Dear Architects,

The ‘COUNCIL’ of Council of Architecture is similar to the Parliament of India dealing with the Profession of Architects (not Architecture, unfortunately, or fortunately).

The power of constituting the Council vested with the Central Government, under Section 3 of the Architects Act, and it is to be made by notification in the Official Gazette. The Council means the composition of Members elected or nominated from various Bodies and invariably it is nothing but the persons so elected or nominated have to be made as Members of the Council by public notification in the Official Gazette. 

Whenever the composition of Council changes, the Central Government has to amend the Council accordingly only by Gazette Notification. The procedures that are to be adopted as prescribed under the Rules are as follows:

  • The President of CoA shall intimate to the Central Government 60 days before the occurrence of a vacancy in the Council.
  • The Central Government has to notify the vacancy in the Official Gazette.
  • The Central Government has to write to concerned Bodies / Authorities to name a person(s) by Election or Nomination within the prescribed date.

·On receipt of the name of Person(s) so elected or nominated, the Central Government has to publish in the Official Gazette, to complete the process of amendment in the composition of Council.

Ignoring all these procedures and legal formalities, the CoA simply takes the entire power in its hands and surpassing the Central Government by sending a letter asking directly the concerned Authorities to nominate a person and on receipt of name, abruptly include him/her as Member of the Council, without amending the constitution of the Council by notifying in the Official Gazette. The person sitting at the helm of affairs of the Council acts favourably to suit to their individual preference, for which the vested interest group sitting permanently at the Office promptly tempting and adding fuel to these illegalities.  

Being many of us unaware, these illegalities have become habitual and now grown to the level of Presidential Position. Current status of Presidential Position is not clear, being the individuals are assuming power to their whims and fancies without any authorisation and formal Gazette Notification. Keeping the Central Government away from the role of the constitution of Council, the CoA does all these mockeries and all of us watching helplessly!  

[signed]
Ramaraju Rengasamy