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Indian Red Cross Society - Revision history
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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Redirect|IRCS|the Iranian RCS|Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran|the <code>ircs://</code> URI scheme|Internet Relay Chat#URI scheme}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2015}}<br />
{{Infobox organization<br />
| image = MHS NDL.jpg<br />
| formation = 1920<br />
| type = <br />
| status = <br />
| purpose = Medical & Humanitarian<br />
| name = Indian Red Cross Society<br />
| abbreviation = IRCS<br />
| location = New Delhi<br />
| region_served = India<br />
| website = {{official website|http://www.indianredcross.org/|Indian Red Cross Society official website}}<br />
| headquarters = New Delhi, India<br />
}}<br />
<br />
The '''Indian Red Cross Society''' (IRCS) is a voluntary [[humanitarian]] organization to protect human life and health based in [[India]].<ref name=about>{{cite web|title=About Society|url=http://www.indianredcross.org/society.htm|website=Indian Red Cross Society official website|publisher=Indian Red Cross Society|access-date=27 April 2015}}</ref> It is part of the [[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement]], and so shares the [[Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement]]. The society's mission is providing relief in times of disasters/emergencies and promoting health & care of vulnerable people and communities. It has a network of over 700 branches throughout India.<ref name=about /> The Society uses the [[Emblems of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement|Red Cross as an emblem]] in common with other international Red Cross societies. Volunteering has been at the very heart of the Indian Red Cross Society since its inception in 1920, with the Society having ''Youth'' and ''Junior'' volunteering programmes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Youth Red Cross & Junior Red Cross|url=http://www.indianredcross.org/youth/index.htm|website=Indian Red Cross Society official website|publisher=Indian Red Cross Society|access-date=27 April 2015}}</ref> The Society is closely associated with the [[St John Ambulance in India]].<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
<br />
[[File:Work of the Red Cross in India IB1169.jpg|thumb|Sorting out books for dispatch to troops in [[Burma]] during [[World War II]].]]<br />
<br />
During the [[World War I|First World War]] relief services for affected soldiers in India was provided by a branch of the ''Joint War Committee'', a collaboration between the [[St. John Ambulance]] Association and the [[British Red Cross]]. On 3 March 1920, a bill was introduced to the [[Politics of India|Indian Legislative Council]] by Sir [[Claude Hill]] (a member of the [[Governor-General of India|Viceroy's]] [[Viceroy's Executive Council|Executive Council]] who was also Chairman of the Joint War Committee in India) to constitute the Indian Red Cross Society, independent of the British Red Cross. The Bill was passed as the ''Indian Red Cross Society Act, 1920'' on 17 March 1920, and became [[List of Acts of the Parliament of India|Parliament Act XV]] of 1920 with the assent of the Governor General on the 20 March 1920.<ref name=IRCSact>{{cite web<br />
|title=Indian Red Cross Society Act XV of 1920|url=http://indianredcross.org/Act_XV_of_1920.pdf|website=Indian Red Cross Society|access-date=28 April 2015}}</ref><br />
<br />
On 7 June 1920 fifty members were formally nominated to constitute the Indian Red Cross Society from members of the Indian branch of the Joint War Committee.<ref name=IRCSact /> The first Managing Body was elected from among them with Sir [[William Malcolm Hailey]] as Chairman.<br />
<br />
===Red Cross parcels===<br />
<br />
PoW parcels, supplied by the Indian Red Cross Society during WW2 contained:<br />
{{col-start}}<br />
{{col-3}}<br />
* 8 ounces fruit in syrup<br />
* 16 ounces lentils<br />
* 2 ounces toilet soap<br />
* 16 ounces flour<br />
* 8 biscuits<br />
{{col-3}}<br />
* 8 ounces margarine<br />
* 12 ounces Nestlé's Milk<br />
* 14 ounces rice<br />
* 16 ounces pilchards<br />
* 2 ounces curry powder<br />
{{col-3}}<br />
* 8 ounces sugar<br />
* 1 ounce dried eggs<br />
* 2 ounces tea<br />
* 1 ounce salt<br />
* 4 ounces chocolate <ref>{{cite book |first=Keith |last=Taylor |title=A tribute to the "SS Vega" |ISBN=978-0-946806-18-8 |page=68}}</ref><br />
{{col-end}}<br />
<br />
===Post War===<br />
<br />
In 1947 some of the IRCS assets were provided to found the Pakistan Red Cross Order, now the [[Pakistan Red Crescent Society]].<br />
<br />
The act governing the IRCS was last amended by ''[[List of Acts of the Parliament of India|The Indian Red Cross Society (Amendment) Bill, 1992]]''.<ref name=about /><ref name=IRCSact /><br />
<br />
==Organisation==<br />
* The IRCS has 35 State / Union Territories Branches with their more than 700 districts and sub district branches.<ref name=about /><br />
* The [[President of India]] is the President of the IRCS<ref name=IRCSact /><br />
* The [[Minister of Health and Family Welfare]] is the Chairman of the Society.<br />
* The National Managing Body consists of 19 members.<br />
* The Chairman and 6 members of the managing body are nominated by the President.<ref name=IRCSact /> The remaining 12 are elected by the state and union territory branches through an electoral college.<br />
* The Vice Chairman is elected by the members of the Managing Body.<br />
* The Managing Body is responsible for governance and supervision of the functions of the society through a number of committees.<br />
* The Secretary General is the Chief Executive of the Society.<br />
<br />
==List of Secretary Generals of the Indian Red Cross Society==<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable"<br />
|-<br />
! No.<br />
! Secretary General<ref name=about /> !! Start of term !! End of term<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
| [[Balwant Singh Puri]] || July 1941 || July 1958<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
| Major General [[C. K. Lakshmanan]] || July 1958 || April 1969<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
| Major General [[S. S. Maitra]] || July 1969 || October 1978<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
| Lieutenant General [[R. S. Hoon]] || October 1978 || July 1981<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
| [[Ajit Bhowmick]] || July 1981 || January 1991<br />
|-<br />
| (5)<br />
| [[Ajit Bhowmick]] (2nd term) || April 1991 || June 1991<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
| Dr. [[A. K. Mukherjee (physician)|A. K. Mukherjee]] || November 1991 || March 1996<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
| Dr. [[Manoj Mathur]] || April 1996 || March 1999<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
| Dr. [[S. P. Agarwal]] || March 1999 || February 2000<br />
|-<br />
| 9<br />
| Dr. [[Vimala Ramalingam]] || March 2000 || March 2006<br />
|-<br />
| (8)<br />
| Dr. [[S. P. Agarwal]] (2nd term) || March 2005 || 2015 November 2015<br />
|-<br />
| 10<br />
| [[R. K. Jain]] || November 2015 || ''present''<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
* [[List of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies]]<br />
* [[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement]]<br />
* [[International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies]]<br />
* [[Emblems of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement]]<br />
* [[St John Ambulance]]<br />
* [[St John Ambulance India]]<br />
* [[Johanniter International]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* {{official website|http://www.indianredcross.org/|Indian Red Cross Society official website - http://www.indianredcross.org/}}<br />
<br />
{{Red Cross Red Crescent Movement}}<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
[[Category:Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies]]<br />
[[Category:Charities based in India]]<br />
[[Category:Medical and health organisations based in India]]<br />
[[Category:Organizations established in 1920]]<br />
[[Category:1920 establishments in India]]</div>
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