International Sikh Confederation
Name
1 This Body shall be known as the International Sikh Confederation (ISC).
Registered Office
2 It's Registered Office shall be located at Chandigarh . There will be various regional, zonal and local offices in India and abroad as the Organisation expands.
Aim
3 To provide guidance and direction in the Sikh community's march towards its ordained mission to spread the effulgent message of the Gurus and to ensure a rightful place for the community, nationally as well as internationally.
Objectives
4 The ISC will reflect the status of Guru Panth, and in due course, will decide its own functions. However, it must inter alia , encompass the following:-
a) To share the ideology of the Guru Granth Sahib and Sikh Gurus with all humanity for evolving a harmonious social order.
b) To articulate short- and long-term goals of the Panth.
c) To promote the cause of the Sikh community in national and international forums.
d) To articulate and express the views on behalf of the Sikh community in the above forums, and thus to represent the Panth in all domestic and international spheres.
e) To co-ordinate activities of various Sikh Organisations.
f) To help resolve and work towards settlement of all philosophical and other issues affecting the Panth as a whole.
g) To deal with problems of existing or potential schisms in the Panth.
h) To promote research and publication of literature on Sikh identity, religion, history, culture and tradition.
i) To rebut academic and other attacks on Sikh identity, religion, history, culture and tradition.
j) To take vigorous and sustained measures to promote Punjabi language.
k) To promote education and economic development of the Sikh community.
l) To initiate and help promote national and international effort, for humanitarian causes in pursuance of the basic Sikh tenets of Sarbat da Bhala (well being for all).
Accomplishment of Aims and Objectives
5 To fulfill the above Aims and Objectives, the ISC may :
a) Establish and manage institutions of higher learning and research in various disciplines including Sikh religion, social studies, medicine, engineering, information technology and other disciplines, as required.
b) Establish trusts, endowments, chairs in universities and institutions of learning. Stress will be laid on primary and secondary education and the uplift of women.
c) Set up and manage Press with a view to publishing books, pamphlets, periodicals, newspapers / magazines / journals in Indian /International languages.
d) Appeal for, solicit, accept, receive and / or collect, acquire, or dispose of movable and immovable property / assets.
e) Accept money, special subscriptions, donations, grants, endowment funds, gifts, bequests and / or services from any legitimate source.
f) Make rules, bye-laws, and lay down procedures and conventions to facilitate smooth functioning of the Organisation, and
g) Take any other steps considered necessary for achieving the objectives of the Confederation.
Eligibility for Membership
6 The following shall be eligible to be enrolled as members of the Confederation provided they follow Sikh Maryada and follow rules as per para 9:
a) A Sikh Gurdwara notified under any lawful statute.
b) Any Other Sikh Gurdwara registered and managed by Sikh sangat .
c) A Sikh institution / trust / society / association or other body (registered / incorporated / notified) engaged in the protection and promotion of Sikh interests.
d) Eminent Sikh individual with known contribution to the cause of Sikhism.
7 The membership shall be by invitation / application. The decision of the Interim Executive Committee initially and later the Executive Committee (EC) in the matter of approval or non-approval in this respect shall be final.
8 The gurdwara / institution / trust / society / association and any other body on becoming member, shall be represented in the ISC by duly authorised representative of the concerned entity.
Qualification for Membership
9 To become a member of the ISC in any category or to represent a member organisation, the person concerned should be a Sikh who,
a) Has full faith in the Ten Gurus, Sri Guru Granth Sahib and Sikh rahit maryada , and does not believe in any other religion.
b) Is not less than 21 years of age.
c) Believes in the aims and objectives of the ISC and agrees to fulfill the same.
d) Pays the prescribed subscription in time.
10 Members of the EC shall be Amritdhari Sikhs with education equivalent to a degree from a recognized university.
Disqualification for Membership
11 No person shall be entitled to become or continue as a member of the ISC if he or she :
a) has been convicted of any offence involving moral turpitude;
b) has been declared by a competent authority to be insane or insolvent;
c) is considered by the EC not a fit person to become, or continue to be a member of the ISC for any reason whatsoever;
d) fails to pay the prescribed membership fee.
