DEED OF TRUST
of the
CENTRE FOR POLICY STUDIES
THIS DEED OF TRUST executed at Madras this Thursday, Jyestha Sukla Chaturdasi, Pramoda Samvatsara, Saka 1913, Vikrami 2049, that is, the 7th day of June 1990, by and between Dr. M.D. Srinivas, son of Shri M.D. Ramaswamy Iyengar, aged about 40 years, residing at 31 Rukmani Road, Besantnagar, Madras 600 090; Shri T.M. Mukundan, son of Shri T.M.Seshadri aged about 41 years, residing at 17 , 6th Cross Street, Sastri Nagar, Madras-600 020; and Dr. J.K. Bajaj, son of Shri Hakim Rai Bajaj, aged about 38 years, residing at D-23, Bayview Apartments, Kalakshetra Colony, Besantnagar, Madras-600 090, the First Trustees.
Whereas the first Trustees believe that the long centuries of foreign domination have so disoriented India, that we have forgotten about ourselves, and our place and role in the world as Indians; that we have lost sight of our civilizational seekings and aspirations, and of the norms and organisational structures through which we used to seek to fulfil those aspirations; that this forgetfulness has led to our mindlessly trying to copy whatever seems to be the current fashion of the world, and swaying with the winds without any moorings of our own.
The first Trustees also believe that this situation is resulting in a tragic waste of the skills and capabilities of the people of India, which are being put to no use at all in the task of nation building, and our mindless attempts at catching up with the world are leading to a continuous degradation of our physical and cultural environment.
The first Trustees further believe that though the passage of time shall indeed bring us out of this phase of forgetfulness, and that stirrings of such self-awakening, caused by the working of the four decades of political independence, can already be seen around us, yet a clear-headed evaluation of our situation today, and of the world around us, and an understanding of our civilizational seekings, norms, and ways shall help in quickening this process of India’s coming into her own.
Believing thus, the first Trustees desire to found and constitute a Public Charitable Trust under the name of CENTRE FOR POLICY STUDIES to help rekindle the national spirit and determination, required to build India into a self-confident, resurgent nation, sure of itself and its place in the world, and for this purpose to create a climate in which a wide-ranging review of all aspects of the Indian situation is undertaken as a national task, so that India acquires an overview of herself and the world, and evolves a Policy that provides us the opportunity to get on to the task of national reconstruction with an abiding passion and use our varied skills and capabilities for that purpose.
And whereas the First Trustees between themselves have put together a sum of Rs.1000/- (Rupees one thousand only) to form the corpus of the Centre.
And whereas the First Trustees have accepted the Trust and taken possession of the said corpus of Rs.1000/- (Rupees one thousand only).
Now this Deed of Trust witnesseth as under:
I. The name of the Trust shall be CENTRE FOR POLICY STUDIES.
II. The Registered Office of the Centre shall be at Madras and presently situated at
D-23 Bayview Apartments, Kalakshetra Colony, Besantnagar, Madras-600 090.
It shall be competent for the Board of Trustees by a resolution of the majority to change the place of the Registered Office of the Centre as and when deemed necessary.
It shall be competent for the Board of Trustees to have regional Centres, branches, or Kendras at various places as the Board of Trustees may decide from time to time.
The activities of the Centre shall be carried out throughout India, but no part of the resource of the centre shall be spent on any activities outside India.
III. Trustees: The First Trustees of the Centre shall constitute the First Board of Trustees of the Centre. The maximum number of Trustees shall be eleven. However, the present number of Trustees shall be entitled to co-opt Trustees to take the strength of the Board up to maximum of eleven.
If the Board of Trustees however deem it necessary to increase the number of Trustees to more than eleven the same may by effected through a Special Resolution of the Board of Trustees.
IV. Term of Office:The First Trustees shall hold office during their respective lifetime.The term of office of the co-opted Trustees shall be five years.
However, it shall be competent for the Board of Trustees to co-opt again any or all of the retiring Trustees.
