Vol. 17, Part II · pages 506–510

481THE BUDDHIST SOCIETY OF INDIA (6) To construct, maintain, rebuild, repair, alter, replace or reinstate houses, buildings or works for the purposes of the society. (7) To sell, dispose of, improve, manage, develope, exchange, lease, mortgage or otherwise alienate or deal with all or any property of the society. (8) To co-operate, amalgamate or affiliate the society or any institution or institutions run by or belonging to the society with any other institution or society with a view to securing further advancement of the aims and objects of the society. (9) To raise money with or without security for carrying out any of the purposes, aims and objects of the society. (10) To do all other lawful things and acts as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of any of the aforesaid aims and objects. V. MEMBERSHIP OF THE SOCIETY : There shall be following classes of members of the society :— (1) Members, (2) Associate Members. (1) CONDITIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP : Who can be a Member :— Any person who is duly initiated into the Buddhist religion by his having undergone the ceremony of Dhammadiksha as prescribed by the Society and has paid his annual subscription shall be eligible to be a member of the Society. (2) ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP : Who can be an Associate Member : Any person who is sympathetic to the aims and objects of the Society and is not hostile to the Buddhist religion may be admitted as an Associate Member of the Society on paying the annual subscription.

482 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES (3) RESTRICTION OF MEMBERSHIP : Provided that the President may in any particular case decide that any member notwithstanding his having undergone the ceremony of Dhammadiksha shall remain a probationer for such period as he may prescribe. (4) A probationer and an Associate Member shall not be eligible to be a member of the Advisory Council and the General Council and shall have no right to vote. VI. EXPLANATION : The President may allow Corporation, Institutions and Associations to be members of the Society. VII. MEMBERSHIP DUES : Every member shall be bound to pay at least Re. 1 as membership fee per year whether he is a member or an associate member. Failure to pay fees in due time shall incure loss of membership as also right to vote unless such penalty is waived by the President. VIII. PRESIDENT : (1) The Society shall have a President. The term of the President shall be for his life. (2) The first President of the Society shall be Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, M.A., Ph.D., D.Sc., Barrister-at-Law. (3) The President shall appoint a Treasurer and Secretary. He will have right to prescribe their term of office. (4) The President shall have power— (i) to create such offices as may be necessary for carrying out the purposes of Society ; (ii) to appoint to them such persons as he may deem fit; and (iii) to assign duties and functions to persons carrying on the administration of the Society.

483THE BUDDHIST SOCIETY OF INDIA (5) The President shall have power to open centres at different places in India for carrying on the work of the Society and appoint workers and office bearers thereto. IX. DUTIES OF SECRETARY AND TREASURER : (1) It shall be the duty of the Secretary to correspond on behalf of the Society. (2) It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to keep the accounts of the Society. X. All monies belonging to the Society shall be kept in deposit with a Bank. The monies shall be drawn upon by the President for the purposes of the Society. XI. MANAGEMENT : (1) The affairs of the Society shall be managed by the President. (2) All executive powers shall be vested in the President. (3) There shall be constitued an Advisory Council to aid the President in the discharge of his duty. (4) The Advisory Council consist often members. They shall be chosen by the members of the Society at every 5th year. (5) The first members of the Advisory Council shall be nominated by the President. (6) The Advisory Council shall meet as and when required by the President. (7) The Agenda shall be prepared by the President. (8) Any member may raise and question outside the Agenda, if permitted by the President. (9) The resolutions of the Advisory Council be only recommendatory. XII. GENERAL COUNCIL : (1) There shall be a General Council of the Society. Every member shall be entitled to be a member of the General Council. It shall meet every two years and the President shall submit a report on the work done by the

484 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES committee. Every person who is a member but who is not on probation shall be entitled to be present at the General Meeting of the committee. (2) The General Council shall have the power to remove the President from his office by a majority of threefourths of the members present at the meeting on the ground that the President has been found guilty of defalcation or misconduct by a Court of Law. XIII. AMENDMENTS OF THE CONSTITUTION : (1) This Constitution may be amended if the following conditions are satisfied :— (a) That the proposal is approved by two-third majority of the Advisory Council. (b) The text of the proposed amendment is circulated to the members with a notice convening the meeting. (c) The period of notice is not less than 3 months. (2) No amendment shall be regarded as adopted unless two-thirds of the members present at the meeting in favour of it. Certified to be the true copy of the rules and regulations of the Society. Signatures— (Sd.) (1) B.R. Ambedkar, ” (2) Madhav G. Malwankar, ” (3) C. S. Pillai. zz Published by : W. M. Godbole, Secretary General, All India Buddhist Dhamma Summit Convention, 224, Bajaj Nagar, Nagpur 440 010.