Constitution of

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS’

GOVERNMENT

This document was authored by Sundar R Ramanujam at the request of the

students’ government.

It was approved and adopted as the Constitution of the Student Government

by the Senate and the President on 18th November, 2013.

Preamble

e, STUDENTS of the Shiv Nadar University, recognize the uniqueness of this University and our

privilege in undertaking the essential role in its ongoing realizations. In order for us to achieve the

greatest, and to educate ourselves to suit the demands of an evolving democracy, we endeavor to make

effective and efficient use of the resources available, to communicate student convictions clearly and

willfully to faculty, administrators, and the Board, and therein achieve consensus within the University

community on the formulation and execution of policy. We labor with the entire Shiv Nadar

University family to ensure that each student reaches his or her full academic, social and spiritual

potential and resolve to sustain and nurture the evolving spirit of Shiv Nadar University by entrusting

its care to the student. Therefore, we do hereby ordain and establish the Constitution of the Student

Government of the Shiv Nadar University and form the Shiv Nadar University Student Government.

W

Title 1. NAME

The name of this body shall be the Shiv Nadar University Undergraduate Students’ Government (hereafter known as the Government)

2. OBJECTIVE

This Government shall pursue the objects stated in the preamble. Any matter that directly affects the students shall fall within this Government’s jurisdiction.

3. PATRON OF THE GOVERNMENT

The Dean of Student Welfare shall be the Patron of the Government. The ultimate power to dissolve the Student Government body in whole or in part shall be vested in the Dean. Any decision taken by any branch of the Government that shall be in violation with pre-existing rules, regulations, policies, contracts of the University or the law of the land, may be overturned by the Dean. The Dean may attend any committee proceedings, Senate session or any meeting of the Student Leaders if he or she may so wish. The Dean shall address the Government, in person or in writing, by calling for a joint session at the beginning of each academic year and advice the Senate on the University’s activities for the forthcoming academic year and the role he desires this Government to play. When the Patron wishes to address such a session, it shall be mandated that the Senate, the President and his Cabinet and the Student Jury be present in the Chamber.

4. NON-DISCRIMINATION CLAUSE

This Constitution does not discriminate and prohibits discrimination on the basis of ancestry, citizenship, creed, economic background or status, ethnic identity, gender, national origin, physical disability, political affiliation or ideology, race, religion or sexual orientation. In adherence to this policy, the Student Government will not advocate the restriction of anyone’s freedom of public speech, assembly, expression or association.

Article I

THE SENATE

1. All powers to legislate shall lie with The Senate of the Government (hereafter known as the

Senate).

2. The senate shall be a unicameral body of senators elected every six months by the students of the University.

3. The Senate shall legislate or repeal any resolution required in order to maintain a healthy academic atmosphere within the University. The Senate shall, when it feels it is necessary, make recommendations to formulate or amend any University policy, by passing a Sense of the Senate Resolution.

4. A senator shall be treated as the equivalent of a class representative. In order to maintain a proportional representation, each group of an undergraduate classroom shall elect one representative to the senate, provided that:

a. Such person is having a minimum of 6 GPA and has cleared all academic arrears.

b. Such student is not objected by the Student Jury on disciplinary grounds.

5. The term of each senator shall last no more than one academic year (or twelve months). He or she shall be eligible for a re-election. Should a senator vacate his office, by resignation or otherwise, the vacancy shall be filled by a special poll.

6. The presiding officer of the Senate shall be the Vice President of the Executive Council (hereafter also known as the Speaker of the Senate).The Speaker shall nominate senators to various committees of the University. The Speaker shall appoint a student who is not already a member of the Government as the Parliamentarian of the Senate. The Parliamentarian shall record all the proceedings of every Senate session and will be required to publish it on all print and electronic media.

7. The senior most of the senators shall be the Senate pro-tempore, who shall be the deputy to the

Speaker of the Senate. Should the office of the Speaker fall vacant before the completion of a full term, the Speaker pro-tempore shall function as the Acting Speaker of the Senate.

8. The Speaker shall call for a vote after a motion for vote is passed in the Senate. After a resolution is passed, it shall be taken to the President by the Parliamentarian, within seven days, for his signature or a veto. The President shall have to act on any resolution presented to him within six weeks or less, beyond which, it shall be assumed that the resolution has been vetoed.

Should the President veto a resolution, the Senate can overturn the veto by a two-thirds majority.

9. Seniority shall be decided by the duration of service of the senator in the Senate, followed by his/her date of birth. The senior most member of any committee shall be the Chair of the committee, unless specified otherwise.

