To promote social welfare activities The Societies Registration Act, 1860 (21 of 1860) came into force on 21st May, 1860 so that people could form a society with a well defined objective, have enough resources, funds etc. and have no external pressures, tensions etc. so that their purposes are fulfilled. The Act allows benefit of society – education, health, employment etc.The Act continues until today and being an Act of Parliament, comes under the Right To Information Act, where in the government is legally responsible to give any information requested by any citizen of India with respect to any society.
Societies enabled to alter, extend, or abridge their purposes.–Whenever it shall appear to the governing body of anysociety registered under this Act, which has been established for any particular purpose or purposes, that it is advisable to alter, extend,or abridge such purpose to or for other purposes within the meaning of this Act, or to amalgamate such society either wholly or partially with any other society, such governing body may submit the proposition to the members of the society in a written or printed report, and may convene a special meeting for the consideration thereof according to the regulations of the society; but no such proposition shall be carried into effect unless such report shall have been delivered or sent by post to every member of the society ten days previous to the special meeting convened by the governing body for the consideration thereof, nor unless such proposition shall have been agreed to by the votes of three-fifths of the members delivered in person or by proxy, and confirmed by the votes of three-fifths of the members present at a second special meeting convened by the governing body at an interval of on month after the former meeting.
Registration of societies formed before Act.–Any company or society established for a literary, scientific, or charitable purpose, and registered under 3*Act 43 of 1850, or any such society established and constituted previously to the passing of this Act but not registered under the said Act 3*43 of 1850, may at any time here after be registered as a society under this Act; subject to the proviso that no such company or society shall be registered under this Act unless an assent to its being so registered has been given by three-fifths of the members present personally, or by proxy, at some general meeting convened for that purpose by the governing body.
