GOVERNANCE:

Membership of the Bureau is governed by the terms and conditions of membership together with the provisions of Bureau’s Memorandum and Articles of Association.

1. Documents to be submitted:
   All publishers who desire to enroll their publications to Bureau membership are required to submit the following documents:
   1. Completed application form duly proposed and seconded by two members of the Bureau.
   2. Permanent information form duly completed, signed and stamped
   3. Fees: annual membership fee as per schedule of fees in force from time to time alongwith one time admission fee (equivalent to one year’s membership fees).
   4. Check-list duly completed by publisher auditors (Annexure 1)
   5. Letter of authority (Annexure 2)
   6. Publisher’s confirmation (Annexure 3)
   7. Copy of relevant RNI registration certificate
   8. Specimen copy of the publication
   
   
   

DIRECT BUREAU AUDIT:

If desired by a prospecting publisher member, a new publication / edition / printing centre to be enrolled to Bureau membership may be directly put through Bureau’s audit by Bureau’s Auditors at publisher’s expense prior to admission provided a written request is received by the Bureau atleast one month before the end of the respective audit period.

The same also applies to existing publisher members desirous of availing this service.

ENROLMENT OF NEW EDITIONS / PRINTING CENTRES:

Publisher members are required to separately enroll a new printing centre and / or edition with the Bureau. Publisher members are also required to submit separate Incoming Certificate for each printing centre and / or edition. Publisher members may request for a combined or separate ABC certificate of circulation for their various editions.

RETURN OF APPLICATION FOR BUREAU MEMBERSHIP:

Bureau will be constrained to return application received for Bureau membership from prospecting publisher applicant under the following circumstances:

1. Not completing procedural formalities and providing required documents within a reasonable time [within the audit period for which admission to Bureau membership was sought].
2. Failure to comply with Bureau’s prescribed audit guidelines.
3. Non-availability of RNI registration certificate.
4. Non-payment of annual membership fees and entrance fee as per the prescribed schedule of fees.
5. Failure to comply with the provisions of Bureau’s Code for Publicity
6. Any other reason which the Bureau’s Council of Management feels appropriate.

RE- ADMISSION TO BUREAU MEMBERSHIP:

All applications from Publishers for re-admission to Bureau membership would be considered by the Bureau’s Council of Management only after a gap of two six monthly audit periods including the audit period during which the membership was terminated/ ceased.

STARTING OF NEW EDITION:

ABC certificate of circulation are issued for a six monthly audit period i.e January to June and July to December every year. Certification of circulation figures of a new edition for part audit period would be considered for certification provided the publisher seeks a combined ABC certificate alongwith an existing member edition and submits to the Bureau an application for Bureau membership in the prescribed form as well as completes all prescribed procedural formalities (also see para 7.5.1).

Certification of circulation figures separately of a new edition for a part audit period will not be considered.

SURPRISE RECHECK AUDIT BY BUREAU’S AUDITORS PRIOR TO ADMISSION TO BUREAU MEMBERSHIP:

Publisher to file the circulation figures for the relevant audit period after the application for Bureau membership is accepted in principle by the Bureau’s Council of Management. The relevant circulation figures filed with the Bureau for the new title / edition / printing centre would then be put through a surprise recheck audit by Bureau’s Auditors at publisher’s expense prior to admission and confirmation of circulation figures. In case of new printing centre, whose average qualifying sales is less than 25,000 copies then that particular printing centre would not be put through surprise-recheck audit and a certificate of circulation would be issued in normal case. However, the new printing centre would be put through surprise check in next audit period.