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 7^th 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 , 6^th 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:

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. To establish

a. Regional centres, kendras, institutes, etc., to undertake studies, investigations and other activities in furtherance of the objectives of the Centre.

b. Libraries, archives, museums, documentation centres, etc. to facilitate and promote the objectives of the Centre.

c. 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.

15. To undertake the following activities in furtherance of the objectives of centre:

a. Institute fellowships and awards, etc.,

b. Conduct research projects and studies on behalf.

c. Promote and support (including financially) similar studies and activities in other institutions and organisations.

d. Institute, as well as participate in, public debates and discussions.

e. Interact and work in collaboration with other individuals, groups, organisations, Governmental bodies, peoples’ movements, etc.

16. To undertake any other studies, programmes, and activities that may contribute to the objectives of the Centre.

17. To accept donations, endowments, etc., from any donor, donors, foundations, Public Trusts, Institutions etc., for furtherance of the objects of the Centre.

18. 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

19. 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.

20. 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. Rules and Regulations: It shall be competent for the Board of Trustees to frame, amend and enforce, from time to time, all such rules, regulations, and bye laws, as are not inconsistent with the objects of the Centre, and the express provisions of this Deed, and as

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