Association of Agrometeorologists

 Aims & Objective


The constitution of the Association of Agrometeorologists comprises the Statutes and the Rules and Regulations.

The Statutes contained in section A, lay down the basic constitutional framework under which the Association shall operate. The business of the Association in matters of detail other than those covered by the Statutes shall be governed by the Rules and Regulations, contained in section B, enacted in conformity with Article 9 of the Statutes.

Section A-Statutes

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ARTICLE 1 – GENERAL

  1. The Association shall be called “Association of Agrometeorologists” (hereinafter called as the “Association”)
  2. The registered office of the Association shall be at Anand and located at Anand Agricultural University, Anand 388110, Gujarat, India which would be official.
  3. The functional year of the Association shall be beginning with 1st April.
  4. The Association shall be a non-profit organization solely devoted to scientific pursuits in the realm of Agricultural Meteorology and allied sciences. None of its income or assets shall accrue to the benefit of its members.
  5. The Association is registered for promotion and advancement of activities related to Agricultural Meteorology and allied sciences for societal benefits. The Association is governed by Societies Registration Act 1860.
  6. The Association shall have the right to affiliate with any other professional society with similar scientific aims and objectives.
  7. The Constitution of the Association can be changed/amended by an extraordinary general body meeting of the Association.
  8. The Association shall have right to frame, alter and/or adopt rules and regulations to guide itself or have recourse for carrying out of the objectives.

ARTICLE 2 – OBJECTIVES

2.1   The objectives of the Association inter alia shall be:

  1. To help towards advancement, dissemination and application of the knowledge of Agrometeorology science.
  2. To promote interaction among all persons, bodies, institutions (private and/or state-owned) and industries interested in achieving advancement, dissemination and application of the agrometeorological science and technology.
  3. To encourage and promote research in Agrometeorology and related disciplines.
  4. To undertake and execute all acts which shall promote the aims and objectives of the Association.
  5. In the event of an ambiguity in the interpretation of the clause, the clause shall be construed in such a way as to widen and NOT to restrict the aims and objectives of the Association.

2.2  To achieve the above mentioned objectives, the Association may take from time to time, any of the following concrete steps, among others-

  1. Create awareness and appreciation for Agrometeorology and allied sciences, among all sections of the society,
  2. Encourage and expand research activity on the subjects mentioned in 2.1 above or take up research or consultancy by the   Association itself through its members,
  3. Organise lectures, exhibitions, meetings, symposia, workshops, conferences, and discussions on any topic or theme related to Agrometeorology and related disciplines,
  4. Arrange to publish suitable statements, press releases, posters, pamphlets, books, periodicals, brochures, etc. on topics relevant to the objectives of the Association,
  5. Contribute to different IPCC chapters through the research outcomes from the members of the Association
  6. Promote the curriculum development in Agrometeorology and related disciplines,
  7. Promote co-operation in scientific work as far as it may be practicable between Government departments, corporate bodies, academic and other research institutions, scientific societies and industries, non-government organizations, individuals, print and electronic media,
  8. Award Fellowships and awards to deserving persons who made significant contributions to the aims and objectives of the association,
  9. Instituting awards for best MSc/ PhD thesis for promoting education and best research paper awards for promoting research,
  10. Arrange Post-graduate and PhD studentships,
  11. Accredit professional services in Agrometeorology by individuals/ organizations.

 ARTICLE 3 – MEMBERSHIP

3.1 Members of the Association shall be of the following categories:

  1. Annual Member
  2. Life Member
  3. Student Member
  4. Foreign Member
  5. Institutional Member
  6. Corporate Member
  7. Associate Member
  8. Patron
  9. Honorary Fellow

3.1.1 Annual Member: Any person associated with research, teaching, application, and promotion of Agrometeorology (and having a graduate degree in Agriculture, Science, Technology or related field) is eligible to apply for membership after paying requisite amount of admission and membership fees and agree to abide to the Constitution and By-Laws of the Association. A member will be entitled to the rights and privileges of the Association as follows:

    1. To be present and vote in the general body meeting of the Association.
    2. To participate in all technical meetings of the Association.
    3. To propose names of candidates for the elected Council members and office bearers of the Association and to vote in any election held by the Association.
    4. To receive bulletins, journals and other publications issued by the Association on such terms and conditions as laid down by the Executive Council.
    5. To be considered for award of Association Fellowships on nomination within the Association procedur
    6. The council may waive requirements of a degree in special and deserving cases.
    7. Membership will be valid till end of the financial year of registration.

