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Constitution of the

Presidency University Physics League


Presidency University, Kolkata

Section 0
0.1- In this document the League/ Physics League/PUPL refers to the Presidency
University Physics League at Presidency University, Kolkata. League website refers to the
official website of the Presidency University Physics League as given in section 7. GB
refers to the General Body of the Presidency University Physics League. CC refers to the
Core-Committee of the Presidency University Physics League.
0.2- This document will be the sole and deciding document in all matters disputes related to
the League.
0.3- A hard copy of the latest revised version of this document should always be available
with at least one of the League Co-ordinators and a soft copy should always be there on the
League website.
0.4-The logos given below will be used as the official PUPL logo :

Section 1 [ General Overview ]


1.1-The Presidency University Physics League primarily strives to work as a society/club for
nurturing the members interest in physics and other related fields as broadly specified in
Appendixes A and B.
1.2-The Constitution here will at all times govern the league members/ post bearers and
new members joining the league will follow these at any given time and will be deemed to
be aware of this constitution.

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1.3-The League will consist of a General Body, a Core Committee, 1 Chief Patron and 3
Co-ordinators. These will be known as the constitutional bodies and constitutional posts
of the league. Members holding the posts are referred to as office bearers henceforth in this
document.
1.4-The League will never give its opinion or involve itself on any political activity inside the
campus or outside. It must be stressed here that there is no bar on members or even office
bearers to express their views as individuals ; but the League as a whole shall always stay
aloof of any political activity.

Section 2 A[ Basic Structure ]


2A.1 The General Body of the League will serve as the highest decision making body in
all matters related to the league.
2A.2- The post of the Chief Patron will be the highest position in the League. He / She shall
be expected to provide guidance to the league.
2A.3- The 3 Co-ordinators will be the backbone of the league and shall be expected to be
the people in-charge taking care of all matters related to day to day running of the League.
2A.4- The Core Committee of the League shall be a subset of the General Body and the CC
will advise the co-ordinators on all important matters since it is not always feasible for a
group as large as the GB to have fruitful meetings inside a University.
2A.5- It is further clarified that no departmental CR or any other member of the Presidency
University Students Union, by virtue of their position in the Union, shall have any control
over any operation of the League.

Section 2 B[ Decision Making Process ]


2B.1- The Chief Patron shall be expected to provide guidance and his/her expertise on all
matters related to the league and the CC and co-ordinators shall be expected to act
according to his/her advice.
2B.2- All decisions related to day-to-day running of the league, looking after the various
projects under the league, organization of talks, seminars etc. shall be done by the CC and
the co-ordinators.
2B.3- The CC and the co-ordinators are not bound in any manner whatsoever to consult the
GB each time they are taking a decision. However, the GB may decide to offer its advice
and overturn/cancel decisions selectively [ via a Resolution ] if the need arises. ( see 4.6.2)

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Section 3 [Membership]
3.1-Membership shall be open to all members of the general public.
3.2-Whether Membership will be free of cost or not shall be decided by the co-ordinators of
the league.
3.3 Disqualification
3.3.1-A Member may be disqualified from the CC at any time by the Chief Patron in
consultation with the co-ordinators. The Chief Patron shall be expected to but not be
bound to provide a reason for the same.
3.3.2-Only the GB shall enjoy the exclusive right of disqualifying any member from
the GB or the league all together via a Resolution. The GB shall be expected to but
not be bound to provide a reason for the same.
3.3.3-Reasons for disqualification shall non-exhaustively include trying to defame the
league, causing damage to the reputation of the league, trying to sabotage any
project/work under the League.
3.3.4-A member disqualified from the GB / CC / League may again become a member
if the then GB decides to reinstate him/her with a 75% majority.

Section 4 [General Body]


4.1-Members
4.1.1-The GB shall contain by default the Chief Patron and two members of the
faculty who shall be nominated by the Chief Patron.
4.1.2- All members of the league who are current students of the Physics Dept. ,
Presidency University automatically become members of the GB.
4.1.3-Besides this, the Chief Patron and the Co-ordinators may include in the General
Body , if necessary, anyone who is not included via sections 4.1.1 and 4.1.2.
4.2-Decision Making
The only way for the GB to take a decision is via a resolution.
4.3-Resolutions

