GUIDELINES FOR ELECTION OF FELLOWS
I. ELECTION OF FELLOWS
A. Basic Criteria
The main objective of the Academy is to recognize and support excellence in agricultural science, research, technologies and innovations. The outstanding achievements and sustained significant contributions to agricultural sciences are the determining criteria for electing Fellows in different subject matter areas.
B. Number of Fellowships in Different Areas
Nominations of candidates from the Fellows of the Academy are grouped into following eight scientific areas (sections):
Crop Sciences, covering Genetics and Plant Breeding, Plant Genetic Resources, Plant Biotechnology, Plant Physiology & Biochemistry and Seed Technology and Post-Harvest Technologies for all field crops - 6 Fellowships
Horticultural Sciences, covering Genetics and Plant Breeding, Plant Genetic Resources, Plant Biotechnology, Plant Physiology & Biochemistry and Seed Technology and Post-Harvest Technologies for all field horticultural crops - 3 Fellowships
Animal Sciences, covering Animal Genetics & Breeding, Animal Nutrition, Animal Physiology, Animal Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Animal Production, Animal Reproduction, Animal Health, Animal Products Technology, Dairy Sciences and Poultry Sciences - 4 Fellowships
Fisheries Sciences, covering Fish Genetics & Breeding, Fish Nutrition, Fish Pathology, Fish Biotechnology, Fish Biosystematics, Fish Processing & Technology, Fisheries Resource Management and Aquaculture - 2 Fellowships
Natural Resource Management Sciences, covering Agricultural Meteorology, Agronomy, Environmental Science, Forestry, Agroforestry, Soil Science including Soil Microbiology, Water Management (excluding Soil & Water Engineering) and Agricultural Physics - 5 Fellowships
Plant Protection Sciences, covering Agricultural Chemicals, Agricultural Entomology, Plant Pathology, Nematology, Organic Chemistry, Microbiology in relation to Plant Protection - 4 Fellowships
Agricultural Engineering and Technology, covering Farm Machinery & Power, Soil and Water Engineering, Agricultural Process Engineering, Value addition and Post-Harvest Technology, Food Technology, Textile Technology and Computer Application in Agriculture - 2 Fellowships
Social Sciences, covering Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Statistics, Extension Education, Bioinformatics, and Community Science, including Food Science and Nutrition - 3 Fellowships
Foreign Fellows -2 Fellowships
Pravasi Fellows -3 Fellowships
The number of new Fellows inducted in a year should not exceed the number mentioned against each.
C. Procedure for Screening
The Executive Council shall appoint 8 Sectional Committees. The number of members in each Committee shall not exceed ten including the Convener. While identifying the members of the Sectional Committees, care should be taken that they represent the spectrum of scientific disciplines of the concerned Committee. The tenure of the Convener and the members will be for a maximum period of 3 years, 1/3rd members will retire every year. There will be a 3 years’ cooling period for the retiring Sectional Committee members.
The Conveners shall seek opinion of the Fellows pertaining to the concerned Section at least one month in advance. The Fellows will give opinion on a 3 - point scale.
Candidates shall be ranked, specifically highlighting their total contribution in their discipline. Special features, such as number and quality of publications, products/ varieties released / patents obtained and position in professional societies, chairing scientific meetings, Honours/Awards will be given due consideration. Contribution and leadership as Science Manager shall also be given due weightage.
The Sectional Committees shall meet for two days. On the first day, these committees will be addressed by the President.
As a convention, if a close relative, such as father, mother, wife, husband, son, daughter, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, brother and sister of a member of a Sectional Committee is being considered for Fellowship, the concerned member will withdraw from the Sectional Committee.
The recommendations of different Sectional Committees shall be discussed by the Conveners together under the Chairmanship of the Vice-President of the Council.
The Joint Conveners’ Group shall consider modification of recommendations, if any, and forward suggestions to the Executive Council for consideration.
