Whereas by Standing Order No 10AF/12015 dated 15042015 a procedure for the establishment of units and activities of Auroville Foundation

## Report on Auroville Foundation Standing Order Amendment **1. Executive Summary:** This report analyzes an amendment to the Auroville Foundation's Standing Order, specifically addressing the creation, closure, and management of units and activities within the Foundation. The amendment, detailed in the provided text, revises the procedures for these processes, particularly for units and activities under the trusts of the Auroville Foundation. Key changes involve resolutions of endorsement by the Board of Trustees and the FAMC (appointed by the Governing Board) alongside the Secretary's office order. This amendment aims to streamline and clarify the governance structure for these entities. **2. Introduction:** This report provides an overview and analysis of the amendment to the Auroville Foundation Standing Order concerning the creation, closure, and management of units and activities. The analysis is based solely on the provided text from the Gazette of India. The purpose of this report is to inform affected industry stakeholders about the changes enacted by this amendment. **3. Policy Overview:** * This report focuses on an amendment to Standing Order No. 10 AF12015 dated 15042015, which itself replaced an earlier procedure. * **Core Objective (Inferred):** The core objective of the amendment, as inferred from the text, is to revise and clarify the procedures for the establishment, closure, and management of units and activities within the Auroville Foundation, particularly those under trusts. **4. Background and Rationale:** * **Rationale for Amendment:** The amendment appears to be driven by a need to refine the governance structure for units and activities, specifically those under the trusts of the Auroville Foundation. The Organisation and Governance Committee of the Governing Board recommended revising the existing procedure. The existing policy (Standing Order No. 10 AF12015) had a procedure for creation of Units, but this amendment seems to be driven by a requirement of revisions to the same procedure along with adding guidelines for management executive appointments for said Units. The draft procedure was accepted by the Governing Board on 18th January 2022, indicating a pre-existing concern and recognized need for modification. **5. Key Provisions / Changes:** This section details the specific changes introduced by the amendment text: * **Specific Part of Original Policy Changed:** The amendment directly modifies the procedures outlined in Standing Order No. 10 AF12015 concerning the establishment and closure of units and activities. While the original policy established a general procedure, this amendment introduces a more detailed and specific process, particularly for units and activities under the trusts of the Auroville Foundation. * **New Rule/Provision:** * The new rule explicitly distinguishes between units/activities directly under the Auroville Foundation and those under its trusts. * For units and activities under the *trusts* of the Auroville Foundation, the following steps are now required: * A resolution of endorsement by the Board of Trustees of the Trust. * A resolution of endorsement by the FAMC (appointed by the Governing Board). * An office order from the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation. * **Difference/Effect of Change:** * The primary effect of this change is to introduce additional layers of approval and oversight for units and activities operating under the trusts. Previously, the process may have been simpler. The introduction of endorsements from the Board of Trustees and the FAMC suggests a desire for increased accountability and alignment with the Foundation's overall goals for entities operating under its trusts. This also introduces a requirement for resolution of endorsement by the Board of Trustees of the Trust under which the Unit is created, thus giving importance to the decision of such trusts. **6. Target Audience and Stakeholders:** Based on the text, the primary target audience and stakeholders affected by this amendment include: * The Auroville Foundation itself, particularly the Secretary's office. * The Governing Board of the Auroville Foundation. * The Board of Trustees of the Trusts associated with the Auroville Foundation. * The FAMC (appointed by the Governing Board). * Management executives of units and activities within the Auroville Foundation, especially those under the trusts. * Entities seeking to establish or close units and activities within the Auroville Foundation's network of trusts. **7. Implementation Aspects (Inferred):** * **Responsible Agency/Bodies:** The Secretary of the Auroville Foundation is responsible for issuing office orders. The Board of Trustees of relevant Trusts and the FAMC are responsible for providing endorsements. The Governing Board has the power to amend the standing order itself. * **Timelines/Procedures:** The amendment comes into force with immediate effect. The procedures outlined in point 2 detail the steps required for the creation, change in executive management, or closure of units and activities under trusts. The requirement of resolution of endorsement by the Board of Trustees of the Trust under which the Unit is created may add additional time to the implementation. * **Amendment Specific Implementation:** Those responsible for the creation, executive management changes, or closure of activities falling under trusts of the Auroville Foundation must now collect resolutions of endorsement by Board of Trustees of relevant Trusts and the FAMC prior to the process being cleared by the office of the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation. **8. Expected Outcomes / Impact of Changes:** * **Likely Intended Outcome of Changes:** The likely intended outcome of these changes is to enhance the governance and oversight of units and activities operating under the trusts of the Auroville Foundation. This may lead to: * More rigorous evaluation of proposed units and activities. * Increased accountability and transparency in the management of these entities. * Better alignment of the activities of these units with the overall objectives of the Auroville Foundation. * Increased operational efficiency, due to clarifying and refining roles of stakeholders involved. **9. Conclusion:** This report analyzes the amendment to the Auroville Foundation Standing Order concerning the creation, closure, and management of units and activities. The amendment introduces a more detailed procedure, particularly for those units and activities operating under the trusts of the Foundation, requiring resolutions of endorsement from the Board of Trustees and the FAMC. The amendment aims to improve governance, oversight, and accountability within the Auroville Foundation's network of entities. This change is significant as it affects the process of setting up and operating Units under the Trusts of the Auroville Foundation, thus affecting the said Trusts as well as the Auroville Foundation as a whole.

Key Entities Referenced