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4.3.1-Any member of the league can propose a resolution. After that, members
should debate about the resolution. A vote regarding the resolution/decision can
only be taken during the next meeting if the resolution involves a constitutional
amendment or any sort of an election.
4.3.2-To pass a resolution/decision, the GB will adopt the procedure of voting.
4.3.3-The voting will be presided over by the Chief Patron and in his absence by the
co-ordinators of the League.
4.3.4-All members of the general body shall have a single equivalent vote
4.3.5-In general, a voice-vote or hands-vote could be adhered to. However even if
one member of the GB feels so, an anonymous voting process is to be followed.
4.3.6-In passing a resolution/decision if not mentioned otherwise a simple majority
will be required ( ie. >50% of the votes polled)
4.3.7-To amend or change any part of the Constitution, the no of votes in favour has
to be >75% of the votes polled.
4.3.8- All GB members, except the Chief Patron and the 2 members of faculty, must
attend at least 80% of the meetings of the league in the past 4 months. Otherwise
they automatically stand disqualified from the GB, however they do remain
members of the league and remain in other positions they enjoy within the league.
4.4-GB Meetings
4.4.1- The Chief Patron shall by default be the Chairman of all meetings of the GB.
4.4.2-However, if the Chief-Patron is unable to attend the meetings, he/she shall
nominate one of the co-ordinators to become the Chairman of the GB.
4.4.3-Any person in the GB has the right to request for a GB meeting to be convened.
For this the member shall make a request to any co-ordinator for the same.
4.4.4- Information about the time and location of GB meetings should put up on the
League Website and the League FB group at least 2 days in advance.

4.5-Powers
4.5.1- The GB being the highest decision making body in the league can pass a
decision on any matter whatsoever related to the league.

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4.5.2- It can also overturn cancel decisions of the Chief-Patron, the CC or the coordinators. For cancelling or overturning such a decision a th majority shall be
required.

Section 5 [ Core Committee ]


5.1-Members
The Core Committee shall consist of the Chief-Patron, the 2 faculty members
nominated by the Chief-Patron, the 3 co-ordinators, project heads and 4 more
members nominated by the co-ordinators jointly from the GB.
5.2-Decision Making
5.2.1-The Core Committee shall be expected to take all decisions via discussions.
5.2.2-The members should discuss a matter and at the end of it reach a consensus.
5.2.3-In the absence of a consensus the decision shall be taken via any mean
deemed fit by the Chairman of the CC.
5.3-CC Meetings
5.3.1- The Chief Patron shall by default be the Chairman of all meetings of the CC.
5.3.2-However, if the Chief-Patron is unable to attend the meeting, a person selected
by the members shall assume the role of the Chairman.
5.4-Powers
5.4.1-The CC shall have jurisdiction over all matters related to the league.
5.4.2-Any new project that the league undertakes must be approved by the CC.
Section 6 [ Coordinators ]
6.1-The Coordinators shall look after all day to day matters of the league. The success of the
league greatly depends on their shoulders.
6.2-Selection of Coordinators
6.2.1-The Coordinators of the league shall be selected by the GB via an anonymous
vote. The voting shall take place similarly to the process of voting during passage of
resolutions as given in section 4.3. Each member of the GB shall vote for 3
candidates and the people with the highest number of votes shall become
coordinators.

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6.2.2-There is no need of nomination of any sorts.


6.2.4-For someone to be eligible to be a coordinator he/she must be a member of
the GB.
6.2.5-Due to the sensitivity of this job, any CR of the department or any member of
the Presidency University Students Union cannot become a coordinator.
6.2.6- The term of Coordinators shall be of 12 months after which fresh voting must
take place. There is no bar on the re-election of the outgoing Coordinators.
6.2.7-If at any time any coordinator resigns and the resignation is accepted by the
Chief Patron, a fresh vote must take place.

6.3-Powers
6.3.1-The Coordinators have the right to take decisions on any matter that relates to
upholding the constitution of the league and things related to the daily operations of
the league.
6.3.2-The Coordinators have the exclusive right of withholding any decision of the GB
for a limited period of time, except matters related to the election of coordinators.
However if they do decide to withhold any such decision they must inform about the
Chief Patron and CC right away about it.
6.3.3-The Co-ordinators have the power of creating additional non-constitutional
posts within the league eg. Project heads, treasurer etc. as they deem fit. In creating
these posts they may follow a procedure of selection as they may deem fit. The
members holding these non-constitutional posts shall report to the CC.
6.3.4-The Co-ordinators may spend the funds of the league as may be required. They
shall be required to produce an annual report to the GB detailing the accounts and
possessions of the league. This report must be approved by the GB after its scrutiny.
6.3.5-The Coordinators shall be responsible for all the projects under the league and
the problems that arise out of it.
Section7 [Online resources]
7.1 www.presidencyphysicsleague.hpage.com shall be the official league website.
7.2- presidencyphysicsleague@yahoo.in and presidencyphysicsleague@gmail.com shall be
the official e-mail ids.
7.3-The coordinators must by any way they deem fit make sure that they are the only
people with administrative control over these online resources.
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Section8 [Complaint handling]


