Code of Conduct

INYAS Code of Conduct

For the sake of this code of conduct document CC will stand for Core Committee members and other GM for general INYAS members. The CC will also include the chair. The codes defined asunder for the CC are over and above those defined for GM, in other words the CC members have additional codes to be followed. In general, the codes as defined for the INSA fellows are also applicable to INYAS members. What follows are codes defined over and above the INSA codes and very specific to INYAS members. In the following paragraphs whenever a reference is made to anyone other than GM or CC or INSA, phrases like “outer body” or “outsider” is used.

General Codes for GM without any punitive action: GM should

Conduct all assignments of INYAS with professionalism and respect
Accept professional responsibility for given work/task given by INYAS chair/ core committee
Encourage and foster networking among fellow members for research and promotion of science
Not demonstrate any action or express any view that disrespects individual’s freedom and character and discriminates individuals based on gender, race, status, caste, ideology, religion and beliefs.
Also contribute towards highlighting the issues in present day science and future recourses through active participation in meetings like FoS and others and formulating white papers, survey based articles etc.
Actively promote the image of INYAS and its activities through interaction with other scientific professionals during conferences or any other interaction meetings.
Inform the Chair preferably through e-mail if any GM contacts or plans to contact the media for any INYAS related issue(s).
Engage in any financial transaction to or from an outsider only with prior information to the Chair, if and only if the engagement concerns INYAS
GM should articulate issues pertaining to INYAS and/or INYAS’ activities, if any, to the CC and the Chair. It is incumbent on the CC/Chair to address the issue without compromising on the dignity of INYAS, CC members, Chair and the member who had the complaint.
Members having raised the issue (as in point 9) to the CC/Chair, are strongly advised to abstain from canvassing about their concerns either with other INYAS members or public in large before hearing back from the CC/Chair on their complaint. (This should not be construed as that the member can canvass after the CC/Chair has given their inputs.Codes for GM with punitive action
All INYAS members should take active part in INYAS events like the AGM, science camps, remote area lectures etc. If any member does not attend 2 consecutive AGMs other than their very first AGM when they got inducted, the candidate’s membership will be proposed for termination. Prior to termination, the concerned member will be asked to adequately justify their absence. Final decision will be taken by the chair.Example: X was selected as a member in Dec 2018 and inducted in the AGM of 2019. In the mode of reckoning followed by INYAS, X is considered a member of INYAS for 5 calendar years viz. 2019-2023 (both end years included). X gets the opportunity to attend 5 AGMs in 2019-2023. If X does not attend, say, 2022 and 2023, in this case nothing can be done as the membership of X in INYAS is any way until 2023 (Even in this case, the chair may send an email after 2022 AGM to X with a request to attend X’s last INYAS AGM in 2023). But if X does not attend, say, 2021 and 2022, the Chair shall ask X to justify their absence and attend the next AGM. If X does not turn up in the AGM of 2023, then X’s membership would stand cancelled. X will be informed by the Chair about the termination and their name will be removed from the INYAS list/website and also from INYAS Alumni group.
Convener of a committee has the discretion to propose to the CC for the removal of member(s) from the committee (here committee means a task force committee that the CC may form) if they are found unresponsive, unproductive and/or counter-productive in the post for which they were initially appointed in the committee. If such situations arise, the concerned member under question should be given a fair chance to justify their actions or lack thereof to the CC. Words of the chair will be final in this regard.Code for CC/Chair
CC members should meet (either in person, if possible, or via virtual platforms like Skype). Minutes of such meeting should first be circulated to the CC for their inputs. When the minutes are vetted by all CC, it should be circulated to the GM.
When an issue is under consideration/discussion amongst the CC (either through the meeting or through e-mail communications), CC members must abstain from discussing the issues with the GM. Violation of this code by a CC member, say, Q, will attract admonish from the Chair. Two such violations will construe an adequate ground for Q to be ousted from the CC. In the event that the Chair, in consultation with the CC members, decides to oust Q, the same must be communicated to Q to solicit justification. Depending on the justification, the Chair may arrive at the final decision. If Q is eventually ousted, information about the same should be circulated amongst the INYAS members yet paying utmost attention that Q’s dignity is neither compromised nor Q is ostracized.
Even though CC is part of INYAS yet certain issues need confidentiality (those issues will be deemed confidential which are voted such by the majority of the CC members; ex- complaints by GM to CC about others etc.) and should remain within CC. No CC member must breach such confidentiality lest the consequences as mentioned in point 15 will be applicable here also.
In case GM or CC has an issue with the Chair’s behavior/action/decision, the concern should be brought to the notice of the CC and addressed suitably. In the event that the Chair must be removed from the Chair position, this automatically terminates his/her position from the CC as well. Under such circumstances, an interim Chair may be selected amongst the CC through voting and the vacant position in the CC (also vacancy arising, if any, from point 14) will be filled by selecting any INYAS member as an interim CC member if the period between the creation of vacancy and AGM is less than 3 months. If the period is more than 3 months, an online polling will be conducted to elect the interim CC member. In the immediately following AGM, conventional election for both the Chair and the vacant CC position will be taken up. The interim CC member elected through online polling is also eligible to contest the election.
For any disparity or difference of opinions amongst the CC members, Chair is the ultimate arbiter.
The CC members should be impartial towards any members in the respective sub discipline while addressing any member’s concern and formulating any sub-committees for any execution of assignments
The CC members must motivate the members in the respective disciplines to participate in GBM, FoS meetings and other INYAS activities. The CC member should also ensure to conduct one or more technical sessions in each FoS meetings related to the discipline that they represent.
The CC member must discuss any relevant concern raised by any member in the respective discipline without suppressing the concern.Additional Responsibilities for Chair:
The chair should be impartial to any CC member or for that purpose any other INYAS member while negotiating any conflicting opinion.
The chair must regularly update the CC members and/or INYAS members about any information received from INSA related to functioning of INYAS or responsibilities to INYAS.
The chair must convene CC meeting periodically at least once in every 3 months and GBM once in a year without fail. However, intermittently CC meetings may be convened on the basis of need.
The chair must compile and prepare annual report of INYAS with inputs from CC members.
The chair must assume completely un-biased and impartial role while finalization of the names of new members. The chair must ensure equal representation from all the disciplines and a balance between gender, geographic locations, type of institutes (academic, R&D institutes, and industry).