V. Vacancy:If there is any vacancy arising in the office of the Trustee due to death, retirement, resignation, or otherwise, the same may be filled by co-option by the Board of Trustees.
VI. Meetings of the Board of Trustees: The Trustees shall meet at least once a year to conduct and ratify the business of the Centre.At the annual meeting of the Board of Trustees, the Director of the Centre, duly appointed by the Board of Trustees, shall place before the Trustees a report of the activities of Centre and also that of its branches, if any, and also an audited statement of accounts of the Centre and its branches.
Quorum: The quorum for the meeting of the Board of Trustees shall be THREE.
VII. Objects: The objects of the Centre are:
- To help in all possible ways in rekindling the national spirit and determination required to build a self-confident resurgent India, in which the skills and capacities of all her people find a dignified place and use.
- To propagate the idea that India needs to acquire an overview of her situation in all its aspects, and based on this view to formulate a polity that provides all of us the opportunity to employ our varied skills and capabilities in the task of national reconstruction.
- To evaluate our national activities in various spheres.Such evaluation may deal with all aspects of, say, education, science and technology; industry; agriculture; irrigation; horticulture; forestry; the production and uses of various types of energy; the problem of soil erosion; the major causes of water scarcity in India and the increasing drought conditions; the state of our textiles; steel and other consumer goods; our processed food product industries; our medical and health care systems; the sanitation services; the municipal services of our cities, the towns and rural areas; the design, aesthetics, and utility of our houses and public buildings; the state and usefulness of our public transport systems and the state of our physical and cultural environment.
- To study and evaluate the structure and working of various institutions and organisations crucial to the functioning of India.Such evaluation may cover institutions like the judiciary, the law and order machinery, the defence services, and the administrative and political structures, etc.
- To discover the basic ideas on which our national activities in various spheres, and the structure of various organisations and institutions are based, and to study the status of those ideas in the world.
- To review our relations with the world at large, and especially to investigate our relative indifference to the people and countries with whom we have long and historically shared close civilizational and economic links.
- To acquire an understanding of our past, as it is reflected in our myths and stories, as well as in our traditional sciences, technologies, and social, political and economic structures.
- To acquire a comprehension of other civilizations of the world from an Indian perspective.This may cover not only an understanding of the modern world, but also of its sources in Plato, Moses, Aristotle etc., and in the assumptions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam etc.
- To acquire a comprehension of the more ancient civilizations of the world, like those of the ancient people of Africa and Americas, and those of the East and South East Asia, which may be more akin to our own.
- To study ways of long term restructuring of India, based on an overview of the Indian situation, so that India may completely come into its own within the foreseeable future.
- To suggest ways of short term restructuring of polity and institutions with a view to make India more functional in various spheres, and to ensure participation of larger and larger of Indians, and their varied skills and capabilities, in the national life.
- To create a climate in the country in which evaluation of the Indian situation in all its aspects mentioned above and searching for ways of reorienting polity so as to make India functional again becomes a national task.
- To organise seminars, workshops, lecture tours, exhibitions, and training programmes, etc., and to undertake publication of bulletins, journals, books, newspapers etc., towards furthering the objectives of the Centre.
- To establish
- Regional centres, kendras, institutes, etc., to undertake studies, investigations and other activities in furtherance of the objectives of the Centre.
- Libraries, archives, museums, documentation centres, etc. to facilitate and promote the objectives of the Centre.
- Laboratories, farms, field units, production units and other experimental centres, to facilitate micro level evaluation of the state of India, and to try out new programmes and ideas for national reconstruction.
- To undertake the following activities in furtherance of the objectives of centre:
- Institute fellowships and awards, etc.,
- Conduct research projects and studies on behalf.
- Promote and support (including financially) similar studies and activities in other institutions and organisations.
- Institute, as well as participate in, public debates and discussions.
- Interact and work in collaboration with other individuals, groups, organisations, Governmental bodies, peoples’movements, etc.
- To undertake any other studies, programmes, and activities that may contribute to the objectives of the Centre.
