The object of the Society shall be to promote and advance the teaching and research in hernia surgery in India and the Indian subcontinent. The Society may :

• Encourage and advance the study and practice of hernia surgery.
  
• Promote exchange of views amongst surgeons who will be the members of this Society.
  
• Encourage scientific research and experimental work.
  
• Organize conferences, seminars, symposium, workshops etc. for the spread of knowledge and information on hernia surgery.
  
• Provide continuing educational programmes for post graduate students and practicing surgeons
  
• Organize Zonal, National and International conferences, academic activities and workshops at regular intervals, with the help of experienced faculty members from India as well as abroad and by involving corporate members.
  
• Organize exhibitions of surgical and allied equipment and instruments which are required for hernia surgery.
  
• Organize printing of appropriate literature undertake making of video cassettes or CDs to disseminate information on this subject.
  
• Awards certificates of attendance and participation at the end of training workshops. To grant out of funds of society, scholarships, prizes and awards to the members of this society and academicians for furtherance of aims and objects of endohernia surgery.
  
• The Society may make byelaws, rules, regulations and guidelines of the society for its smooth running. The Society is authorized to delete, change or add bye-laws, rules, regulations or guidelines when required.
  
• President and Hony. Secretary will manage the activities of the Society on day to day basis with its framework.

Membership of the Society shall be in three categories:

• Honorary Member
  
• Life Member
  
• Corporate Member
  

(a) Honorary Member

• The Honorary Member would have made outstanding contributions to the progress of hernia surgery in the Indian subcontinent or be a worldwide person of distinction.
  
• The Executive Committee may confer an Honorary Membership to any person who, in the opinion of the Committee, has rendered valuable services to the Society.
  
• Prior to granting Honorary Membership, the Executive Committee members shall first propose the name of the person at the Executive Committee Meeting, and upon the said Meeting accepting the proposal, the said Honorary Membership may be bestowed.
  
• Life Members also will be eligible to propose any person suitable for Honorary Membership to the Executive Committee for its consideration.
  
• Honorary Members shall not be required to pay any Entrance Fee or Subscription Fee.
  
• Honorary Members shall have no voting rights and shall not be eligible to hold office in the Executive Committee or to participate in the management of the Society.
  

(b) Life Member

• Life Members may be elected by application from qualified specialists who are involved in the hernia surgery certified by a National Board or Medical Council of India.
  
• Each applicant shall be proposed by one Life Member and seconded by another Life Member. The application should be sent to the Honorary Secretary.
  
• The Executive Committee will decide on the application for Life Membership by a simple majority vote.
  
• Life Members are eligible to vote at General Body Meetings and hold office in the Executive Committee.
  
• Life Members will not be eligible for Hony. Membership.
  
• Member should be a life member for three years before becoming eligible for Executive committee member.
  

(c) Corporate Member

• Corporate Members may be elected by application from companies with an interest in practice of hernia surgery.
  
• The Executive Committee will decide on the application for Corporate Membership by a simple majority vote.
  
• The Corporate member should have active participation in a business or industry that manufactures, distributes or services equipments, material or supplied required for or related to the practice of hernia surgery.
  
• The Corporate member will actively participate for publication of educational or scientific information pertaining to the practice of hernia surgery.
  
• The Corporate member shall actively participate and support medical research and education in hernia surgery.
  
• Each Corporate Member shall be represented by one nominee from the said Company.
  
• Corporate Members are eligible to attend and vote at General Body Meetings
  

(a) A Life Member may be terminated by the Executive Committee if it deems that:

• A Member has been convicted of professional misconduct.
  
• A Member conducts himself in writing, speech or behavior in a manner that in the view of the Committee is prejudicial or injurious to the reputation or good standing of the Society.
  

(b) The General Body Meeting shall be held at least once a year during the national congress.

(c) The Honorary Secretary shall be responsible for arrangement of the General Body meeting. The agenda for the meeting shall be circulated at least eight weeks before the date of the meeting. The following points, among others, will be considered at the General Body meeting:

• The annual report by the Honorary Secretary
  
• The previous financial year's account by the Hony. Treasurer
  
• Where applicable, the election of office-bearers, Internal and External Auditors for the following term
  
• Decision on the venues of the future Congresses, Workshops and Zonal meetings
  
• Matters concerning Corporate Members
  

(d) Any member who wishes to place an item on the agenda of a General Body Meeting may do so provided he gives notice to the Honorary Secretary four weeks before the meeting is due to be held.