Membership
12 Will be of the following categories :
a) Patron
b) Primary membership
c) Associate membership (without voting rights)
d) Life membership
13 Members shall pay bi-annual membership fee at the following rates :
Category Indian Sub Continent Others Institutions Bi- annual Bi-annual
Registered/incorporated/notified Sikh
institution/trust/society/association, etc. Rs. 5, 000/- $300
All Sikh Gurdwaras Rs. 5000/- $ 300
Individuals
- Primary membership Rs. 500/- $40
- Associate membership Rs. 250/- $20
- Life membership Rs 25,000/- $1500
- Patron Rs 5,00,000/- $25,000
14 Membership period will be from 1 st January to 31 st December or 1 st July to 30 June according to date of application being between Jan and June or between July and December. This will ensure minimum period of two years. Membership fee may be reviewed from time to time by the EC.
Register of Members
15 A Register of all members containing names, permanent address will be maintained and updated regularly. Names of GC and EC members along with office staff will be maintained separately.
GENERAL BODY (GB)
16 All members of the ISC will constitute the General Body. This is the highest body of the confederation and, except for Associate Members, all others have full voting rights. Voting right will, however, accrue on completion of six months of membership.
17 The General Body will meet as and when necessary, but not less than once in four years.
18 The quorum for the General Body meetings will be 20 per cent of the total member strength (less Associate Members) or 100, whichever is less.
19 The General Body will be the Supreme Body of the Confederation. The General Body members of a particular constituency / region will elect the members of the G.C to represent that constituency / region. As far as possible elections to the GC shall be by consensus. However if this is not achieved, elections will be held by secret ballot.
20 The General Body will give direction to the GC for the achievement of the objectives of the Confederation and will have the power of amendments to the Constitution, if necessary.
Governing Council(GC)
21 The GC of the ISC shall consist of 200 members to be drawn from various constituencies as shown in the Appendix and shall meet at least once yearly. However, an extraordinary meeting of the GC may be called earlier if required. Governing Council members will be selected by consensus. However, if consensus is not achieved elections to the GC will be held.
22 Elections to the GC will be held every four years if required. These will be conducted by the EC who shall appoint an Election Commissioner three months before the due date. Comprehensive orders for the preparation and conduct of elections will be issued by the EC through the CEO. The members of the GC representing a particular constituency / region will be elected by the General Body members of that constituency / region.
23 Takht Jathedar Sahiban will be Permanent Invitees to the GC. In deference to their exalted status in the Panth, they will not be involved in the voting process.
Functions of Governing Council
24 Formulation and implementation of policy matters and approval of various programmes of the ISC under the overall directions of the General Body.
25 It will delegate powers to the EC for implementation of the policies and programmes of the ISC and day to day functions.
Management of the ISC
26 The affairs of the ISC shall be managed by the EC duly aided by five or more Advisory Councils comprising professionals from various disciplines as indicated in the Appendix.
27 Each Advisory Council will consist of five to ten working members and will be headed by a nominee of the EC. The advisory council may co-opt additional experts for advice, if required, with the approval of the EC.
Executive Committee (EC)
28 Will consist of 25 members. Constitution of this committee will initially be as follows :
a) Institutional Representatives 12
b) Individuals 08
c) Heads of Advisory Councils 05
Total 25
(all of the members of EC should be amritdhari Sikhs)
29 A Presidium of Five EC members elected / nominated by the GC will chair the meetings of the GC and EC collectively. It will also supervise the day to day functioning of the CEO / Secretariat. Chairmanship within the Presidium will be rotated monthly.
Presidium
30 The Presidium will consist of five (5) members duly selected/elected from within the EC each year. One of them will be designated as the Secretary General. He will be authorized to sign correspondence and ensure proper functioning of the ISC, including signing of documents authorized by the Presidium. After one year a new Presidium will be selected/elected from within the EC. No member is eligible for a second tenure within a two year term of the EC.
31 A Secretariat headed by a CEO will function under the direct control of the Presidium. It is desirable that the CEO be a highly experienced and an outstanding administrator, who is well versed in Sikh religion and its affairs. He should preferably be based permanently at ISC Headquarters to devote full time to his duties. His tenure may be for four years with a maximum of one extension of four years.
32 The CEO will function directly under the Presidium that may delegate special powers to him from time to time.
33 Remuneration to be paid to employees of the ISC Secretariat including the CEO will be decided by the EC with final approval of the GC at its bi-annual meeting or special meeting. Until a GC is in place the decision will be taken by the Interim Executive Committee along with sustainable budget.
