¹[SOCIETIES REGISTRATION ACT, 1860]

[Act No. 21 of Yr. 1860]

An Act for the registration of literary, scientific and charitable societies

Whereas it is expedient the provision should be made for improving the legal condition or societies established for the promotion of literature, science, or thefine arts, or for ²[the diffusion of useful knowledge, the diffusion of political education], or for charitable purposes.

Comment: Charitable purposes which came within the language and spirit of the statute of Elizabeth (43 Eliz ch 4) could be grouped into four heads,(i) relief of poverty, (ii) education, (iii) advancement of religion and (iv) other purposes beneficial to the community not coming under any of thepreceding heads. The words in Act 21/1860 are, therefore, to be understood as including religious purposes also. Hindu Public v. RajdhaniPuja Samithee AIR 1999 SUPREME COURT 964

It is enacted as follows :-

1. Societies formed by memorandum of association and registration

Any seven or more persons associated for any literary, scientific, or charitable purpose, or for any such purpose as is described in section 20 of this Act, may,by subscribing their names to a memorandum of association, and filing the same with Registrar of Joint-stock Companies ³[* * *] form themselves into a society under this Act.

Note:
1. Short title given by the Short Titles Act, 1897 (14 of 1897).

The Act (with the exception of the first four sections) is based on Literary and Scientific Institutions Act, 1854. It had been declared to be in force in all the Provinces and the Capital of the Federation, except the Scheduled Districts, by s. 3 of the Laws Local Extent Act, 1874 (15 of 1874).

It had been declared by Notification under s. 3 (a) of the Scheduled Districts Act, 1874 (14 of 1874), to be in force in the Scheduled Districts; namely − Hazara, Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan and Dera Ghazi Khan. [Portions of the Districts of Hazara, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan and Dera Ghazi Khan and the Districts of Peshawar and Kohat now form the N.W.F.P., see Gazette of India, 1901, Pt. I, p. 867, and ibid., 1902, Pt. I, p.575. 

2. Added by the Societies Registration (Amendment) Act, 1927 (XXII of 1927).

3. The words and figures “under Act 19 of 1857” repealed by the Repealing Act, 1874 (16 of 1874).