WHAT is an NGO? It is a non-governmental organisation or a society which is formed when people come together to do something with some common purpose which is legal and useful for others. An NGO should generally not be involved in profit-making activities.
This book explains in detail how an NGO or society is constituted. First of all, seven or more persons come together to pursue a common objective – it could be literary, scientific or charitable – and they name the society before drafting the memorandum of association and involvement of the members. The society is then registered and rules and regulations formulated for it. The NGO could even be formed into a Trust, which has three characters – the settler or author of the Trust, the trustee or donee and the beneficiary. The three parties are linked by a trust deed which documents the relationship inter se and vis-à-vis the Trust property. The Trust could be private or public, like the Wakf which is a permanent dedication, by a person professing Muslim faith, of any property for any purpose recognised by Muslim law as religious, pious or charitable.
There is an interesting chapter on adoption of child as part of NGO activity where ‘loving care’ is the prime right and demand of any child without a guardian. The other rights too are listed but the pertinent points include the demands imposed on the Indian or foreign parents who want to adopt a child.
A still more interesting chapter for the layperson is on the activities of certain NGOs.
In Mumbai, a local nature park trains rag-pickers to segregate and segregate wet and dry garbage. Wet garbage is used in gardening and dry is recycled.
The Society for Barefoot Living is encouraging men and women to use the freedom to move about barefoot, especially parents and grandparents by bringing them together and offering them tips and facilities to share their experiences.
In all, this book is meant for lawyers and NGOs essentially.
(Universal Law Publishing Co. Pvt Ltd, C-FF-1A Dilkhush Industrial Estate, G.T. Karnal Road, Delhi-110033; www.unilawbooks.com) —MG
