Dear Member, Greetings from SCISN secretariat at Trivandrum. On behalf of the chairman of the SCISN, I invite you to attend the 24th Annual conference at Mangalore. Dr. Jagadeesh T, Consultant Nephrologist Mangalore will be the Organising Secretary. You can look forward to a very warm gathering with a lot of scientific deliberations. The tentative dates for the meeting are from 20th February Friday to 22nd February Sunday, 2004. This will enable the members to stay back if they wish for sight seeing or leave for their hometown early enough to start work on Monday morning. You are there for requested to join in atleast by noon on 20th February which is a Friday. Please arrange your schedule in such a manner so as to enable you to attend the entire meeting including the valedictory function.   Enclosing herewith a copy of the guidelines for submission of Abstracts, guidelines for the P. C. Tanker Young Investigator Award for members of the SCISN who are less than 40 years of age and Dr. Niyamathullah Memorial Essay Competition for post graduate students in Medicine and Paediatrics of your institution. All members are requested to urge the post graduates you train or come across to participate in the essay competition. Last year we had 17 entries for the Niyamathullah and we should strive for more this year. Please note that the format for submission of abstracts is a bit different and an example is being circulated for your perusal. The dead line for receiving the abstract, award papers and essays at this office will be 31-12-2003. Inorder to accommodate as many papers we will have an elaborate poster session this year also. Please encourage the young authors to submit abstracts for poster presentation. The number of papers for oral presentation has to be restricted due to several papers coming in. Please do not insist for an oral presentation, the posters will be given equal or more importance.   I had earlier sent the nomination forms for electing the vacant post in the Governing Body. The last date for nominations has been extended to 31.10.2003.   The first circular from the organising secretary will be reaching you soon. In the mean time mark your dates and get ready for a great meeting.     With warm regards       Dr. Ramdas Pisharody Hon. Secretary, SCISN