8.1-Any complaint about any league member or any person occupying a non-constitutional
post must be made to the Coordinators via an email or written document. The
Coordinators must address the complaint within 10 days. If the person making the
complaint is unsatisfied he/she may approach the GB.
8.2-Any complaint about an office bearer must be made to the GB.

The following two documents that were written during the leagues formation are being
included as Appendixes. If they are in disagreement with the above pages in any way, the
above pages will stand as final.

APPENDIX A
Why a Physics League In The First Place?
Why the Physics League? Basically this is a list of our goals
1] All great universities in the world have at least one such group. I do not see any reason why ours
cannot.
2] To track the newest developments in the field and keep a close watch on how the subject is
developing daily.
3] To do our bit and run the extra mile so as to cover topics of paramount importance, while not
forgetting the subjects which are essential but subtle at the same time. We should not be restrained
by the amount we study, or the amount that we need for it is the extra little something we do, that
will give us the edge over the competition.
4] To develop INSIGHT, PASSION, RESPECT and LOVE for the subject. For as Feynman said we do it
for fun rather than monetary benefit.
5] Since there are rarely any cases where one scientist works independently to carry out his own
research, we will strive to learn To share resources, discuss ideas and develop team spirit, and in the
process develop important life skills of "working together" and mutual respect...etc.
By sharing resources, I also mean sharing knowledge. Due to the semester system, we are not in a
position to study thoroughly from all the prescribed or "classic" books/texts. the best we can do is
study one book properly and then share our knowledge, the problems in the book, useful
techniques/methods.....etc. instead of complaining over what we cannot do, It is better if we
concentrate our resources fully on what we have.

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6] To develop the habit of "questioning everything" from the knowledge gained from books...internet
to teachers and lecturers in seminars. We must be curious, and we must never stop being so.as Isaac
Newton had famously said
To myself I am only a child playing on the beach, while vast oceans of truth lie undiscovered before

me.
7] To study / improve / develop mathematical methods, understand and appreciate their physical
significance and hence strive for mathematical genius. This is not easy, neither is it impossible. We
have time, we must use it judiciously.
8] To develop the skills required to visualize simple to complex mathematical, geometrical and
theoretical arguments/ideas and in the process strive to create simpler and more
diagrammatic/visual/geometrical representations. This is not going to be easy, and it comes only with
rigorous practice...
9] To inculcate habits of simplifying rather than complicating stuff. The ability to condense a problem
is directly proportional to the amount we have studied and the number of theorems and sums we
have practised and learnt.
10] To provide a platform for critical thinking and brain storming problems. Such sessions will not
only make us smarter (I believe it will), it will also increase our interest in our subject by manifolds.
11] To compete/participate in inter-institute competitions such as robotics, etc. Together we can
develop the technical Knowhow to compete and in due process, win laurels for our university.
12] To achieve a basic understanding of machines and electronics.it would be a shame if we had to
let so many opportunities of entering competitions and science fairs, only due to our lack of technical
knowhow.
13] To provide a platform for group study where everyone can share a problem and clear his or her
doubts.
14] To inculcate habits of connecting ideas and concepts lucidly from all walks of life. Physics has
now been broken into various fields, but it would be highly erroneous to think that each of them is
fully separated. For there is just a small barrier between any two fields. For example if a geophysicist
can compare the rock strata and its development and condense it into a simple function of calculable
variables, or if quantum physicist can compare the collisions of sub atomic particles to that of cars in
a highway in real life, or if any physicist in any field can connect almost instantaneously to any other
field for insight and inspiration, that is the true level of genius. If we really do require an example, we
must look at Feynman, to start with.
15] To develop technical writing skills, for we are going to go into research and academics, which
demand such level of skills.it would make no sense if we went unprepared.
16] Last but not the least......To achieve a theoretical minimum [as stated by the great physicist Lev
Landau] ...i.e. fundamental knowledge of all fields of Physics.
We believe a true physicist is like a spider. We build webs within our mind where all the collected
knowledge is the silk we usethe more refined the knowledge, the stronger the weband more the
knowledge we can collect and absorbthe larger will be our web. This in turn feeds the process
again, for the web of knowledge will capture more knowledgeand this will make our web grow
again. We must all strive to make a bigger ,stronger websfor a short ,strong web will not capture
enough preyand a large, weaker one will not hold themwe must find our point of balance... and
we can only do that by trying, failing and rising up again to meet the challenge. Our motto in life
should be simple and straight We must be patient. For good things come to those who wait