10. The Senate shall be divided into committees. All senators shall be allotted only one committee (with the exception of the Emergency Committee) and this allotment shall be done by the Speaker of the Senate in the first session of a newly elected Senate.

11. The Speaker shall assign committee membership based on seniority and interest.

12. The committee makes a decision when a resolution gets passed by the committee, by a simple majority. Following that, the full voting procedure of the Senate shall be followed. The following committees shall exist:

a. Emergency Committee: The Emergency Committee shall be a special committee that shall be convened only at the request of the Patron. The Committee shall be charged with assisting the University in organizing the Student community and prepare them in the event of any unprecedented emergency that may arise. The Dean (or his representative), in his capacity as the Patron of the Government, shall Chair this Committee. This shall be the only body of the Student Government that reserves the right to classify any document/minutes/decisions solely at the urging of the Chair. The ex-officio members shall include the President of the Executive Council and the Speaker of the Senate (who shall be the Member Secretary). The remainder of the committee shall include the Chairs of the Other Committees. The member secretary shall be required to record the minutes of all proceedings of this Committee.

b. Budget& Oversight Committee: The Budget & Oversight committee shall be the principal financial body of the Government. It shall be required to prepare and present the annual budget for various activities that shall be carried out by different student body/societies/clubs/councils and shall also investigate any mismanagement of the University’s funds. All proposals shall be put up for approval before the Finance Officer of the University, who shall also hold the committee accountable for all the expenditure incurred. The Secretary of Treasury shall present to this committee the financial report of the semester.

The committee shall review and forward that financial report to the Patron at the end of each academic year.

c. Academic Affairs Committee: The Academic Affairs Committee shall be the principal body for debating and settling any academic issues or complaints that may have been raised by an individual or a section of the student body, in order to protect and preserve the academic interests and integrity of the University. The committee shall consult the members of faculty if there may arise such a need. This committee shall also, from time to time, recommend measures to the Librarian of the University, such that they fulfill the objectives of the Library. The committee shall also look into all the complaints received on their behalf by the Secretary of Academic Affairs and pass necessary resolutions.

d. Campus Affairs Committee: The Campus Affairs Committee shall be the principal body for debating and settling any issues or complaints that may have been raised by an individual or a section of the student body, in the interest of the University Campus. The committee shall consult the opinion of the University Administration if there may arise such a need. This committee shall also, from time to time, recommend measures to the Food Committee, such that they fulfill their objectives. The committee shall also look into all the complaints received on their behalf by the Secretary of Campus Affairs and pass necessary resolutions.

e. Cultural Committee: The Cultural Committee shall be responsible for organizing all cultural and sporting events within the University. Any student body/societies/clubs/councils shall continue to function after having been approved by this committee. The committee shall have, in addition to the senators, the President of all recognized student body/societies/clubs/councils as permanent invitees, who shall provide their opinions and suggestions. However, they shall not vote on any resolution. This committee shall aide and advice the Secretary of Culture to enable him to carry out his duty efficiently.

f. Sports Committee: The Sports Committee shall be responsible for organizing all sporting events within the University. It shall aide and advice the Secretary of Sports to enable him to carry out his duty efficiently.

13. The Senate shall meet at least thrice in a semester. The time and place of meeting shall be duly

notified to all senators by the Speaker of the Senate, provided such timings do not disturb the

academic calendar of the University.

14. The Senate shall, by a majority suspend a senator, and further by a two-thirds majority, expel a senator for disorderly behavior during the Senate proceedings.

15. The Senate shall, at all times, maintain a journal of its proceedings and shall at the twenty fifth of every even numbered month publish it in all available print and electronic media and also submit a separate copy of it to the Offices of the Dean, Librarian (for documentation purposes) and the Registrar.

16. The Senate shall have the power to impeach and remove a sitting President from office for violating the Constitution, University Policy, Statutory Regulations, law of the land or Human Rights of a fellow individual on or off campus that could discredit the reputation of the Students’ Government and the reputation of the University. A motion may be passed by a two-thirds majority, seeking the impeachment and removal of the President.

17. The Senate shall have the power to remove any member of the Student Jury if allegations of election fraud, financial misconduct or violations of constitution have been proven before it. The impeachment of a justice shall be done by a two-thirds majority of the Senate.

18. The Senate shall adopt its own set of rules at the beginning of the first session.

19. The Senate sessions shall be open for observance to the general public.

20. No pay or compensation shall be authorized by the Senate for any member of the Student Government.

Article II THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

1. The executive power of the Students’ Government shall be vested in the President of the Executive Council (hereafter known as the President).