Level 3: Executive Council Level Screening
The Executive Council shall meet under the Chairmanship of the President of the Academy to review the recommendations of the Joint Conveners’ Group to be presented by the Vice President/Secretary. The Council shall scrutinize this list and remove any disparities in the recommendations after seeking clarification from the Vice President/Secretary/ Conveners’ of the Sectional Committees. The Council will make its final recommendation for voting by the eligible Fellows of the Academy. The list shall not exceed 34 in any one year for election of Fellows [National Fellows: 29; Foreign Fellows: 2 and Pravasi Fellows: 3].
Executive Council can recommend, disqualify, or reconsider a Fellow on valid grounds.
Level 4: Approval of Final List of Fellows:
The voting for final approval shall be by the entire Fellowship.
D. General
In addition to the existing norms that one Fellow can nominate two candidates in a year, a restriction is made that a Fellow can Second 3 candidates in a year.
Nominations for election of Fellows shall remain valid for three years. After expiry of the three-year term, there shall be one year cooling period before a person can be renominated. Part B & C of the nomination form shall be updated by the candidate in the prescribed proforma every year.
Criteria for evaluation of candidates' contributions etc. will be laid down by the Executive Council. The latest of such criteria/weightage laid down by the Executive Council will be applicable for award of Fellowships.
II. FOREIGN FELLOWS
Every nominee shall be proposed and seconded in the prescribed form by the Fellows of the Academy.
The nomination shall be valid for three years, but a person can be re-nominated after a gap of one year.
The nominee should be a foreign citizen. NRI/PIO/OCI will not be considered for the Foreign Fellowship.
The nominee should be an internationally recognized leader in the area of his specialization.
He/she should be a Fellow/Member of the National Academy of own country. Alternatively he or she should be a Foreign Fellow / Associate of a foreign country academy. Further, NAAS may consider nominees who are of eminent standing.
The nominee should have close connection with Indian scientists and should be aware of the progress of Indian science, its accomplishments and aspirations. The advantages and gains to the Academy and to the scientists of India by the election of a Foreign Fellow may also be kept in view.
A maximum of two nominees may be identified by the Executive Council for election as Foreign Fellow.
The names of the candidates so selected shall be circulated to all the Fellows for election as for the other Fellows of the Academy.
III. PRAVASI FELLOWS
Every nominee shall be proposed and seconded in the prescribed form by the Fellows of the Academy.
The nomination shall be valid for three years, but a person can be re-nominated after a gap of one year.
Persons of Indian origin (PIO) or Overseas Citizens of India (OCI), holding foreign passport (residing within or outside territorial limits of India), who are eminent for their knowledge and contributions to agricultural science, and have contributed or can contribute to the progress of science in India, and persons holding Indian passport (residing outside the territorial limits of India) having done their work in foreign or international organizations shall be eligible for the Pravasi Fellowship of the Academy.
In any year, the number of Pravasi Fellows elected shall not exceed three.
The process of election of Pravasi Fellows will be same as for the national Fellows of the Academy.
The names of the candidates so selected shall be circulated to all the Fellows for election as for the other Fellows of the Academy.
IV. CORPORATE FELLOWS/MEMBERSHIP
Corporate Fellowship shall be conferred on the basis of guidelines drawn by the Executive Council on corporate bodies which provide support to the programmes and finances of the Academy to carry out its objectives.
The Executive Council in its meeting held on June 4, 2002 approved launching of another category of Corporate Membership. Guidelines for such category were approved by the Executive Council on August 9, 2002.
V. INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP
Institutional Membership shall be conferred on the institutions having established reputation and clean record and have demonstrably involved or propose to involve itself in activities related to the objectives of the Academy and carrying out activities in conformity with the requirement of preserving human, ecological and environmental health and willing to make a contribution/donation of Rs. 10 lakhs towards the NAAS Corpus Fund for supporting its activities. The guidelines for Institutional Membership as framed by the Executive Council and approved by the General Body on 5.6.2015.
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