- To accept donations, endowments, etc., from any donor, donors, foundations, Public Trusts, Institutions etc., for furtherance of the objects of the Centre.
- To undertake research on issues related to the comprehension and re-awakening of the Indian civilizational genius, and especially to undertake research in the following subjects: Society and polity in India; pre-British and contemporary Indian economic and social history; History of science and technology in India; Indian agriculture; History of ideas in India; Indian religion.¹
- And generally to do all such things, acts, or functions as may be necessary from time to time for the propagation, progress, development and encouragement of the objectives of the Centre.
- Provided, however, that none of the objects aforesaid shall involve any activity with the intention of earning profit, and provided further that they do not lead to any personal monetary benefit to any of the Trustees.
VIII. Acceptance of Donations: It shall be competent for the Trustees to accept donations in either cash or movable and immovable properties, either with or without any special conditions attached to it, provided however that such condition or conditions do not contravene the objectives of the Centre mentioned above.
IX.
Clause inserted vide Resolution dt. 10.06.1995 adopted at the Special Meeting of the Board of Trustees held on 10.06.1995.
the Trustees may deem proper for securing and facilitating the administration and management in detail of the various departments relating to the activities and affairs of the Centre and for convening, conducting and regulating the meetings of the Trustees; and for appointing subcommittees; and generally for the execution and administration of the Trust Estate; and also from time to time to repeal, rescind, alter, amend, or add to all such rules, regulations, and bye-laws; and also to pass resolutions in connection with all or any of the said matters at their meetings.
X. The Trustees shall have power in general to do such other things and do all acts necessary to carry out the objects of the Centre.
XII. For the purpose of carrying out the objects of the Centre, the Trustees shall have the right to acquire by purchase, or on lease, or otherwise, any immovable or movable property of any tenure. In case of vacant lands thus acquired by the Centre, the Trustees shall have the power to erect buildings on them, and to do all acts necessary and incidental to that purpose.
XIII. It shall be lawful for the Board of Trustees to demolish, renovate, rebuild alter, adapt, improve, add to develop or repair any immovable property belonging to or comprised in the Trust properties, and to spend thereon such sums and moneys out of the Trust Fund and the income thereof as the Board of Trustees may deem fit, necessary and expedient.
XIV. The Board of Trustees shall be entitled to enter into any agreements or covenants with the tenants, owners, occupants, or persons entitled to, or interested in, any other properties, and to raise funds by way of loans.
XIV. In the professed execution of the Trust and its Powers, no Trustee shall be liable for any loss to the Centre, whether such loss arises by reason of any improper investments made in good faith, or by the negligence and fraud of any agent employed by him, or by any other Trustees, although the employment of such agent may not have been strictly necessary or expedient, or by reason of mistakes or omissions made in good faith by the Trustees or by reason of any other matter or thing, except willful or deliberate fraud or wrongful doing on the part of the Trustees, who may be then made liable.
XVI. The accounting year of the Centre shall be from the 1st of April of a year to the 31st March of the next year. The accounts shall be audited by a qualified Chartered Accountant and the accounts shall be placed before the Trustees after such audit once a year, the Auditors for the said purpose shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees.
XVII. Convening of the Meetings: All the meetings of the Board of Trustees shall be convened by the Director of the Centre duly appointed by the Board of Trustees.
XVIII. The said corpus of Rs.1000/- (Rupees one thousand only) shall remain fixed property of the Trust, and it shall not be disposed, or subjected to any encumbrance, or charge, or spent for the purpose of meeting the expenses, or for carrying out the objects Board of Trustees. of the Centre, or for any other purpose, unless otherwise unanimously decided by a special Resolution of the
XIX. The Trustees shall stand possessed of the said amount of corpus and such other properties (both movable and immovable) as may be acquired from time to time by the Centre, by purchase, exchange, grant, subscription, donation, endowment, contribution, or in any other manner whatsoever, all of which shall be designated as “THE TRUST ESTATE” of the Centre.
XX. Management:The Management of the Centre shall vest in the Board of Trustees, who shall also form the Governing Body of the Centre.