3.1.2 Life Member: Any person eligible to apply for annual membership may choose to apply for being a Life Member after paying the requisite amount of fee. A Life Member shall be entitled to the same rights and privileges as a member throughout his/her life. In addition he/she will be entitled to receive a ‘Life Membership’ Certificate and shall be eligible to hold elective office of the Association.

3.1.3 Student Member: A student registered in a graduate/post graduate course at an educational institution affiliated to a university or enjoying status of a deemed university as approved by the University Grants Commission, can be enrolled as a "Student Member' on payment of requisite fee and admission fee. He/she should not be drawing any salary or emoluments other than a scholarship or fellowship. A student member will not have the right to vote or to hold elective office in the Association. He/she will, however, be eligible to participate in all activities of the Association. A student member can become a regular member by paying regular membership fee. He will not have to pay admission fee again for membership.

3.1.4 Foreign Member: Any person who is residing outside India and who is otherwise eligible to become a Member can be enrolled as Foreign Annual member or Foreign Life member on payment of requisite fee and admission fee. A foreign Member shall have same rights and privileges as a Member except the right to hold elective office. However, the council may at its discretion co-opt a foreign member into council.

3.1.5 Institutional Member: Any institution or a recognized statutory body, a Department of the Central or the State government or a Registered Commercial or Industrial undertaking or a registered NGO interested in agrometeorological science and agreeing to promote the aims and objectives of the Association and to assist financially in the work of the Association shall be eligible to become an Institutional Member on payment of requisite fee and admission fee. An institutional member has the right to nominate one of their employees as a representative member of the Association. An Institutional member from Industries shall be given opportunity to have approved exhibits at the meeting of the Association at concessional rates. An Institutional Member shall have right to vote and shall not be eligible for holding an elective office of the Association.

3.1.6 Corporate Member: Corporate members are from Industrial and Commercial Organizations and from NGO’s. The Corporate member shall not have any right to vote or hold an elective office of the Association.

3.1.7    Associate Member: A person having interest in the science of agrometeorology and who is otherwise not eligible for membership as described in articles 3.1.2 to 3.1.5 may be admitted as an Associate member on payment of requisite fee and admission fee. Associate member will not have the right to vote and also will not have the right to hold elective office.

 3.1.8 Patron: A person who is interested in the aims and objects of the Association and makes a donation of a substantial sum to the Association will, at the discretion of the council, be admitted as Patron. Patron will have voting right but cannot hold any office.

3.1.9  Honorary Fellow: As described in Article 6.1 Honorary Fellows and Fellows of the Association will be commonly referred to as Fellows of the Association.

3.2   The amount of admission fee and annual subscription for Institutional Members, Annual Members, Student Members, Foreign members and Associate Members as well as lump sum payment for Patron and Life members will be prescribed by the Annual General Body Meeting on proposal from the Council

3.3 All the members of the Association shall endeavor to foster common interests of the Society, the science and allied sciences and profession of Agrometeorology.

3.4 The last known address of a Member shall be considered as a valid mailing address for correspondence by the Association. Members should ensure that their addresses are kept up to date.

ARTICLE 4 – GENERAL BODY

4.1 All members who have voting rights shall constitute the General Body which is the supreme empowered organ of the Association.         

4.2   The General Body will lay down the principles for the working of the Association from time to time by enactment of Statutes and Regulations.