(e) At least one-third of the total voting membership present at a General Body Meeting shall form a quorum. Proxies shall not be constituted as part of the quorum.

(f) In the event of there being no quorum at the commencement of a General Body Meeting, the meeting shall be adjourned for half an hour and should the number then present be insufficient to form a quorum, those present shall be considered a quorum, but they shall have no power to amend any of the existing Constitution.

(b) All office bearers except the Past President shall be elected by a process of election where all members will vote. The term of office bearer will be as follows:-

(d) All Executive members preferably should be Life member of APHS also.

(e) Election will be subject to the agreement of the majority of the voting members present by a secret ballot (postal).

(f) The Executive Committee may co-opt into the Executive Committee not more than 2 members who, in their opinion, may be useful in the management of the Society. Co-opted members will have no voting right in the executive committee meetings.

(g) All the Past-Presidents after they complete there term of two years will be Trustees who will support, review and propose to the Executive Committee office new proposal coming from Members. This number shall not be more than five. On addition of the sixth member, the first will automatically retire.

(h) The Executive Committee shall meet at least once a year and at such times as deemed necessary by the President for the conduct of the Society's business. Notice of the meeting shall not be less than eight weeks.

(i) Any member of the Executive Committee absenting himself from three meetings consecutively without satisfactory explanations shall be deemed to have withdrawn from the Executive Committee and a successor may be co-opted by the Executive Committee to serve until the next General Body Meeting.

(j) The Executive Committee would nominate, delegate and appoint representatives to international conferences, congresses and meetings.

(k) The Executive Committee may raise at any time, in any form or manner, and for any amount, for the purposes of the Society, any sums of money in such manner as they think fit. However, the Executive Committee shall not incur any liability or otherwise, on behalf of its members, beyond the net asset value of the Society.

(l) The Executive Committee may appoint any member of the Society as a member of a sub-committee as may be deemed necessary for the management of the Society and confer to him such powers and duties as the Executive Committee may decide.

(m) The Executive Committee may at its discretion, issue statements to the press or grant interviews on matters pertaining to the Society. No individual member of the Society shall, except with the approval of the Executive Committee, release statements or grant interviews on behalf of the Society.

(n) The Executive Committee shall be responsible to convene General Body Meetings as the circumstances deem necessary and in compliance with the other provisions of this Constitution.

(o) The duties of the Executive Committee are to organize and supervise the daily activities of the Society and to make decisions on matters affecting its running when the General Body Meeting is not sitting. It may not act contrary to the expressed wishes of the General Body Meeting without prior reference to it and must always remain subordinate to the General Body Meetings.

(p) Decisions within the Executive Committee at all meetings should be by a simple majority. In the event of a tie, the President will have the casting vote.

(q) The Executive Committee of the Society would raise funds from sponsorship by companies in the medical field or other charitable organizations.

(r) The Organizing Committee of the Annual Meeting will deposit all the savings to the parent body of HSI.

(s) The first Executive committee may work as adhoc committee for 5 years to establish the society and then elections to be held for selections of executives.

PRESIDENT

• The President shall preside at all General Body and Executive Committee Meetings.
  
• He shall represent the Society in its dealings with outside persons or organizations and represent HSI (National Chapter) in all meetings of the parent body of APHS.
  
• The President shall regulate the proceedings of the meetings and conferences.
  
• He shall overlook all the activities of HSI and supervise and help in implementation of all decisions and resolutions passed in Executive Committee and General Body meetings.
  
• The President shall have a casting vote in addition to his own vote in the event of a tie.

PAST PRESIDENT

• The Past President will remain as an ex-officio member of the incoming Executive Committee for two years.

PRESIDENT ELECT

• The President-Elect shall act on behalf of the President in his absence.
  
• He will be the Election officer and will conduct when due.
  
• He will work in coordination with President, Hony. Secretary and Hony. Treasurer towards all administration and scientific activities.
  

HONORARY SECRETARY

• The Honorary Secretary shall be in-charge of the office of HSI to conduct all correspondence, organize, arrange and convene meetings under direction of the President.
  