The Board may elect one of its members to act as its Chairman. The Board may also invite any prominent public personality, who subscribes to the objectives of the Centre, to join the Board an act as its Chairman, for such a term as may be fixed by the Board.
The Board of Trustees shall appoint a Director, who shall be responsible for the Day-to-day running of the Centre. He shall also be responsible for organising academic and other activities of the Centre towards the fulfilment of the objectives of the Centre mentioned in Clause VII above.
The Director so appointed, in case he is not already a member, shall be ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees, and shall assist the Board in the discharge of its functions and shall maintain all the records, accounts, reports, etc. and place the same at the meetings of the Board.
The Director shall maintain a Minute Book at the Registered Office of the Centre, in which all decisions of the Board of Trustees and the proceedings of their meetings shall be recorded.
The Director shall hold office on the pleasure of the Board, or for such term and on such terms and conditions, as may be fixed by the Board.
Dr.M.D.Srinivas and Dr.J.K.Bajaj, the First Trustees shall be the First Chairman of the Board and the First Director of the Centre, respectively. They shall hold these offices for a term of five years, and shall be eligible for re-appointment.
XXI. Regional Centres, Branches, etc: It shall be competent for the Board of Trustees to open Regional Centres or branches etc. of the Centre, and to form local Committees anywhere in India, with the help of like-minded well-wishers of the Centre to carry out and implement the objects of the Centre. these local committees shall be responsible for all the activities, administration, and accounts of such regional centres or branches, etc. The Director of the Centre shall obtain a report of the activities and accounts of these centres and place it before the Board of Trustees once a year.
XXII. The Board of Trustees shall manage the Trust properties and may for such purpose and for the objects of the Centre engage or employ managers, agents, clerks, Accountants, assistants and other such employees as may be necessary for running the day to day administration and maintenance of its properties and all the Estate relating thereto.
XXIII. The Board of Trustees may delegate any of its functions to a Committee of persons, subject however to the retention of supervisory control by the Board, whose decisions in all day to day matters of administration of the Centre and its properties shall prevail. The Board of Trustees may assume back direct control and management at any time in any matter.
XXIV. A Bank account or accounts shall be opened in any nationalised bank or banks in the name of the Centre and the same shall be operated by a minimum of two Trustees as may be authorised by the Board of Trustees for this purpose from time to time.
XXV. The Board of Trustees shall have power to terminate the services of any of their employees, officials, or persons in permanent/temporary/special service in connection with the work of the Centre.Trust Estate, Trust Funds, and Trust properties, as they may from time to time think fit, and to determine their powers and duties, and fix their salaries and emoluments, and to require security in such instance and such amount as the Board of Trustees may think fit.The Board of Trustees shall also have power to found and maintain Provident Funds, Gratuity Funds, personal and other funds for any employee and make rules and regulations for the same.
XXVI. The Board of Trustees shall have power to invest the funds of the Centre in accordance with the provisions of the Income Tax Act 1961 and the rules made under the Act from time to time.
XXVII. The benefits of this Trust shall be open to all irrespective of caste, creed, religion or sex.
XXVIII. In case it becomes necessary to wind up the activities of the Centre, it may be done by a unanimous decision of the Board of Trustees. In the event of such dissolution no part of the assets of the Centre shall revert to the Trustees or the Authors of the Trust, and all the assets and liabilities of the Centre shall be transferred to a public charitable body with objectives similar to the objectives of the Centre.
XIX. Amendments: Any amendment to the objectives or any of the Covenants of the Trust shall be done only with the prior approval of the Commissioner of Income Tax or any other Authority as may be required under the Tax Laws. Such amendments shall be proposed and a proved at an Extra Ordinary or Special Meeting of the Board of Trustees.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the parties hereto have set their respective hands this Thursday, Jyestha Sukla Chaturdasi, Pramoda Samvatsara, Saka 1913, Virkrami 2049, that is, the 7th day of June 1990 in the presence of
Signed by:
D. Srinivas
M. Mukundan
K. Bajaj