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APPENDIX B
Proposals of the Physics League 2012.
The idea of a physics league is not in any manner innovative. There are multiple such
leagues in premier institutions of the world, and have been existing for the last decades.
However I do believe it will be first of its kind in our college.
The idea of an independent league was proposed by Aritro Mukherjee, UG 1 physics, roll 21.
The other students agreed to this idea, but no such step was taken. however, on 28 th
September, a seminar was held in the p.l.t. 1 by our new H.O.D. Along with various
propositions that were made, he did speak of various physics leagues in the colleges he has
been to. I believe this was the push that we required to get our gears in action.
Some of the propositions laid down by SRC include the following.
1. To create a syllabus at par with foreign universities
2. To create an academic system that is similar but fundamentally different from
foreign institutions.
3. To create a line of regular contact with fellowship students and scientific researchers
4. To have world class experimentalists come to interact with the students
As the students, we plan to start a Physics club open to all who are interested in the subject,
but our resolutions and must be clear, so as to achieve maximum results. As per his request,
we must submit a written feedback and list of goals as soon as possible.by this feedback
system; he can plan his next steps. The regular feedback system will also help students
realise their shortcomings, gauge strengths and also prepare solutions. Considering our
immediate problems, here a few things that the league can do
1. Though the students are trained in writing essays & reports at school level, there is a
lack in training of scientific writing (journals, research essays, etc) .presentation skills
need to be enhanced regular presentations via PowerPoint or written, or seminars
will be arranged.
2. Considering how much physics is to evolve in the next few years, we will need
modern technical skills to match it. Hence we need to learn using modern computer
programs which are designed to help in research and develop projects.
3. Since our subject is vast, and to maintain an interest in it, student groups should
present seminars or mock lecture sessions of their own on a regular basis. Apart
from helping in studies, this will also improve communication and language skills.

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4. Establishing a reliable student teacher feedback and communication system


between teachers and students: either by face to face interaction or any other
methods(written )
5. Each student already has an active interest in a field of his own. Therefore it is
possible to present projects, presentations in front of other students or submit
essays or written material to the respective teachers to show their active interest in
the subject. Teachers may provide guidance on research material which will help
them later in project life.
6. Since many of us wish to become teachers or join the academic in of work later on ,it
should be such that they should hold small/mock lecture sessions of their own, so as
to assess their skills and faults, and also for others to gauge the visible problems and
innovate solutions to them.
7. Our main objective is our studies, so there must be sessions of group study, where
we can work out all types of problems, ranging in difficulty and number of concepts
required.
8. Students should raise money so as to carry out small scale experiments to
investigate the theorems in our syllabus. This will keep us in better touch with our
studies.
9. To restart the old tradition of exhibitions, science shows and science fairs,so as to
get wide spread involvement of the student community.
Any student who is interested in joining our club can do so, but we must make sure
that we can provide results on a regular basis, and also remain active in our duty. I
may have overlooked certain points, and if I have, I apologise for the error. If anyone
can come up with any other fields the club can associate themselves feel free to
contact us.
AND, FURTHERMORE, THIS CLUB HAS BEEN PLANNED TO BE AN APOLITICAL
ORGANISATION.IT SHALL HAVE NO DIRECT LINKS TO THE STUDENTS UNION.ANYONE
FROM THE UNION IS WELCOME TO OUR CLUB.HOWEVER THE UNION, AS A WHOLE,
FOR THE TIME BEING, IS NOT.

Documents Prepared by
Constitution Aritra Ghosh UG1, 2012-13
Appendix A-Aritro Mukherjee UG1, 2012-13
Appendix B-Satyanu Bhadra,UG1, 2012-13

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