The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for National Policy on the Voluntary Sector.
The Policy has six parts:
(a) Preamble
(b) Scope of the Policy
(c) Objectives of the Policy
(d) Establishing an Enabling Environment
(e) Partnership in Development
(f) Strengthening the Voluntary Sector
The main objectives of the policy include:
(i) Creating an enabling environment for Voluntary Organisations (VOs) that not only stimulates their effectiveness but also protects their identity and safeguards their autonomy.
(ii) Enabling VOs to legitimately mobilize the necessary financial resources from India and abroad.
(iii) Identifying systems by which the Government may work together with the Voluntary Sector.
(iv) Encouraging VOs to adopt transparent and accountable systems of governance and management.
In the part ‘Establishing Enabling Environment’ it will examine the feasibility of enacting a simple and liberal central law to register societies, trusts and non-profit companies.
Under ‘Partnership in Development’, three instruments of partnership between the Government and the voluntary sector have been recognized and elaborated upon.
In the part ‘Strengthening the Voluntary Sector’, there is a commitment to encourage independent philanthropic institutions to provide financial assistance to deserving VOs.
The National Policy on the voluntary sector aims to provide an enabling environment for the voluntary sector and also make it accountable, so that VOs can play their constructive role in development activities effectively.
National Policy on the Voluntary Sector 2007