Election to the Executive Committee
34 Election to the EC will be as follows:
a) By consensus / election in the GC meeting held every 2 years in India .
b) For continuity, only 10 members (six from institutions and four individuals) will be newly elected every 2 years.
c) Heads of Advisory Councils will be nominated by the EC. Suitable Bye-laws in this regard will be framed by the Presidium in consultation with the Advisory Council concerned.
35 All representatives of the Institutions will serve full tenure at the discretion of their Parent Body which will be at liberty to withdraw/ replace their nominees after one year.
36 No mid-term election to the EC will be held by the ISC for vacancies created by resignation or withdrawal due to any reason whatsoever. Vacancies may be filled by the EC with the approval of the GC for the remaining term.
Functions of the Executive Committee
37 The EC shall exercise full powers and perform all such functions, as authorised by the GC. Bye-laws in this regard will be formulated by the EC and got approved by the GC. Any further revision/addition to the bye-laws will need the express approval of the GC by two thirds majority of the members present and voting, in a meeting called with a notice of three months or more in advance and with agenda duly notified.
Office Bearers
38 The EC will be solely responsible for running the affairs of the ISC. As already stated, a Presidium of five members will perform these functions collectively. The Presidium will preside over the meetings of the EC & GC.
39 The EC shall organise a Secretariat. They shall frame bye-laws in this regard and appoint a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to assist them. This organisation is expected to be evolved over time with the required office staff to assist them and to implement decisions of the Presidium / EC.
Tenure of Members of the Executive Committee
40 As already stated in para 34 (b), the tenure of the EC members will be four years. However, 10 elected members of the first GC will perforce have a two-year tenure. Decision in this regard will be taken by the EC by consensus or by drawing lots.
41 Advisory Council Heads will have a fixed tenure of four years. Anyone nominated in place of a member between elections will have a truncated tenure, i.e., remaining period. All members will of necessity be primary members of the ISC.
Limit on tenures in GC and EC
42 A member may serve in the GC and EC of the ISC for not more than two tenures.
Advisory Councils (AC)
43 The main aim of an AC forming part of the ISC constitution is to aid decision making. Each Council will consist of a Head, and upto ten members (total 11). As already stated in para 34 (c) Heads of ACs will be nominated by the EC. They will be highly qualified and experienced individuals Remaining members of the AC will be selected by the Presidium in consultation with the Head who is already nominated.
44 The GC in its bi-annual meeting will decide upon the number of ACs to be formed. Initially these will be five in number; one each for Religious Affairs; Education and Social Affairs; Economic Affairs; Press, Publication and IT; and lastly International and Legal Affairs. Members will be experts in their respective disciplines and eligible to be members of the ISC.
45 Heads of Councils may employ professionals as and when required, for specific projects and for sanctioned durations, with the express permission of the EC. These professionals may not necessarily be members of the ISC.
46 Bye-laws for these Councils will be framed by the Secretary General in consultation with the AC Chairman concerned and approved by the EC.
47 While acceptance of the advice rendered by ACs is not obligatory, all major decisions of the ISC will ordinarily be based on the advice rendered by the AC(s) concerned.
Quorum
48 The quorum for the General Body meetings will be 20% of the total member strength or 100 whichever is less. The quorum for the GC will be 25% of the total membership, and for the EC meetings, it will be 11 members of the Committee.
Notice for Meetings
49 For GC meetings not less than three months notice shall be given from the time of dispatch of the last letter.
50 For EC meetings not less than 15 days notice shall be given from the time of dispatch of the last letter. Emergency meeting, may, however, be called at short notice by the Presidium.
51 All such notices will be issued by the CEO under direction of the Presidium.
Official Language
52 Punjabi in Gurmukhi Script and English in Roman Script shall be the official languages of the ISC.
Disputes and Differences
53 Any controversial issues referred to the EC or taken up suo moto shall be discussed by the EC, which may obtain the advice of the concerned AC(s) and resolve the issue(s). However all sensitive issues will be placed before the GC for ratification.
Amendments to the Constitution
54 Any amendment to the Constitution which is proposed under signatures of at least 10% primary / life members of ISC may be circulated to members of the EC. While discussing the proposal for amendment to the Constitution in the EC, full opportunity will be granted formally to the members submitting the proposal to put forth their views.
55 The EC will thereafter submit its own recommendations independently to the GC who may then refer it to the General Body for a final decision. It may then be passed by 2/3 majority of the members present.
