Society Registration in Chhattisgarh

The Societies Registration Act, introduced in 1860 under the helm of the British Raj, facilitates the registration of entities for a social cause, the likes of which may include the pursuit of education, health and employment. Such entities are formed to serve the society without the intention of earning profits and are registered as literary charitable or scientific societies. In this article, we look at the procedure for obtaining Society registration in Chhattisgarh.

Membership Requirements

A society establishment is by forming a Memorandum of Association (MOA) with at least seven members. The MOA must be filed before the Registrar of Societies. A national-level society, on the other hand, requires a minimum of eight members belonging to various states.

Purpose of Registration

Section 20 of the Societies Registration Act provides that the registration of a society can be done for the following purposes:

Promotion of fine arts.
Diffusion of political education.
Provision of charitable endeavors.
Promotion of science.
Promotion of literature.
Formation of military orphan funds.
Maintenance or foundation of galleries or public museum.
Maintenance or foundation of reading rooms or libraries.
Promotion/diffusion/instruction of knowledge.

The Advantage Offered by a Society

Though a non-profit entity, society offers a gamut of benefits, which are as follows:

Distinct legal entity.
Entitlement to lease/rent/procure/sell the particular property, borrow money, and enter into contracts.
Limited liability, except if certain debts or obligations are incurred from activities pursued to obtain money from pecuniary gain.
Organized operations.
Income-tax exemptions.

Name Matters

Naming is the foremost aspect of the registration of a society. A society must be named under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 which stipulates that the entity shouldn’t bear any name which is similar or identical to an existing one. Following are a few of the other vital rules of the provision:

The names so proposed mustn’t suggest any kind of patronage by the Government of India or any of the state governments.
The names mustn’t be restricted under the ‘Emblems and Names Act, 1950.’

Memorandum of Understanding

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of the society must be duly signed by all the founding members, under the supervision of a Gazetted Officer, Notary Public, Chartered Accountant, Oath Commissioner, Advocate or first class Magistrate. The document must include the official stamping of the entity, its complete address; as well as the names, addresses, designations, and occupations of the members.

Articles of Association

The Articles of Association (AOA) of a Society registered under this act must include the following information:

Rules and regulations.
Maintenance of daily activities.
Details of the meetings of the society and its schedule.
Details of the auditors.
Forms of arbitration in the event of any dispute among the members of the society.
Manner of dissolution of society.

Documents Required

While applying for society registration, submit the following documents:

Affidavit of ownership.
PAN Card of the members.
No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the registered office of the society.
MOA consisting of the signature of the authorized signatories.
Articles of Association (AOA) with the signature of the members.
Electricity/Water bill.
Proof of residence of the members.
Copy of property documents.
NOC from the landlord.
Name, address, and details of occupation of the members, along with their respective signatures.
Covering letter substantiating the objective of forming the society, duly signed by the founder members.
Details of office bearers including eligibility, admission, withdrawal, and termination of membership.
Financial details.
A declaration by the president of the society stating that he/she consents to the post and is competent to hold the same.

Furnish the following documents to the Registrar of Societies by remitting the necessary fee. Upon receiving the application, the Registrar would acknowledge the original copy by a signature and return it to the applicant; while maintaining a second copy for approval.

Registration

The Registrar would certify a Society as registered after verifying the documents and terms and conditions of the applicant. The applying entity may have to wait for seven days upon submission of the documents and information.