INYAS committee for drafting INYAS event guidelines and revision on Code of Conduct

Members: Drs. Mithun Palit, Sriparna Chatterjee, Paramdeep Singh, Riffat John and V. Ramanathan (Convener)

Mandate of this committee: To prepare detailed guidelines on qualifying any event as INYAS event, use of INYAS logo, using INYAS Video conferencing (VC) software account for webinars, live streaming on INYAS YouTube channel etc. Committee is also requested to look into the Code of Conduct guidelines afresh. (Email by the Chair dt. July 6, 2020).

Broad themes that we took up for discussing:

When do we call an event organized by a member an INYAS event?
What are the guidelines to use the INYAS VC account and the issue on broadcasting?
How can the code of conduct document be modified to reflect professional misconduct and unethical behavior by INYAS members?
Modification of existing clause in the code of conduct document.

All members discussed on the aforementioned points and suggested the following:

1)When do we call an event organized by a member an INYAS event?
1a) INYAS members declaring their affiliation to INYAS in their presentation/activity is most encouraged as this will make the visibility of INYAS even better. However, this will not be construed as an INYAS activity unless it is validated by the CC.
1b) If INYAS logo is used during the promotion and/or in the presentation (throughout the presentation and not just in the intro slide) which is digitally archived in any form for reporting.
1c) In any case, the proposer of the event has to come clear about INYAS involvement and expectation at the very beginning of the event and not during or after the event.
2) What are the guidelines to use the INYAS VC account and the issue on broadcasting?
2a) Whoever needs the INYAS VC account, must approach the CC at least 2 working days before the date of the event by filling in the form (Appendix 1).
2b) Mostly it will be a first come first serve basis.
2c) In case of two simultaneous demands, preference will be given to the one having larger reach and impact.
2d) If there is a degenerate reach, then preference will be decided by the CC.
2e) In any case if the proposed event coincides with any INSA-INYAS event, such a demand will be turned down without looking into any other details.
2f) Whoever uses INYAS VC account must agree to broadcast the event in the INYAS channel wherever possible. In case of a joint organization, then it must be made clear in the very beginning about the broadcasting plans and share of credits. In any case, broadcasting in one’s personal account will not be allowed.
2g) On the issue of broadcast, CC’s decision will be final and binding.
3) How can the code of conduct document be modified to reflect professional misconduct and unethical behavior by INYAS members?
3a) Following activities by any member shall be construed as professional misconduct:
3a1) Not living up to the initial commitment/undertaking wrt using INYAS’ paraphernalia. 3a2) Communicating to other bodies about the INYAS event in the capacity of an INYAS member but without routing it through the Chair-INYAS

