Welcome to the Oxbridge society of Bangalore. We engage and connect alumni of Oxford and Cambridge Universities in the Garden City.
The Oxford and Cambridge Society of Bangalore was formed in 2004 with the aim to facilitate contacts among its members as well as with similar societies in India and abroad. The Society has no territorial restrictions and welcomes alumni from anywhere. Our Society aspires of the most active alumni societies in Bangalore, organising academic, social, cultural and sporting events on a regular basis to promote interaction and exchange between Oxbridge alumni with different interests.
The Oxford & Cambridge Society Bangalore owes its existence largely to the efforts of Julian Smith (Peterhouse, Cambridge, 1958) who lived in Bangalore for a couple of years. He and a few others convened a meeting at his residence on Sunday, 5th December 2004. Fourteen alumni attended this meeting and decided to form a Society with Julian as its first President. Thanks, Julian!
It is the objective of the Oxford & Cambridge Society Bangalore to foster an esprit de corps among the alumni who are our members; provide them with opportunities for reflecting the qualities that have made Oxford and Cambridge famous; encourage the continuity of strong bonds with the Universities and their constituent Colleges; protect and further their enviable public images; provide a communication link with them; and encourage Indians to seek, or even provide, education there.
To this end, the Society facilitates contacts among members; maintains links with the parent Oxford and Cambridge Societies in the UK and similar societies in India and elsewhere; provides opportunities to its members for social intercourse and camaraderie; arranges lectures on topics of common interest; provides guidance to students wishing to enrol at the Universities; and supports worthy causes (and sometimes lost causes).
Ours is a not-for-profit organisation with a modest entry fee. We try to recover expenses incurred on events through participation fees. We do not have rigid eligibility requirements and we do not impose any “city of residence” conditions. Please see The Articles of Association for more precise information.
We are keen to ensure an informal and friendly atmosphere without sacrificing style, maintain a high standard of ethics, display good humour at all times and, generally, live up to the ideals of Oxford and Cambridge in whatever we do.
I welcome you warmly to our website. The Oxford and Cambridge Society of Bangalore was set up in December 2004 with Julian Smith (Peterhouse, Cambridge) as the first President. In May 2005, Xerxes Desai (New College, Oxford) took over as the President and in August 2008, a new Management Committee was formed.
Most of our members are based in Bangalore. However, we welcome alumni from other cities, particularly from South India, to join our Society. We do not have rigid eligibility criteria and welcome membership applications from those who have studied or had an affiliation with the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge. Our aim is to foster links among our members as well as to provide an opportunity to maintain a communication link with the parent Universities and other Oxford and Cambridge Societies.
The new Management Committee takes considerable efforts to draw up an attractive calendar of events, taking into account the broad interests of members. We would be happy to hear from you as well as to receive any suggestions on future events and possible speakers. Most important, please do keep in touch with us!
With my best wishes and warmest regards,
President
(The Oxford and Cambridge Society Bangalore)
The Society will be called "Oxford and Cambridge Society Bangalore"
a) To keep in touch with and bring together those who are or have been at the Universities of Cambridge or Oxford in the United Kingdom
b) To organise social gatherings
c) To carry out such activities as may be decided by the Managing Committee of the Society.
1. In the interpretation of these articles words denoting masculine gender also denote feminine gender.
1. Any one who has been enrolled at and has resided for some time as a member of any of the affiliated colleges or institutions of the Universities of Cambridge or Oxford shall be eligible for membership of the Society.
2. Provided that anyone otherwise connected with the University Colleges of the said Universities, shall also be eligible for membership if the Managing Committee so approves.
3. Application for membership shall be made on a prescribed form.
4. Election of Members shall be made by the Managing Committee and shall be determined by a majority of votes of such members who are present.
5. The decision of the Managing Committee on each application shall be communicated to the applicant by the Honorary Secretary, and if elected, the applicant shall be required to pay the joining fee (see VIII Finance). A copy of these Articles of Association will be furnished on request but no member shall be absolved from the observance and effect of them through not being familiar with them.
6. Membership shall commence from the date of receipt of the joining fee.
7. Any member who has not paid the fee within 6 months of the due date, despite notice having been given to him, shall forthwith cease to be a member of the Society.
8. Members shall give the Society their email addresses, postal addresses and telephone numbers. Email will be used wherever possible to facilitate and reduce the cost of communication. All notices sent to members by any means shall be considered as duly delivered.