4.3   The General Body shall act according to the statutes at all times with due care and without undue delay.

4.4   In all matters, except amendments to Statutes, the decisions of the General Body will be by a simple majority of the votes received.

4.5   The General Body can amend any Statute of this Constitution provided more than three-fourth of the total ballots received in favor of it. The entire membership entitled to vote shall be given the opportunity to vote online including ballot by post whenever necessary.

ARTICLE 5- EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

5.1     The Association will have an Executive Council (hereafter called the Council). The Council to be formed as stated hereafter in this article will function and arrange for the conduct of the business of the Association according to the Statutes and Regulations in force.

5.2     The Council shall comprise of the following elected members from its Life Members

  1. President                                                                                     1
  2. Vice-Presidents                                                                           2
  3.  Secretary                                                                                    1
  4. Joint Secretary                                                                             1
  5. Treasurer                                                                                      1
  6. Council Members                                                                        5
  7. Immediate Past President                                                            1
  8. Zonal representatives  ( As described in article 5.2.2)                 5
  9. Nominated Member    (As described in article 5.2.3 )                 2

5.2.1    Secretary and the Treasurer shall be from the Headquarter of the Association.

5.2.2  Council will have five Zonal representatives. Each zone will have one representative in the Council who would also act as a Liaison Member for that zone. Zonal Representative will be nominated by the Council.

 5.2.2.1 There shall be Five zones as follows:

Eastern Zone : Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhnad, Manipur, Megalaya, Odisha, Tripura, Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Sikkim.

Western Zone: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharastra, Goa, Daman & Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

Central Zone: Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Uttar Pradesh. Uttarakhand.

Southern Zone: Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Puducherry.

Northern Zone: Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi.

Any other area, state or Union Territory not covered above will be deemed to belong to the nearest proximity to respective zone.

5.2.3 The elected Council may co-opt two additional members on the Council from the non represented major groups of the Association.

5.3   The Council shall hold office for two years, and it will be incumbent on the Council to complete the election process well before its term expires. The retiring members of the Council except the President shall be eligible for re-election subject to the condition that no office shall be held by the same individual for more than two successive terms. The present incumbent may continue to hold office till such time as the newly elected members take charge of their office.

5.4    Vacancies in the Council shall be filled up by Co-option until the next election, For such co-option, the Council President may nominate, for each vacancy, a panel of three names from the existing membership of the Association, of which one will be elected by Council by a majority vote. The General Body at its next meeting shall be informed of such co-option. In case of a vacancy for the post of President, one of the Vice Presidents may be elected as President for the remaining term.

5.5       The Council shall keep proper and detailed accounts of the capital, funds, receipts and the expenditure of the Association so that the true financial state and condition of the Association may at all times be exhibited by such accounts.

5.6       The financial year of the Association shall end on the 31st day of March in each year and the accounts of the Association shall be made each year up to that date and, after having been examined and found correct by an auditor or auditors to be appointed by the Council, shall be circulated to the General Body and also laid before the next Annual General Meeting for discussion and adoption. Audited report shall be published on website and in news-letter.

5.7       The Council shall arrange for the Annual General Meeting of the General Body to receive the Annual reports and accounts of the Association.

5.8    Balance sheet giving the details of funds, accounts of all revenues, expenses and the financial conditions of the Association for the just concluded financial year shall be put in website   for the members on or before 30 June of the current FY.

5.9       The Council shall arrange the Ordinary or Extraordinary General meeting of the General Body whenever feasible or necessary.

5.10  Professional transfer / absence for more than three months from Head Quarter city without any valid ground, of Secretary and Treasurer will be treated as vacancy and article 5.4 will apply for such cases.

5.11   The Council is empowered  to

(a)  admit new members in different categories,

(b)  confer Fellowships and Honorary Fellowships as per procedure given in Regulation, and

(c)  terminate the membership of any category according to Regulations.

5.12   The Council will arrange to set up its office and may arrange for the following:

(i)     construct, build, lease, hire or rent any premises, land, building, service or any facility to house the offices and other activities of the Association.

