(Incorporating
amendments up to September 4, 2010)
1. Name
The
name of the organisation shall be the People's Union for Civil Liberties
(PUCL).
2. Aims
& Objects
The
People's Union for Civil Liberties will try to bring together all those who are
committed to the defence and promotion of civil liberties in India,
irrespective of any differences which they may have in regard to political and
economic institutions suitable for the country.
The aims and objects of the organisation will be :
a)
to uphold and
promote by peaceful means civil liberties and the democratic way of life
throughout India;
b)
to secure
recognition to the principle of dignity of the individual;
c)
to undertake a
constant review of penal laws and the criminal procedure with aview to bringing
them in harmony with humane and liberal principles;
d)
to work for the
withdrawal and repeal of all repressive laws including preventive detention;
e)
to encourage
freedom of thought and defend the right of public dissent;
f)
to ensure the
freedom of the press and independence of mass media like radio and television;
g)
to secure the rule
of law and independence of the judiciary;
h)
to make legal aid
available to the poor;
i)
to make legal
assistance available for the defence of civil liberties;
j)
to work for the
reform of the judicial system so as to remove inordinate delays, reduce heavy
expenses, and eliminate inequities;
k)
to bring about
prison reform;
l)
to oppose police
excesses and use of third degree method;
m)
to oppose police
discrimination on the ground of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth;
n)
to combat social
evils which encroach on civil liberties, such as untouchability, casteism, and
communalism;
o)
to defend in
particular the civil liberties of the weaker sections of society and of women
and children;
p)
to do all acts and
things that may be necessary, helpful, or incidental to the above aims and
objects.
3. Criteria
of Membership
a) Every adult person shall be eligible to be member of the
organisation if he/she believes that civil liberties must be maintained in
India, now and in the future, irrespective of any economic and political
changes that may take place in the country.
b) Members of the political parties will be entitled to be
members of the organisation in their individual capacity if they subscribe to
its aims and objects. They will have all the rights of membership except that :
i.
the President, the
Vice Presidents, the General Secretaries, other Secretaries, and the Treasurers
of the organisation or any of its branches shall not be a member of any
political party.
ii.
At least one-half
of the members of the National Council and the National Executive Committee and
of corresponding bodies at the State and local levels, shall be person who are
not members of any political party.
iii.
Not more than 10% of the members of the National Council and the National
Executive Committee, and of corresponding shall be members of one political
party. bodies at the State and local levels,
c) The membership fee will be Rs. 50/- per
year, to be collected once a year. Student members and non-earning members who
are below the age of 25 may pay Rs. 10/ per
member's fee. The Executive Committees at every level will be entitled to admit
year as persons from economically weaker sections of society, like workers and
peasants, at a membership fee of Rs. 10/- per year.
d) Those who pay Rs. 1000/- a in a lump
sum will be Life members. Those who pay Rs. 2000/- will be
Patron members of the organisation.
e) The National Council will have the right, by a two-third
majority, to refuse membership to any person or to remove any person from
membership. The Council of a State branch will have a similar right in the
respective State.
3 (A).Institutional
Members
In
addition to individual members there may be Institutional members also. All
voluntary groups and institutions (but not political parties or groups
affiliated to them) which agree with the objectives of the PUCL and desire to
join it will be entitled to become Institutional Members in accordance with the
Supplementary Rules laid down by the National Executive Committee (see at the
end).
4. National
Convention
a) A National Convention of the organisation will be held
once in two years.
b) The National Convention will review the work of the
organisation and lay down policies and programmes for future.
5. National
Council
a) The National Council will meet at least once a year.
(amended in place of 'twice a year' by the National Council on 4th
September 2010)
b) The National Council will determine the policy and
programme of the organisation, in conformity with the policies and programmes
adopted by the National Convention.
c) The National Council will elect the President, one or
more Vice Presidents, one or more General Secretaries, other Secretaries, and
Treasurers for the ensuing term, one or more as laid down in Clause 7(2).
6. The
National Executive Committee
a) The National Executive Committee will look after the growth
and work of the organisation, in conformity with the policies and programmes
adopted by the National Convention and the National Council.
b) The National Executive Committee will promote the
formation of branches of the organisation in every State in India.
c) The National Executive Committee will promote the
policies and programmes of the organisation during the interval between two
National Convention and meetings of the National Council.
7. Elections
and formation of National bodies, calling of National Convention
1. At least six months before the next National Convention,
the General Secretary would write to all the State branches that they should
elect, preferably by consensus, representatives of their respective States for
the National Council. The number of members to be elected by the States will be
conveyed to them by the General Secretary in proportion to the total membership
of the PUCL in the state according to the records with the National office at
the time of the above mentioned letter from the General Secretary to the State
branches. Besides these names, the General Secretary of the State branch will
be an ex-officio member of the National Council. The names of the representatives
of the State will be communicated to the General Secretary of the PUCL within
two months of the receipt of his letter. (The national President and the
General Secretary may nominate, if necessary, some members to the National
Council/National Executive Committee).
2. At least three months before the expiry of the term of
the current President and other office bearers of the PUCL, a meeting of the
National Council, constituting of the representatives of the States, including
the State General Secretary, and the nominees of the national President and the
General Secretary, if any, will be held at a place fixed by the General
Secretary of the PUCL in consultation with the President. This meeting of the
National Council will decide, on the basis of consensus, and if necessary, by
votes, the office bearers as mentioned in Clause 5(c) for
the next term commencing from the date on which the next National Convention
will be held.
3. The aforesaid meeting of the National Council will also elect
the National Executive Committee of the PUCL which will comprise of the
President, the General Secretary, other office bearers, all the former
presidents, and such other members as may be decided by consensus by the
National Council or nominated by the national President and General Secretary.
4. The outgoing President will be an ex-officio member of
both the National Council and the National Executive Committee.
5. The aforesaid meeting of the National Council will also
decide the venue and the date of the National Convention. The National
Executive Committee will act as the Subjects Committee and would meet on the
date preceding the National Convention to decide upon the resolutions, etc., to
be discussed by the Convention. Members of the PUCL who want to propose some
resolution would send them to the General Secretary one month before the
proposed date of the Convention.
8. State
and District Branches
a) With the sanction of the General Secretary, who in this
matter will act in consultation with the President, members of any State may
set up a state branch.
b) As far as possible, in consultation with the General
Secretary of the PUCL, the same pattern would be adapted at the State and
district level for their functioning and elections.
c) A State Council and State Executive Committee of the
branch will be elected, as far as possible, according to the procedure laid
down in Clause 7 above, in consultation with the General
Secretary.
d) The provisions analogous to clauses 4,
5, 6, and 7
above shall govern the State Convention, The State Council, the State Executive
Committee, and the office-bearers of the State branch.
e) Out of the membership fee collected in any State,
one-third shall be sent to the National office and two-third shall remain with
the State branch and shared equally with the district branch concerned.
f) In case of Life members and Patrons members, 40% of the amount will be sent to the National office. The
entire amount of such members enrolled directly with the Central office will be
kept there.
9. Supplementary
Rules
Supplementary
Rules for the organisation shall be made by the National Executive Committee
as and when necessary.
10. Amendments
The National Council will be entitled by the vote of a majority of its total membership to alter any part of this constitution except the aims and object of the organization and the criteria of membership as specified in as clause 3(a) above.