INTRODUCTION

NGOs include groups and institutions that are entirely or largely independent of government and that have primarily humanitarian or cooperative rather than commercial objectives. They are private agencies in industrial countries that support international development; indigenous groups organized regionally or nationally and member-groups in villages.

NGOs include charitable and religious associations that mobilize private funds for development, distribute food and family planning services and promote community associations, water-user societies, womens groups and pastoral associations. Citizen groups that raise awareness and influence policy are also NGOs.

NGOs are traditionally known as: Voluntary Organization Voluntary Agencies Voluntary Development Organization

Non Governmental Development Organizations

An NGO is a non-profit making, voluntary, service-oriented/development oriented organization, either for the benefit of members. It is an organization of private individuals who believe in certain basic social principles and who structure their activities to bring about development to communities they are serving.

It is a social development organization assisting in empowerment of people. An organization or group of people working independent of any external control with specific objectives and aims to fulfill tasks that are oriented to bring about desirable change in a given community or area or situation.

An independent, democratic, non-sectarian peoples organization working for the empowerment of economic and/ or socially marginalized groups. An organization not affiliated to political parties, generally engaged in working for development and welfare of the community.

An organization committed to the root causes of the problems trying to better the quality of life especially for the poor, the oppressed, the marginalized in urban and rural areas. Organizations established by and for the community with or without little intervention from the government; they are not only a charity organization, but work on socioeconomic-cultural activities.

Social Welfare is the main role of NGO. The role to play in providing basic needs and amenities to and addressing the problems of the downtrodden and the weaker sections( women and children) The government has identified, considering the social pattern of living and needs of citizens, schemes in which NGOs and Voluntary organizations can participate.

Age care Agriculture Animal welfare Art & Craft Children Cities & Urban Culture & heritage Disability Education

Environment Health Human resource Rural development Science & Technology Tribal People Waste Management Welfare Women development Other social and cultural activities.

NGOs provide expert analysis in the field: serve as early warning agents and help monitor and implement international agreements. NGOs also help raise public awareness of issues, play a major role in advancing UN goals and objectives and contribute essential information at UN sponsored events. NGOs advocate many of the causes of concern to the UN, Volunteer resources and execute and oversee development projects.

VOs and NGOs are used interchangeably , but they differ widely in their objectives, methodology, style of functioning, motives, legal status, socio-political orientation, ideological affinity, economic strength etc. Voluntary organization are opposite to business, cooperative and trade associations. Voluntary organizations or agencies are essentially non-profit and non-partisan organizations.

They are largely independent of the government and are characterized primarily by humanitarian or cooperative rather than profit making objective. VOs are controlled and administered by an association of citizens rather than any influence from the government.

The term NGO has acquired wide acceptance internationally. The united Nations nomenclature of an NGO refers to any international organization not established by inter-governmental agreement including organizations which accept members designated by governmental authorities, provided that such membership does not interfere with the organizations free expression views.

NGOs are different from the market induced organization and other organizations of the state. They are formalized organizations beyond the market and the state, receiving their resources partly from voluntary contributions of the society. The term Ngo in India has been used to denote a wide spectrum of organizations which may be non-govermental, quasi or semi governmental, voluntary or non-volantary, partisan or non partisan, formal or informal, non-profit or profit oriented bodies, with a legal status and registered under special Acts.