Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Administration of Math Rules, 1987
Last Updated 28th May, 2019 [ap130]
(b) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Endowments, Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, appointed under Section 3 (1)of the Act and includes every officer who for the time being exercises the powers and performs the functions of the Commissioner of Endowments.
(c) "Mathadhipathi" means a person in whom the administration and management of a math vests and whose principal duty is to engage himself in the teachings and propagation of Hindu Religion and philosophyor the teaching and philosophy of the denomination sect or sampradaya to which the math belongs and in imparting religious instruction and training and rendering spiritual service or who exercises or claimsto exercise spiritual headship over a body of disciples.
3. (1) The person nominated by the Mathadhipathias his successor shall have such character and principles as orderedby the customs and usages of the Math.He must-.(i) profess Hindu religion;
(ii) belong to the same sect or sampradaya to which the Mathbelongs;
(iii) have strong belief and implicit faith in the tenets of the concerned Math and observance of the practices, conduct of the ceremonies and rituals etc., as per the custom and usage of the Math;
(iv) be a bachelor, if the custom and usage of the math soordains; and
(v) possess the qualifications specified in sub-section (2) of Section 53 of the Act.
(2) While recognising the successor nominated by the Mathadhipathi the Commissioner shall satisfy itself;(i) that the nominee is willing to succeed;
(ii) that the nominee agrees in writing for the arrangement to be made by the Commissioner in case he is minor;
(iii) that the nominee is not suffering from any contagiousor infectious disease either congenital or supervening;
(iv) that he is not suffering from any mental, or physical infirmity which renders him unfit to function as such mathadhipathi;and
(v) that he shall undergo the training on religious side as may be decided upon by the Mathadhipathi.
4. No person convicted and sentenced to imprisonment by a Criminal Court of an offence involving moral turpitude or boundover for keeping the peace or for good behavior shall be recognised to hold the office of the Mathadhipathi. 5. No person who has been declared or adjudicated as an insolvent or who has applied to be so adjudicated or declared shall be appointed to hold the office of the Mathadhipathy. 6. No person who was found to be guilty of breach of Trust, mis-appropriation in respect of any institution or endowment shall be recognised to hold the post of the Mathadhipathi. 7. The successor shall give an undertaking in such manner and in such form as may be specified by the Commissioner to safeguard the interest of the Math. 8. (i) The Commissioner or any other officer authorised by him shall convene the meeting of the Mathadhipathi of the other Maths of the same Sampradayam and disciples of the concerned mathin the premises of the Math or at such suitable place as may be fixed by him. The place, date and time shall be intimated atleast one month in advance to the date of meeting, to the mathadhipathi and disciples by way of the notice under certificate of posting;(ii) The notice shall also published in any newspaper at the cost of the Math;
(iii) The notice shall be affixed
(a) on the notice board of the concerned math;
(b) on the notice board of the office of the Commissioner, Regional Joint Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner, Endowments Department; and
(c) in any conspicuous place.
9. The Mathadhipathes and disciples shall be received at the meeting as per the custom and usage with due regard to the tenetsof the Math. 10. In the absence of the unanimous decision at the meeting for nominating a person as successor to the Mathadhipathi, the Commissioner may recognise the person nominated by a majority, as successor to the Mathadhipathi. 11. The minutes of the meeting shall be duly recorded by the Commissioner or the person authorised in his behalf and shallbe duly signed by the persons who attended the meeting.