CIDS Rules & Regulations

These Rules and Regulations have been framed for the furtherance of the aims and objectives mentioned in the Memorandum to which these are appended and these shall be called ‘The Rules and Regulations of Clinical Infectious Diseases Society’.

Definitions: In these Rules, unless the context dictates otherwise:

'The Society' refers to the 'Clinical Infectious Diseases Society.'

'Rules' signifies 'The Rules and Regulations of the Clinical Infectious Diseases Society.'

'Governing Council' designates the Governing Council (GC) of the Society, entrusted with the administration of the Society's affairs by the General Body.

'Member' denotes an individual duly admitted as a member of the association.

'General Body' is the collective body constituted by all the members.

'President,' 'Vice-President,' 'Secretary,' 'Joint Secretary,' 'Treasurer', and ‘Joint Treasurer’ refer to the executive office bearers (EOB) of the Society currently in office.

'The members of the Governing Council' pertains to the members elected according to the Rules and Regulations of the Society.

'Year' signifies the period from the conclusion of the annual conference of CIDS until the end of the annual conference in the following Calendar Year.

Membership:

Members: Any physician or scientist who subscribes to CIDS's goal of combatting Infectious Diseases (ID) in India is eligible to become a member of the society.

Executive Members: Members with a minimum of 2 years of ID training, equivalent to DM/DrNB/FNB in Infectious Diseases qualify as Executive members. Only Executive life members (those who have paid the life membership fee) have the right to join the Governing Council and hold office. Exceptionally qualified members without 2 years of ID training may also qualify on a case-by-case basis as executive members, subject to approval by the GC.

Members-in-training: Members-in-training encompass those currently in training, including postgraduates.

Honorary Members: Honorary members are invited based on their credentials and contributions to ID. They should be able to contribute to CIDS and aid in achieving its objectives. Honorary members are invited by an executive member and seconded by at least three other executive members.

General body:

The General Body of CIDS comprises all Members.

Powers, Duties, and Functions of the General Body

The General Body is responsible for:

Approving the Society's audited accounts.

Endorsing the Society's annual report.

Approving the Society's annual program and budget.

Electing the Governing Council (GC) of the Society from among its Executive Members.

Establishing overarching policies for CIDS's functioning.

Assuming responsibility for the overall vision and direction of CIDS.

Governing council:

The Governing Council is the body in whose hands the affairs of the Society are vested. Members of the Governing Council are elected from the Executive Members.

Criteria for eligibility for Governing Council:

To be eligible for the Governing Council, a member must:

Be an Executive Life Member of CIDS for at least 2 years.
Be an Indian national working in India for over 70% of their time.
Demonstrate a commitment to mentoring juniors and advancing CIDS's policies.
Be consistently available for CIDS activities, both academic and organizational.
Have participated in organizing at least 1 conference in India, such as CIDSCON or a national/state-level conference of a professional society, in a leadership capacity.
Have authored at least three (3) peer-reviewed publications after completing ID training, published in journals listed in databases like Scopus, PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, Index Medicus, Index Copernicus, and IndMED.

Composition:

The Governing Council consists of ten to twenty members, including executive office bearers. One new member will be elected to the Governing Council every alternate year. When the number exceeds twenty, a senior member may retire. The Governing Council elects a President, Vice President, Secretary, Joint Secretary, Treasurer, and Joint Treasurer from among its members. The first term after formation of the society lasts 3 years, and subsequent terms last 2 years.

Powers/Duties/Functions of the Governing Council:

The Governing Council holds the power to:

Elect a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Joint Secretary, Treasurer, and Joint Treasurer from among its members.
Administer all aspects of meetings, CMEs, advocacy, fund management, program supervision, and implementation.
Admit and terminate memberships and set membership fees.
Conduct General Body meetings, elections, and audits for CIDS.

Filling Up of Casual Vacancies:

Vacancies among the Governing Council during their tenure shall be filled from the Executive Members.