(ii)   purchase, hire or lease or dispose of any equipment for the Association.

(iii)   recruit, hire or employ any person or persons or agency for the work of the Association when required and to terminate their services when no longer required.

ARTICLE 6- AWARD OF FELLOWSHIPS

6.1   Non-members of the Association and persons of acknowledged eminence in Agrometeorology and allied fields of Science and Technology or in their furtherance, may be endorsed as Honorary Fellows by the General Body on proposal from the Council.

        At any time the number of Honorary Fellows thus admitted shall not exceed 2% of the number of Life Members. In one year not more than two Honorary Fellows can be admitted.

6.2   Life Members who have made outstanding contribution to Agrometeorology and allied fields of Science and Technology may be elected as Fellows by the Council.

               At any time the number of existing Fellows shall not exceed 10% of the number of Life members. In one year not more than 5 Fellows can be elected.

6.3   Honorary Fellows and Fellows of the Association will be commonly referred to as Fellows of the Association. Fellows shall have the following rights and privileges in addition to those available to life members:

i)   can write FAAM as their title.

ii)  can nominate suitable persons for award of Fellowship.

 iii) will be invited to all scientific meetings organized by the Association.

6.4   The Fellows of the Association will act as 'Think Tank' of the Association.

ARTICLE 7: COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES

The Council may form standing commissions or committees for the furtherance of the objectives of the Association as mentioned in articles  2.2

ARTICLE 8 – CHAPTERS

8.1     The Council may at its discretion or on receipt of a request in writing to that effect from at least fifteen members from a city or a town to create a branch of the Association for furtherance of the objectives of the Association. Such a branch shall be called a Chapter of the Association.

8.2   Each Chapter shall be constituted and its affairs carried on in accordance with rules and regulations to be laid down from time to time by the Council:

a)     Each Chapter shall have a Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. If the strength of Chapter’s member is 50, a Joint secretary and Two members may be taken and if the strength of the chapter is 100 then a Co-Chairman and Two additional members may be taken as office bearers. This will constitute the Chapter Management Committee,

b)     The two year term of the Chapter Management Committee shall be concurrent to that of the Council.

c)     A member of the Council from any Chapter shall automatically be a member (ex officio) of the Chapter Management Committee of that Chapter.

d)   The retiring members of the management committee of the chapter except the President shall be eligible for re-election subject to the condition that no office shall be held by the same individual for more than two successive terms. The present incumbent may continue to hold office till such time as the newly elected members take charge of their office.

e)     The membership of the Chapter having voting rights shall constitute the Chapter General Body.

f)    The procedure for Chapter meetings and duties of office bearers shall be similar to those for Council, unless otherwise specified.

g)    The chapter can open a saving or current bank account operated by any two of its Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer for financial transactions to carry out local activities. The membership fees and other savings beyond requirements for targeted activities have to be transferred to the headquarter of the association.

8.3     Any executive level activity to be organized by the local chapters shall be conducted after taking concurrence from Headquarters

8.4     A Chapter may be dissolved if a recommendation to that effect from the Council based on stated reasonable grounds is ratified by the General Body. All rights to funds and properties of the Chapter in that case, automatically vest with the Association.

     ARTICLE 9 – RULES AND REGULATIONS

Provision for the conduct of the affairs of the Association shall be made, as necessary, by means of Rules and Regulations attached to the Statues. These Rules and Regulations will be valid if agreed to by a majority vote of the General Body.

ARTICLE 10-DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION

On request in writing by forty per cent Annual Members and Life Members of the Association for the dissolution, the Council would convene a General Body meeting. The dissolution can be ratified only by a 75 per cent majority of the total votes (direct or proxy). In dissolving the Association provisions of section 13 and 14 of the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 shall be applicable.

 In the event of dissolution of the Association any assets or properties belonging to the Association shall be donated to some organizations with similar objectives and character and in no event shall such properties be distributed to members of the Association.