Article I: ASI Membership Rules and Regulations

    1. The Astronomical Society of India or Bharatiya Jyotirvignyana Parishad, hereinafter referred to as the `Society' or `Parishad' shall have the following categories of members Regular members, Associate members, Student members, Institutional members, Donor members and Honorary fellows.

      The regular members shall form the General Body of the Society in which shall vest the primary authority in all the matters concerning the Society. The Society shall function through the General Body and through such Chapters as may be constituted by the general body from time to time. For the purposes of day to day administration of matters relating to the Society, the general body shall from time to time, elect from amongst its members an Executive Council hereinafter referred to as the Council, in such manner as hereinafter prescribed in these Rules and Regulations.

    2. Admission to all categories of membership, other than Honorary fellowship, shall be made by the Council on consideration of applications for such membership. The secretary shall communicate the decision on an application within one month after the decision is taken. A newly admitted member must pay the admission fee and term subscription within six months of admission to membership failing which his/her admission to membership shall stand cancelled.

  2. The admission fee and term subscriptions to the various categories of membership shall be fixed by the Council with a provision to alter the same if and when necessary. The current fees are
    Category India Overseas
    Life membership Rs. 5000***
    Regular*/Associate membership Rs 3000* per term and the duration of the membership term is 5 years US$ 125 per term and duration of membership term is 5 years
    Student membership Rs. 1000 per term and the duration of the membership term is 5 years -
    Institutional membership Rs. 100,000 minimum -
    Donor membership Rs. 50,000 US$ 500
  3. The eligibility and procedure of admission for various categories of membership shall be as follows

    1. Regular members Any person who is capable of preparing an acceptable paper in some subject of Astronomy or related branch of science shall be eligible for a regular membership of the Society. An application for a Regular membership must be supported by two Regular members. A Regular member shall have the right to attend meetings of the General Body and to vote and shall be eligible to hold an elective office.

      Only a Regular member of the Society may be admitted by the Council as a Life member on payment of such lumpsum amount as may be determined by the Council.
      *The 23rd ASI-GBM held in Nainital on February 23, 2005, has approved that the Society will admit persons fulfilling the desired requirements for REGULAR membership in the LIFE category only. There will be no change in the status of the existing regular members, unless they opt to apply for LIFE membership.

      ** The GBM held during the 40th meeting of the Astronomical Society of India, on the 26th of March, 2022, at Roorkee, approved the resolution. It was decided to have a common life membership fee for all such members as decided from time to time, irrespective of their affiliation and/or citizenship.

      ***During the General Body Meeting held on the 3rd March 2023 during the 41st annual meeting of the Astronomical Society of India held at IIT Indore it was decided to have a revised membership fees for these categories. Life membership - Rs. 5000, Associate membership - Rs. 3000, Student Membership - Rs. 1000 (same), Donor membership - Rs. 50000. These changes will take effect for membership applications received on and after 1st April 2023. For applications received till 31 March 2023, the old fees will be applicable.

    2. Associate members Any person interested in Astronomy who is not eligible to become a Regular member may be admitted as an Associate member provided his/her application for membership is supported by two Regular members. An Associate member may attend the meetings of the General Body, but shall have no right to vote or hold an elective office.

      *At the General Body Meeting held on the 2nd February 2024, during the 42nd annual meeting of the Astronomical Society of India, IISc, Bangalore, it was decided that the Associate membership renewal fee (after 5 years of Associate membership) will be Rs. 2500/- provided the membership is renewed within 3 months of the date of expiry of the term. If the Associate membership is not renewed within three months of expiry, then any further application from the member will be considered as a new application.

    3. Student members Any person studying Astronomy or a related branch of science may be admitted as a Student member for such period until he/she becomes eligible for a regular membership. The student membership is valid for a term of 5 years. If a Student member meets the criterion for becoming a Life member and chooses to apply for Life membership while their Student membership is valid, they only need to pay the difference between the Life membership and Student membership fee. There is no age limit for Student membership. An application for a Student membership should be supported by two regular members. A Student member can attend the business meetings of the General body only as an observer, and has no right to vote or to hold an elective office.

    4. Institutional members Observatories, Research Institutions, Educational Institutions and Commercial or Industrial organisations associated with Astronomy or related branches of science would be eligible for admission as Institutional members. They shall be entitled to send one representative to the meetings of the General Body who shall not have the right to vote or to hold an elective office.

    5. Donor members Any person who donates a sum specified by the Council under the provision of Rule 2 above, to the Society may be admitted as a Donor member. Such a member shall have all privileges of a Regular member except the right to vote or hold an elective office.

    6. Honorary fellows Upon nomination by not less than five Regular members, the Council may elect distinguished astronomers as Honorary fellows who shall have all the privileges of regular membership without payment of any dues. Only one Honorary fellow may be elected in any one year and the total number of honorary fellows shall not exceed ten at any given time. Honorary member shall have all privileges of a Regular member except the right to vote or hold an elective office.

  4. A student/associate member who fails to clear his/her dues by the end of the membership term shall be deemed to have lost his/her membership. He/she may however be readmitted without paying the admission fee provided all the arrears up to the date of readmission are cleared.

  5. Any member whose conduct is considered by the Council as prejudicial to the interests of the Society may be expelled after first being given an opportunity to explain his/her conduct to the Council.