2. The President shall be the head of the Executive Council. The council shall also include the Vice

President, and the Executive Cabinet (hereafter known as the Cabinet).

3. The term of the President, the Vice President and his cabinet shall be for one whole year.

4. The President, Vice President, the Secretary of Sports and Secretary of Culture shall be elected as and when the previous government’s term gets over, as a ticket by the general students body.

5. Any student who is eligible to be a member of the Senate and has completed one academic year

at the University shall be eligible to run for the office of President or Vice President.

6. The President shall be the public face of the Student Fraternity at the University.

7. He shall, when the occasion arises, represent the students in ceremonies both on campus and off campus.

8. He shall be the flag bearer of the University and will act and present himself in a way that does not discredit the reputation of the University.

9. The President shall work with his Cabinet and establish the Calendar for Student Activities for the

incoming year.

10. The President shall take the advice and consent of the Dean of Undergraduate Affairs and will have to give the final affirmative order before declaring the existence of any cultural event or competition and can ask any Society/Student Body/Club President to present the details of any expenditure incurred by the Club Activities.

11. He shall from time to time give to the Senate information of the state of the students’ welfare

and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient. Such an address shall be attended by the Senate, the Cabinet and the Student Jury.

12. The term of office of the President shall be for one year from the date of assumption of office. The term of the Vice President and the Cabinet is co-terminus with that of the President.

13. The Cabinet shall consist of various Secretaries who shall be the Executive Head of each Senate Committee and also the President’s Chief of Staff. The primary role of the Secretaries is to take into account all the input provided by the students, and based on the domain of each issue, present it to the appropriate Senate committees for their considerations.

The Secretaries are also required to record and circulate the minutes of all meetings of their respective Committees.

14. The appointment of each secretary shall be done by the President and shall do it with the advice

and consent of the Senate.

15. The Cabinet shall consist of the following officers:

a) Secretary of Treasury There shall be a secretary of Treasury, who shall be the Principal advisor to the President in all budget related matters. He shall be responsible for all the day to day inflow and outflow of money from the accounts of the Government. He is required to maintain at all times an account of all the expenditure of the Government and assist the President and the Senate in formulating the annual budget. He shall be required to record the minutes of all Proceedings of the Budget and Oversight Committee.

b) Secretary for Academic Affairs There shall be a secretary of Academic Affairs, who shall act as the executive authority on behalf of the Academic Affairs Committee of the Senate, and shall be the keeper of all records and complaints that has been received under that domain. He shall, from time to time, submit a report to the Senate describing the state of Students opinion on the Academic matters. He shall also advise the President when any minor academic dispute is required to be settled. He shall be required to record the minutes of all Proceedings of the Academic Affairs Committee.

c) Secretary for Campus Affairs There shall be a secretary of Campus Affairs, who shall act as the executive authority on behalf of the Campus Affairs Committee of the Senate, and shall be the keeper of all records and complaints that has been received under that domain. He shall, from time to time, submit a report to the Senate describing the state of Students opinion on Campus facilities. He shall also be the President’s liaison for the Food Committee. He shall be required to record the minutes of all Proceedings of the Academic Affairs Committee.

d) Secretary of Culture There shall be a Secretary of Culture, who shall act as the executive authority on all the Cultural Affairs on behalf of the Culture and Sports Committee of the Senate and shall be the keeper of all records and complaints that has been received under that domain. He shall be the principal officer in the Government to co-ordinate between the Students and the University in the organizing of any Cultural Event on the University campus. He shall be required to duly present a detailed report on any event organized by the student within fifteen days of the conclusion of the event. He shall be required to record the minutes of all Proceedings of the Culture and Sports Committee.

e) Secretary of Sports There shall be a Secretary of Sports, who shall act as the executive authority on all the Sporting Affairs on behalf of the Culture and Sports Committee of the Senate and shall be the keeper of all records and complaints that has been received under that domain. He shall be the principal officer in the Government to co-ordinate between the Students and the University in the organizing of any Sporting Event on the University campus and provide periodical checks of the conditions of Sports and Fitness Facilities. He shall be required to duly present a detailed report to the Senate on any event organized by

the student within fifteen days of the conclusion of the event.

f) Secretary of IT: There shall be a Secretary of IT. He shall have no affiliation to any Senate Committee and shall be an officer appointed directly by an Executive Order and shall report to the President. He shall be charged with the responsibility of maintaining a communication portal in all available media for the benefit of the student body. He shall also maintain at all-time a functioning website and circulate every recorded minutes and notices issued by any member of any branch of the Government by print and electronic means. The Secretary shall be required to address the IT issues faced by the students and recommend measures which he deems to be necessary to the IT department.

g) President’s Chief of Staff: There shall be a Chief of Staff for the President. He shall have no affiliation to any Senate Committee and shall be an officer appointed directly by an Executive Order and shall report to the President. He shall be required to maintain all the records pertaining to all meetings of the Executive Council. The Chief of Staff shall be required to fulfill the constitutional duty of calling for an Executive Council meeting to a minimum of once every three months where the Cabinet shall update the President on the various issues present to them, and seek any executive decisions that maybe taken to solve such issues, before presenting to the Senate. He is charged with the responsibility of archiving all communications, resolutions, reports and other official paperwork.