Executive office bearers:

The executive office bearers of CIDS include:
- President
- Vice President
- Secretary
- Joint Secretary
- Treasurer
- Joint Treasurer
The office bearers are responsible for the executive management of the Governing Council.
Powers and Duties of the President:
The President is responsible for:
- Chairing General Body and Governing Council meetings.
- Providing guidance to the Treasurer and Secretary in their duties.
- Offering overall leadership to CIDS's programs and activities.
- Casting the deciding vote in the event of tied votes.
- Calling meetings of the Governing Council or General Body with a two-week notice when necessary.
Powers and Duties of Vice President:
The Vice President:
- Assumes the President's roles in the President's absence due to unforeseen circumstances.
- Automatically becomes President for the next term.
Powers and Duties of the Secretary:
The Secretary's responsibilities include:
Assisting the President and Treasurer in all activities related to CIDS's programs and objectives.
Maintaining records of General Body and Governing Council meetings.
Managing member records and related data.
Handling CIDS correspondence.
Preparing the annual report for presentation to the General Body.
Overseeing the publication of bulletins, journals, and other literature aligned with CIDS's objectives.
Submitting records to relevant authorities to fulfill statutory obligations.
Powers and Duties of Joint Secretary:
The Joint Secretary:
Assumes the Secretary's roles in the Secretary's absence due to unforeseen circumstances.
Automatically becomes Secretary for the next term.
Powers and Duties of the Treasurer:
The Treasurer is responsible for:
Maintaining regular accounts.
Preparing annual statements of accounts for CIDS and submitting them to the Governing Council and General Body.
Handling financial transactions according to approved budget estimates.
Ensuring compliance with statutory financial reporting requirements.
Leading fundraising efforts for CIDS.
Overseeing the operation of the bank account.
Powers and Duties of Joint Treasurer:
The Joint Treasurer:
Assumes the Treasurer's roles in the Treasurer's absence due to unforeseen circumstances.
Automatically becomes Treasurer for the next term.
Election of GC members:
This is a democratic, apolitical process and each life member of CIDS holds one vote.
Principles:
- Voting for a GC member should solely depend on what the member could contribute to the Clinical Infectious Diseases Society and their scientific merit.
- Members should not harbor biases towards personal or social preferences.
- Candidates or their friends/agents are not allowed to canvass/campaign through any means during the election process. The GC will monitor compliance, and candidates will be disqualified if the canvassing/campaigning rules are not adhered to.
Process:
- The election will be conducted online through a secret ballot.
- Emails will be sent to all life members regarding the election, explaining the options for choosing a candidate based on the number of vacant positions in the Governing Council.
- Options to select will be provided against the candidate who is standing for election.
- A reminder to participate will be sent to all life members who don’t respond two days prior to the cut-off date for voting.
- The number of votes polled by individual candidates will not be disclosed.
- The President and the Secretary will serve as the returning officers for the election process.
- In case of a tie in the number of votes polled between two candidates, the President’s vote will decide the winner as per the CIDS constitution.
Quorum and notice of the meetings:
A quorum for Governing Council meetings consists of one-third of the Governing Council members. The Governing Council meets at least once a year, with a minimum notice of 21 days for meetings. In urgent situations, resolutions can be circulated among Governing Council members and hold the same effect as Governing Council decisions but require ratification at the next Governing Council meeting.
Conduct of general body meetings:
The annual General Body Meeting is held annually. Notice of the meeting is sent to all members at least 7 days before the meeting. A quorum for the meeting is 20 percent of the total Life Members.
Extraordinary meetings of the general body:
An extraordinary General Body meeting is convened within one month of a written requisition from at least two-thirds of the total number of executive members on roll. Notice for such a meeting is given at least 7 days in advance.
Filing of statement and records:
The Secretary maintains records and annual statements as required by the Societies Registration Act 1975 and its rules.
Subscription:
Members contribute membership fees to CIDS either annually or on a long-term basis, as determined by the Governing Council.
Sources of income and utilization of funds:
CIDS raises funds through various means, including membership fees, grants, contributions, and donations. All income is utilized to achieve CIDS's objectives.
Audit of accounts:
CIDS maintains proper accounts, and an annual statement of accounts is audited by a chartered accountant approved by the Governing Council. The audited accounts are presented to the General Body with the Governing Council's recommendations.
Custody and investment of funds:
Funds are solely used to promote the association's objectives. Surplus funds are invested in approved banks or government undertakings, with operation managed jointly by the President, Treasurer, or Secretary. Funds are not invested in speculative activities.
Passing of special resolution:
The Secretary may arrange a special general body meeting with less than 7 days' notice, but two-thirds of Executive members must be present.
Inspection of registers and books:
Members may inspect registers, meeting proceedings, and accounts at the Registered office of the Society during office hours on working days with prior written permission from the President or Secretary.
Amendment to the memorandum of association and rules and regulations:
Amendments to the rules and regulations may be passed with a two-thirds majority in a general body meeting, subject to the provisions of the Societies Registration Act 1975.

CIDS Rules & Regulations