Proposed Punitive action: One year suspension of Membership.

3a3) Slandering any INYAS member, CC member or the Chair. 3a4) Using INYAS for personal financial gains; or as an office of profit

Proposed Punitive action: Termination of Membership.

3a5) Canvassing in any form for a potential member or displaying unsolicited influence on the selection committee for or against a potential member

Proposed Punitive action: One year suspension of Membership.

3b) Following activities by any member shall be construed as unethical behaviour:
3b1) Indulging in spreading unsubstantiated news and/or mongering rumour particularly about the activity of INYAS or concerning any individual member within and/or outside INYAS
3b2) Deceiving INYAS and thereby jeopardizing the prospects of INYAS and also affecting it in a negative manner
3b3) Not disclosing conflicts of interest where appropriate. (For ex. Being a member of the selection committee knowing well that a colleague’s or a friend’s or an acquaintance’s application is in the list)

Proposed Punitive action: One year suspension of Membership.

As and when such professional misconduct or unethical behaviour by X is reported or if CC takes suo moto cognizance, CC may communicate to X about the issue and seek a written response. If the charges are proved and X is found guilty, CC may decide the punitive action appropriate to the charges.

Modification of existing clause in the code of conduct document.

Point number 1 under codes for GM with punitive action reads thus:

“All INYAS members should take active part in INYAS events like the AGM, science camps, remote area lectures etc. If any member does not attend 2 consecutive AGMs other than their very first AGM when they got inducted, the candidate’s membership will be proposed for termination. Prior to termination, the concerned member will be asked to adequately justify their absence. Final decision will be taken by the chair.
Example: X was selected as a member in Dec 2018 and inducted in the AGM of 2019. In the mode of reckoning followed by INYAS, X is considered a member of INYAS for 5 calendar years viz. 2019-2023
(both end years included). X gets the opportunity to attend 5 AGMs in 2019-2023. If X does not attend, say, 2022 and 2023, in this case nothing can be done as the membership of X in INYAS is any way until 2023 (Even in this case, the chair may send an email after 2022 AGM to X with a request to attend X’s last INYAS AGM in 2023). But if X does not attend, say, 2021 and 2022, the Chair shall ask X to justify their absence and attend the next AGM. If X does not turn up in the AGM of 2023, then X’s membership would stand cancelled. X will be informed by the Chair about the termination and their name will be removed from the INYAS list/website and also from INYAS Alumni group.”

Now with the advent of Mid-Year meet, we need to change this clause and we propose to change it as under:

“All INYAS members should take active part in INYAS events like the AGM, Mid-Year meeting, science camps, remote area lectures etc. If any member does not attend 2 consecutive INYAS meetings (AGM, Mid-Year meeting) other than their very first AGM when they got inducted, the candidate’s membership will be proposed for termination. Prior to termination, the concerned member will be asked to adequately justify their absence. Final decision will be taken by the chair.
Example: We feel the example portion can be deleted

Appendix 1

Video conferencing (VC) software request form 1) Name:

INYAS Membership number:
Whether INYAS event (Please refer to INYAS VC usage guideline): Yes or No
1. What is the role of INYAS in this event?
2. What are the other organizations involved in this event?
Date and timing of the Event:
Subject/Topic of the Event:
Expected number and type of audience for the proposed event:
Do you hereby give an undertaking that this event will be broadcasted through INYAS channel?

I have read and understood all the clauses and subclauses of INYAS code of conduct. I, hereby, confirm to follow the laid down guideline, failing which punitive actions may be taken against me.

For CC use only

Date and time of request received:

Decision taken:

Date and time of communicating the decision: