The Societies Registration Act, 1860
| Enactment Date | 21 May 1860 |
| Act Number | 21 |
| Record Number | 186021 |
| Date | 21 May 1860 |
| Court | Ministry of Corporate Affairs |
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THE SOCIETIES REGISTRATION ACT, 1860
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ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
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PREAMBLE.
SECTIONS
1. Societies formed by memorandum of association and registration.
2. Memorandum of association.
3. Registration and fees.
4. Annual list of managing body to be filed.
5. Property of society how vested.
6. Suits by and against societies.
7. Suits not to abate.
8. Enforcement of judgment against society.
9. Recovery of penalty accruing under bye-law.
10. Members liable to be sued as strangers.
Recovery by successful defendant of costs adjudged.
11. Members guilty of offences punishable as strangers.
12. Societies enabled to alter, extend or abridge their purposes.
13. Provision for dissolution of societies and adjustment of their affairs.
14. Upon a dissolution no member to receive profit.
Clause not to apply to Joint-stock Companies.
15. Member defined.Disqualified members.
16. Governing body defined.
17. Registration of societies formed before Act.
18. Such societies to file memorandum, etc., with Registrar of Joint-stock Companies.
19. Inspection of documents, Certified copies.
20. To what societies Act applies.
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THE SOCIETIES REGISTRATION ACT, 1860
ACT NO. 21 OF 1860
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[21st May, 1860.]
An Act for the Registration of Literary, Scientific and Charitable Societies.
Preamble.—WHEREAS it is expedient that provision should be made for improving the legal
condition of societies established for the promotion of literature, science, or the fine arts, or for the
diffusion of useful knowledge,
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[the diffusion of political education] or for charitable purposes; It is
enacted as follows:— STATE AMENDMENT
Union territory of Ladakh
After the preamble and before the existing section 1, insert—
“1. Appointment, etc. of Registrar of Societies, etc.-(1) The Administration of Union territory
of Ladakh may, by notification, appoint a person to be called the Registrar of Societies and he shall
exercise such powers and perform such duties and functions as are conferred by or under the
1. Short title given by the Indian Short Titles Act, 1897 (14 of 1897).
The Act (with the exception of the first four sections) is based on the Literary and Scientific Institutions Act, 1854 (17 and 18
Vict., c. 112), ss. 20 et seq.
It has been declared to be in force in the whole of India, except the Scheduled Districts, by s. 3 of the Laws Local Extent Act,
1874 (15 of 1874).
It has been extended to the New Provinces and Merged States by Act 59 of 1949.
It h as been d eclared, by no tification under s. 3(a) of the Scheduled Districts Act, 1874 (14 of 1874), to be in force in the
following Scheduled Districts, namely:—
West Jalpaiguri . . . . . . See Gazette of India, 1881, Pt. I, p. 74.
The Districts of Hazaribagh, Lohardaga (now
the Ranchi District, see Calcutta Gazette, 1899, . . .
Pt. I, p. 44), and Manbhum and ParganaDhalbhum . . .
and the Kolhan in the District of Singbhum . . . . Ditto 1881, Pt. I, p. 504.
The Scheduled portion of the Mirzapur District . . . . Ditto 1879, Pt. I, p. 383.
JaunsarBawar . . . . . . . Ditto 1879, Pt. I, p. 302.
The Scheduled Districts in Ganjam and Vizagapatam . . . Ditto 18 98, Pt. I, p. 870.
Assam (except the North Lushai Hills). . . . . Ditto 1897, Pt. I, p. 299.
It has been extended, by notification under s. 5 of the last-mentioned Act, to the following Scheduled Districts, namely:—
Kumaon and Garhwal. . . . . . . See Gazette of India, 1876, Pt. I, p. 606.
Ajmer and Merwara. . . . . . . Ditto 1 878, Pt. I, p. 380.
The Act has been extended to Goa, Daman and Diu with modifications by Reg. 12 of 1962, s. 3 and the Schedule to Dadra and
Nagar Haveli with modifications by Reg. 6 of 1963, s. 2 and the First Schedule (w.e.f. 1-7-1965) and to the Union territory of
Lakshadweep, by Reg. 8 of 1965, s. 3 and Sch. (w.e.f. 1-10-1967).
It has been amended in—
C. P. and Berar by C. P. and Berar Act 3 of 1940,
Assam by Assam Acts 14 of 1948, 15 of 1948, 1 of 1952, 7 of 1957 and 11 of 1958,
Bihar by Bihar Acts 30 of 1948, 4 of 1951 and 2 of 1960,
Punjab by East Punjab Acts 32 of 1948, 6 of 1949 and Punjab Act 21 of 1961,
West Bengal by West Bengal Act 16 of 1950,
Andhra by President’s Act 10 of 1954,
Madras by Mad. Act 9 of 1960,
Orissa by Orissa Acts 21 of 1958, 8 of 1969 and 9 of 1979,
Maharashtra by Maharashtra Acts 11 of 1968 and 49 of 1971,
Himachal Pradesh by H. P. Act 23 of 1973,
Uttar Pradesh by U. P. Acts 25 of 1959, 52 of 1975, 13 of 1978 and 11 of 1984,
Bombay by Bom. Act 76 of 1958,
Haryana by Haryana Act 23 of 1974,
Pondicherry by Act 9 of 1969, and
Union territory of Delhi by Act 26 of 1983.
The Act came into force in Pondicherry vide Reg. 7 of 1963 and the First Schedule (w.e.f. 1-10-1963).
The Act has been repealed in its application to Bellary District by Mysore Act 14 of 1955 and in Mysore by Mysore Acts 17
of 1960 and 19 of 1973.
It has been repealed in its application to Mahakoshal, Vindhya Pradesh and Bhopal regions of Madhya Pradesh by Madhya
Pradesh Act 1 of 1960 (when notified).
2. Ins. by Act 22 of 1927, s. 2.
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