seconded by any one Individual (Annual/life) Member of the Association and shall be forwarded to the Secretary.
17.The Executive Committee will hold office for one year or until the end of the annual General Body Meeting in which the new office bearers and Executive committee Members are elected and take charge.
18.Membership of the Association shall be conditional on strict observance of the highest standards of journalism. Willful or frequent misrepresentation of inaccuracy, willful breach of confidence, or behaviour in any way prejudicial to the professional interests of the membership of the association shall be considered as breach of such observance.
19. A member against whom a formal complaint of infringement of Rule 18 is laid shall be called before the Executive Committee of which at least five members shall be present. A copy of the written complaint shall be sent to the respondent at least three weeks before the hearing. An adequate record shall be kept of the hearing. The Committee, which shall have the sole authority to discipline members, shall have power to warn, suspend or expel the member complained against. A written statement of the reasons for any suspension or expulsion shall be made to members of the Association at or before the next Annual General Meeting of the Association. A formal complaint must be in writing and duly signed by the complainant. If the complaint originates from within the Association it shall be signed by not less than three members.
20.A Special Meeting of the Association may be called by quorum of the Executive Committee at three weeks’ notice on any occasion to consider any matter which the Committee may deem necessary. A requisition Special General Meeting shall be called by the Committee within two months from the receipt be the Secretary of a written request from at least 25% of the members that a special General Meeting be held to consider any specific its affairs. A written statement of the General business of any Special General Meeting shall be sent to all members of the Association at least three weeks in advance of the meeting. The items of the Agenda alone and nothing else shall be discussed.
21.The Annual Subscription shall sum as is determined year to year by the committee, and must be paid on or before the last working day of December each year. The committee shall have power to waive subscriptions by members temporarily or permanently overseas at the request of such members, except that if exemption is granted such members shall, during the period of exemption, receive information relating only to Annual and Special General Meeting of the Association.
22. Amendment, Memorandum of Association and rules and regulation to the rules of the Association may only be made in Annual General Meeting or a special General Body Meeting,
23. The Financial Year of the Association shall be from April, 01 to March, 31. At each AGM the Executive Committee shall present a statement of account of the Association duly certified by the auditor elected by the General Body.
24. Following shall be the sources of income of the Association :
(a) Subscription and admission fee.
(b) Donations and special contributions.
(c) Grants and gifts.
(d) Sale of publication, and income from investments.
25.The Surplus Founds available in the Association will be invested in accordance with provisions of the income tax act of 1961 as amended form time to time.
26.Necessary Provisions of the Act :
(a) Once in a year, a list of the Executive Committee containing the names, addresses, occupation and designation of the office-bearers and members shall be filled with the office of the Registrar of Societies as per the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
(b) The Association may sue or be sued in the name of its President or the Secretary, as per procedures laid down under Section 6 of the Societies Registration Act, 1980.
(c) Any amendment in the Memorandum and Rules and Regulations of the Society shall be carried out in the light of the instructions contained under sections 12 and 12 A of the Societies Registration Act, XXI of 1960 (Punjab Amendment Act, 1957) as extended to the Union Territory of Delhi.
(d) Any number not less than three-fifths of the members of the Society may determine that it shall be dissolved forthwith or at the time then agreed upon, and all necessary steps shall be taken for the disposal and settlement of the property o the Society, its claims and liabilities, according to the rules of the said society applicable thereto, if any, and, if not, than as the Governing Body shall be referred to the principal court of Original Civil Jurisdiction of the District of which the chief building of the Society is situated; and the court shall make such order in the matter as it shall deem requisite as per Section 13 of the Societies Registration Act.
If, upon the dissolution of any Society registered under this Act, there shall remain, after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities, any property whatsoever, the same shall not be paid to or distributed among the Members of the said Society of any of them as per the Section 14 of Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860.
All provisions of under all sections of the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 as applicable to the Union Territory of Delhi, will apply to this Society.
27. Amendments : Column 17 concerning the Executive Committee may be read as follows :
a) “The Executive Committee will hold office for two years or until the end of the annual General Body Meeting in which the new office bearers and EC members are elected and take charge (with effect from 1996).
b) “Any office bearer cannot hold the same office for more than two consecutive terms, however, he or she can hold the same office after a gap of at least one term (with effect from 1996).
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INDIAN SCIENCE WRITERS’ ASSOCIATION
(Professional Body of Science Writers/ Journalists/ Communicators)
Code of Conduct for Members
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1. Membership of ISWA means you are special because ISWA is sworn to maintain the highest ethics and standards in science journalism and is open only to professional science writers/ journalists/ communicators.
2. ISWA, the national organization of professionals in science communication can derive respectability and recognition from the media people and the scientific community only by evidence of special professional concern and competence of its members.
3. Scientists being the principal source of science news, ISWA aims at increasing the flow of news from them to the mass media. Acceptance of ISWA members by the community of scientists is vital for the smooth flow of science news.
4. So that scientists accept ISWA, members ought to exercise judgment, capacity to discriminate between news and non-news, and above all, to ensure communication accuracy in reporting.
5. Treatment of scientific controversies should include different viewpoints. Claims must be verified before printing ; and premature publicity, misrepresentation and misinterpretation of scientists findings must be avoided.
6. Criticisms of projects, policies, and institutions, as long as they are in public interest, are all in the line of duty of ISWA members provided these are based on facts and carry the viewpoints of those who are offended by such criticisms. Members must remember that they are concerned with organizations and institutions nut not individuals. Hence, personal attacks on those who head these institutions must be scrupulously avoided.
7. Journalists normally do not wish to show their ‘copy’ to their sources. However, a science journalist, for the sake of accuracy, may show his copy to the source just to ensure that it is technically sound and that it carries the important point(s) that the source wishes to make.
8. ISWA members should avoid being wittingly or unwittingly used for advertising technology products of private companies, treatment by publicity-seeking doctors, or unverifiable or doubtful discoveries of scientists. New techniques or methods developed in government or private sectors could be publicized but writing a story about the end product, once it has been marketed, may be interpreted as advertisement. Example: a genetic engineering technique to produce insulin by a private company is science news. A write up on the product after it has entered the market is no longer science news but commercial advertisement.
9. Membership of ISWA shall be conditional on strict observance of the highest standards of journalism. Willful or frequent misrepresentation or misinterpretation or inaccuracy or behaviour prejudicial to the professional interests and ethics or the Association will be considered breach of the code of conduct.
10. The members are expected to maintain high values and ethics of science writing/ journalism/ communication profession. Misuse of membership in any form would lead to disqualification.
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