Members, who have left India, shall give the Society a forwarding address to which communications can be sent.
1. A general meeting of the Society, hereinafter referred to as the Annual General Meeting (AGM), shall be held within 6 months of the end of each financial year.
2. Such AGM shall be convened by the Honorary Secretary by sending to every member a notice at least three weeks before the date fixed for it. Such notice shall be accompanied by an agenda for the meeting. Any other business, of which written notice has been received from not less than 5 members not later than ten days before the date of the Meeting shall be included in a Supplementary Agenda to be published at or before the commencement of such meeting.
3. At every AGM the Managing Committee shall, among other items, present a report of the Society's activities and a statement of the audited accounts since the last AGM.
4. A General Meeting of the Society, hereinafter referred to as an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), shall be convened by the Honorary Secretary or other office Bearer:
a) On a resolution to that effect by the Managing Committee, or
b) On a requisition signed by at least 50% of the members of the Society and delivered to the Honorary Secretary,whereupon such meeting shall be held within six weeks of the date of such delivery.The notice of such EGM shall comply with the provisions in Rule 9 in section III Membership, so far as they may be applicable, and in case of (b) above the Agenda shall specify the items set out in such requisition.
5. At any General Meeting whether Annual or Extraordinary the president or in his absence the vice present or in the absence of both a Chairman elected at the meeting from among those present shall preside and shall have a casting or second vote. If the president or vice-president presides, he shall continue to preside till the end of the Meeting despite any election of a new president or vice-president for the ensuing period The quorum for any General Meeting shall be one-third of the number of continuing members on the list of Members. All decisions of the General Body shall be by simple majority determined by a show of hands except as provided in V 1 below.
1. Any alteration in the Articles of the Society shall require a two-thirds majority.
2. On any matter not provided for in these Articles, the Managing Committee is empowered to arrive at a reasonable decision, and any such decision shall be noted in the Annual Report.
1. The Society's activities and finances shall be directed by, vested in and controlled by a Managing Committee to be elected at a General Meeting of Members, save as to the persons referred to in sub-clause (f) hereof, from among the members of the Society. The Managing Committee shall consist of a maximum of 12 persons as follows:
(a) The President
(b) The Vice-President
(c) The Honorary Secretary
(d) The Honorary Treasurer
(e) A minimum of three other elected Members
(f) Up to five members co-opted by the elected members, including the Chairman of any sub committee which, in the opinion of the Managing Committee, is a major activity of the Society.
2. Members (a) to (d) of the Managing Committee are the officers of the Society.
3. Members of the Managing Committee shall be elected for a period of one year at a time and shall hold office until the conclusion of the AGM at which their successors are elected and shall be eligible for re-election.
4. Officers of the Society shall be elected for a period of one year at a time, shall hold office until the conclusion of the AGM at which their successors are elected, and shall be eligible for re-election. Any casual vacancy in any office shall be filled for the remainder of the term of office by election by the Managing Committee. An Officer may relinquish his office without leaving the Managing Committee.
5. In the interests of continuity half of the eight initial non-elected members of the first Managing Committee shall serve until the first election of the Managing Committee. The remaining initial non-elected members shall serve until the election of the new Managing Committee at the next following AGM. Any casual vacancy occurring among the elected members of the Managing Committee may be filled by co-option of a member of the Society at a meeting of the Managing Committee, but the member so co-opted shall hold office only until the next AGM.
The words 'casual vacancy' sections 4 and 5 above shall mean vacancy created by absence from Bangalore for a continuous period exceeding six months unless the Managing Committee decides otherwise or by physical incapacity, death, resignation, failure to attend the requisite number of meetings or cessation of membership of the Society for any reason whatsoever during the period of office.
6. Any office bearer or other member of the Managing Committee, who fails to attend three consecutive Committee Meetings without obtaining leave of absence from the Secretary and approved by the Managing Committee shall be deemed to have vacated his seat and his place may be filled as for a casual vacancy, although he shall be eligible for co-option.
7. The Managing Committee shall meet once every three months or more often if necessary on being summoned by the President or by the Vice-President or by the Honorary Secretary or upon a requisition signed by at least five members of the Managing Committee.
8. The business of the Managing Committee may also be transacted by circulation of papers or by email. Any decision so taken shall be tabled at the next Meeting of such Committee.