Article III THE STUDENT JURY

1. The Student Jury (hereafter known as the Jury) shall be the judicial branch of the student government.

2. The Jury shall be charged with the responsibility of keeping in check the power of the Senate and shall, from time to time, review the resolutions of the Senate.

3. The members of the Jury are also responsible for promoting integrity, character, and ethics

within the campus community while defending the spirit of self-governance, transparency and efficiency.

4. In order to preserve the apolitical nature of the jury, the President of the Executive Council and the Dean shall jointly propose an eight membered Jury Panel.

5. The composition of this panel shall be in such a manner, that there are two students, one male and one female, from each of the four years from across the University.

6. Such a panel shall have to be confirmed by the Senate.

7. The Senate shall unanimously name the ninth member from the final year of the University who shall be the Chief of the Jury.

8. The role of the Student jury shall be:

To settle all disputes arising between students on campus

To look into any petitions against any University policy that affects Campus life, and provide necessary recommendation to the University Administration in revising said policy

To investigate and prosecute any allegation of financial misconduct of any member of the Executive Council or any senator

To act as the centre that receives complaints about efficiency, transparency and misuse of the office by any member of the Senate or the Executive Council

To act upon any petition filed before it

To overturn Executive Orders issued by the President which are illegal and violates this document

To investigate and prosecute any allegation of electoral fraud

To perform the duties such as announcing and holding elections, screening candidates, counting the votes and declaring results as the Election Commission of the Student Government

9. The term of office of the jurists shall last till their admission continues at the university. However, should a seat fall vacant in the Jury, the President shall name a replacement within thirty days of vacancies.

10. The Jury may appoint a Court Reporter for the purpose of recording all minutes and proceedings

of the Jury. All proceedings of the Jury shall have to be duly noted and published in print and

electronic media by the Court Reporter.

Article IV CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT, ELECTIONS & AMMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION

AMMENDMENT This constitution shall be treated as a living document. In order to best serve the interests of an evolving academic society, the Constitution shall be required to change itself accordingly to adapt the needs of its constituents. Bearing that in mind, the Constitution shall be amended, as and when it is necessary. The amendment shall be introduced by any senator as a Resolution to Amend to the Constitution. The resolution shall pass the Senate by a two-thirds majority. Such a resolution, when passed, need not require the approval of the President.

ORDER OF PRECEDENCE The President of the Executive Council shall be the highest ranking member of the Student Government and all other members of the Student Government shall be prioritized after the President. The President shall be responsible for preserving, protecting and defending this Constitution and it is therefore considered essential that the office of the President may at all times be occupied and continuity of the Government is ensured, in order to avoid a governance crisis. In case of the removal of the President from office or of his resignation, the Vice President shall become President. Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of Senate. Whenever the President is facing any disciplinary inquiry from the University, he shall transmit to the Chief of the Student Jury his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until the University clears the inquiry declares him cleared of all charges, upon which he shall transmit to the Chief Justice a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President. The presidential line of succession below shall guarantee the continuity of the Student Government in the event that more than one office of the Government shall falls vacant. This order of succession shall also be accepted as the order of precedence, a ceremonial order that is only used to

indicate ceremonial protocol.

1. President of the Executive Council 2. Vice President of the Executive Council 3. Senate Pro-Tempore 4. Chief Jurist of the Student Jury 5. Secretary of Treasury 6. Secretary of Academic Affairs 7. Secretary of Campus Affairs 8. Secretary of Culture 9. Secretary of Sports 10. Secretary of IT 11. Associate Justices of Student Jury (in order of their Seniority) 12. Chairperson of the Senate Budget & Oversight Committee 13. Chairperson of the Senate Academic Affairs Committee 14. Chairperson of the Senate Campus Affairs Committee 15. Chairperson of the Senate Cultural Committee 16. Chairperson of the Senate Sports Committee 17. Members of the Senate (in order of their seniority) 18. Parliamentarian of the Senate 19. President’s Chief of Staff 20. Court Reporter