• He will prepare and circulate Agenda for Executive Committee ad General Body Meetings after consultation with the President and the office Bearers.
  
• He shall as far as possible attend all the meetings of the Executive Committee and General Body and keep correct minutes of all proceedings. Minutes will be circulated within 4 weeks of Executive Committee Members Meetings.
  
• The Honorary Secretary shall be an ex-officio member of all sub committees along with the President and the President-Elect.
  
• The Honorary Secretary shall present a full report of activities of HSI for 1 year at the General Body Meeting.
  
• He shall also receives and scrutinize the application of newly enrolled life member. He will see the decisions and resolutions passed in Executive Committee Meetings and General Body Meetings are implemented.
  
• He shall correspond and communicate with members regularly and update them with the activities of the society.
  
• He shall represent the Society in its dealings with outside persons or organizations and represent his (National Chapter) in all meetings of the parent body of APHS along with the President.
  
• He will seek guidance of the President and President Elecf. for functioning of the society.

ZONAL VICE PRESIDENT

• The Zonal Vice President shall assist in general administration of the society and undertake any other administrative or scientific activity in his zone as and when requested by the Hony. Secretary or as discussed in the Executive Committee Meeting.
  
• He shall organize at least one zonal meeting every year along with the zonal executive member of the respective zone for development of Hernia surgery in his zone.
  

HONY. TREASURER

• The Hony. Treasurer shall be a Life Member.
  
• He will receive all subscriptions from memberships and earnings of Zonal and National Conferences, donations and deposit them immediately in the authorized bank.
  
• He will open an account in the Nationalized Bank only.
  
• He will issue receipts for the amount received and obtain receipts for the amounts spent.
  
• He will be responsible for keeping proper accounts, get them audited in time and send them to all members before Annual conference.
  
• He will submit unaudtied statement of accounts to the Executive Committee at each meeting.
  
• He will jointly operate the account along with the President and/or Honorary Secretary.
  
• He will disburse amounts for Zonal and National conferences and for other scientific and administrative activities, awards and scholarships as passed in the Executive Committee.
  
• He will invest the Society money only in the Fixed Deposit schemes in Nationalized banks.
  

ZONAL EXECUTIVE MEMBERS

• Zonal Executive Committee Member shall assist in the general administration of the Society and contribute to the management of the Society along with the Zonal Vice President and organize Scientific activities in their zone.
  
• He should attend all Executive committee meetings, Zonal and National conferences.
  
• He should help in training young surgeons in the field of hernia surgery in his respective zone.
  

(a) The Past-President will be inducted as a Trustee of the Society after approval from the Executive Committee Members during the meeting at the end of his term of two years.
(b) The Founder President of APHS will be the first Trustee of HSI or the Executive Committee may nominate the first Trustee of HSI.
(c)The trustees of the Society shall:

• All the Past-Presidents will be inducted as Trustee on approval of the executive committee.
  
• Not be more than five.
  
• When the sixth Trustee is inducted the first Trustee will automatically retire.
  

• The funds of the Society shall not be used to pay the fines of members who have been convicted in a court of law.
  
• The Society shall not engage in any trade union activity as defined in any written law relating to trade unions for the time being in force in India.
  
• The Society shall not indulge in any political activity or allow its funds and/or premises to be used for political purposes.
  
• Gambling of any kind, is forbidden on the Society's premises. The introduction of materials for gambling or drug taking and of bad character into the premises is prohibited.
  
• The Society shall not attempt to restrict or interfere with trade or make directly or indirectly any recommendation to, any arrangement with its members which has the purpose or is likely to have the effect of fixing or controlling the price or any discount, allowance or rebate relating to any goods or services, which adversely affects consumer interests.
  

• The Society shall not be dissolved except with the consent of not less than two-thirds of the total voting membership of the Society expressed, at a General Body Meeting convened for the purpose.
  
• In the event of the Society being dissolved as provided above, all debts and liabilities legally incurred on behalf of the Society shall be fully discharged, and the remaining funds donated to charitable organizations, which are registered under the Charities Act as the members of the Society may determine.
  
• A Certificate of Dissolution shall be given within 7 days of the dissolution to the Charity Commissioner, Delhi.