NEW DELHI: For a country
which till recently had a weak civil society movement, India is now witnessing
a boom in the NGO sector. With a population of 1.2 billion, the country could
well be the land of opportunities for non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
with the Central Bureau of Investigation conservatively estimating 20 lakh of
them already operating in states and union territories.
The mind-boggling figures boil down to one NGO per every 600 people. Compare this to the latest government data on police. According to the latest figures from the Union home ministry, India has just one policeman for every 943 people.
But there is an accountability deficit among the NGOs. And that's how CBI got into the picture as the Supreme Court responded to a PIL. Many don't submit details of receipt of grant and spending to income tax authorities, the CBI told the apex court.
The mind-boggling figures boil down to one NGO per every 600 people. Compare this to the latest government data on police. According to the latest figures from the Union home ministry, India has just one policeman for every 943 people.
But there is an accountability deficit among the NGOs. And that's how CBI got into the picture as the Supreme Court responded to a PIL. Many don't submit details of receipt of grant and spending to income tax authorities, the CBI told the apex court.