9. The Managing Committee shall be the final authority on interpretation of the Articles of the Society, and for the settlement of all questions relating to the affairs of the Society, and the conduct of members in relation thereto.
10. The Managing Committee shall spend out of the funds at its disposal such monies as may be necessary for the proper conduct of the Society's affairs and the development of its activities.
11. The quorum for a meeting of the Managing Committee shall be four members of whom at least one shall be an office bearer.
12. The Managing Committee may from time to time constitute one or more special Sub-Committees with one or more of its members to perform specific tasks and on such Sub-Committees, members of the Society may be co-opted for special and specific purposes.
13. At meetings of the Managing Committee the President, or in his absence the Vice-President or in the absence of both of them, a Chairman elected from among the Committee members present shall preside and shall have casting or second vote.
1. The Honorary Secretary of the Society shall be, ex-officio, the Honorary Secretary of the Managing Committee.
2. The Honorary Secretary shall so far as possible keep a correct and up-to-date List of Members of the Society. He shall also make and present minutes of every General and every Managing Committee meeting in two separate books. Member lists with email addresses, physical addresses and telephone numbers shall be furnished on request to each member.
3. The Honorary Treasurer shall keep accounts of all receipts and disbursements from day to day in such form as the Managing Committee may direct, and shall be responsible for the preparation of the Annual Statement of Accounts for the approval of the Managing Committee and submission to the Annual General Meeting.
4. The accounts shall be audited annually by an Auditor, paid or honorary, duly appointed at a general body meeting. All books of account, receipts and expenditures shall be open to examination at any time by the Auditor.
5. All books, files, etc. maintained by the Honorary Secretary and the Honorary Treasurer shall be the property of the Society and shall be kept as a record.
1. The fee payable by every Life Member shall be Rs. 2000/- or such other amount as may be decided by the members at a General Meeting. Such fee shall be payable in one instalment on election. Life Members shall not be required to pay any annual subscription.
2. The funds of the Society shall be kept in a Bank to be appointed by the Managing Committee. All cheques drawn on behalf of the Society shall be signed by the Honorary Treasurer and countersigned by any other person authorised by the Managing Committee.
3. The financial year shall end on 31st March of each year.
This annual event, scheduled in the first week of April, involves the screening of the annual Oxford and Cambridge Boat race accompanied with dinner and drinks with family and friends of the Oxbridge society.
This annual event, scheduled in the first week of April, involves the screening of the annual Oxford and Cambridge Boat race accompanied with dinner and drinks with family and friends of the Oxbridge society.
The lifetime membership fee is INR 2,000.
If you are trying to contact any of our members (mentioned below), please write to: oxbridge.bangalore@gmail.com and we will be happy to forward your request.
Teaching at Oxford existed in some form in 1096, but it is unclear at what point a university came into being. It grew quickly in 1167 when English students returned from the University of Paris.
The University is made up from a variety of institutions, including 38 constituent colleges and a full range of academic departments which are organised into four Divisions. Most undergraduate teaching at Oxford is organised around weekly tutorials at the self-governing colleges and halls, supported by classes, lectures and laboratory work provided by university faculties and departments. Oxford has nurtured many prominent alumni and 58 Nobel laureates have been affiliated with the university.
Originally founded in 1209, it is the second-oldest university in English-speaking areas, and the world's third-oldest surviving university. The university grew out of an association of scholars that was formed in 1209, early records suggest, by scholars leaving Oxford after a dispute with townsfolk.
Today, Cambridge is formed from a variety of institutions that include 31 constituent colleges and comprehensive academic departments which are organised into six Schools. All these organisations occupy different locations in the town including purposely-built sites and the student life is found in the arts, sport clubs and societies. It has nurtured many notable alumni, and 90 Nobel laureates have been affiliated with the University.
With a membership of approximately 500 Alumni from both universities, the Oxford and Cambridge Society of India (OCSI) is involved with organizing social occasions, talks by prominent members and, importantly, in giving scholarships to graduates from Indian Universities who have obtained admission in either Oxford or Cambridge.
It's patrons are Professor Amartya Sen (Nobel Prize Winner) and Professor M. S. Swaminathan (Winner of Magasaysay Award & World Food Prize).
2nd Floor,
Dona Cynthia,
35 Primrose Road
(Off MG Road),
Bangalore 560025
Tel: +91-80-40912112