Audit
56 All accounts of the ISC will be audited quarterly by registered auditors. The Executive Committee will propose and obtain approval of the Governing Council (GC) to appoint auditors every 2 years. Annual Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss Statement will be approved by the GC.
REGIONAL ORGANISATION
57 The ISC will set up Regional Committees in each major region of the world, consisting of one or more countries indicated in the Appendix, where sizable Sikh population resides.
58 The ISC may set up a network of zonal committees in each region based on population and convenience of communication.
59 In addition to the above, Regional Offices of the ISC will be opened in various states of the Indian Union keeping in view the membership of the region. Decision in this regard will be taken by the EC and subsequently approved/modified in the Bi-Annual meeting of the GC.
Organisation with in Regions:
60 Each region will enjoy decentralized powers so as to function efficiently within the overall constitution of the ISC. Each region will have a Regional Committee with required number of Zonal Committees and even Local Committees. Ten or more primary members in a defined area may constitute a Local Committee with the approval of the Zonal Committee concerned, and elect a Convener / Chairman every two years. Each Regional Committee will have a working committee with a Chairman to be elected (by consensus if possible) by the Chairpersons of the Zonal Committees, who, in turn, may be elected by the Conveners of the Local Committees in the respective zones.
61 These elected Chairmen may further nominate two or three members on their respective committee for carrying out the functions of their committees effectively.
Periodicity of Meetings
62 It is expected that all these committees will keep in close touch with members by organizing frequent meetings at various levels. The minimum suggested frequency would be:-
(a) Regional Committee -- Once a year
(b) Zonal Committee -- Twice a year
(c) Local Committee -- Quarterly
Enrolment of Members:
63 While the ISC will continue to enrol members directly, the Committees in various regions and zones will organize special drives to ensure that all Sikh Organisations/ Socities/ Gurdwaras, eligible for membership, are enrolled. They will include members on their roster even if enrolled directly by the ISC after which total responsibility for renewal of membership and administration will rest with them. Subscription will be shared in the ratio of 25% each by Regional, Zonal and Local Committees and 25% to be sent to HQ ISC for central expenditure. Priority for enrolment should be given to Organisations/ Associations/ Gurdwaras. These will be represented by nominated but qualified individuals as decided by their parent Organisations.
Elections to Governing Council and Executive Committee:
64 Elections to the GC and EC will be organized and announced centrally by the Election Commission. However voting for elections to the GC will take place in respective Regions / Zones and locations as per the directions of the Election Commission and its representatives in various locations. Number of seats allotted to each region has been laid down in the Constitution.
65 Elections to the EC will however be held centrally during the meeting of the GC every two years. Members of the GC who cannot attend due to exigencies may be allowed to vote by postal ballot with the advance permission granted by the Central Election Commission.
Decision Making:
66 All policy decisions will be approved by the Central GC/ Central EC as laid down in the Constitution. Zones / Regions may recommend changes where warranted to the HQ ISC for consideration in meetings of the GC and EC. Constant communication will be maintained by all regions with HQ ISC through the CEO.
Administration:
67 Regions are totally responsible for the maintenance and audit of accounts and raising finances for projects sanctioned by HQ ISC. Day to day decisions in this regard will be made autonomously and HQ informed where required. Quarterly audit reports will be promptly forwarded to HQ ISC within 15 days of completion by e-mail.
68 Brief summary of meetings when held and decisions taken will be communicated to HQ ISC. Each region is expected to raise a Secretariat for its efficient functioning with proper bye-laws which spell out functions and responsibilities in detail. This will be evolved to suit indigenous needs within the ambit of the Constitution. In larger countries like the USA , Canada and Australia , all zones of these regions need to be suitably represented on the Governing Council.
Functions
69 All these Committees will perform all tasks expected of them as per decisions taken centrally by ISC and forwarded to regional, zonal and local committees. In particular these functions include:-
(a) Enrolment of new members.
(b) To promote the objectives of the ISC and to carry out its programmes in their respective jurisdiction.
(c) To provide the required feedback to the ISC.
(d) To organize elections.
Dissolution
• If it is found that the aims and objectives of the Confederation are not fulfilled and the funds of the Confederation are misused / mishandled, then the Confederation shall be dissolved by 2/3 rd majority of the members present in the General Body meeting. Any property either movable or immovable or funds of the Confederation shall be paid / transferred to any chosen society having same aims and objectives of the Confederation at the time of dissolution.
Dated: May 25, 2006.
Nanakshahi: 11 Jeth 537-538 NS.
