Laws and Policies on Volunteerism in India Vandana Jena
The Government of India is committed to strengthening the Voluntary Sector. Its commitment resonates well with the various policies, schemes and Programmes of the government that have created
a vast national network of volunteers involving millions of people to contribute to nation building.
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olunteerism has been defined in various ways, ranging from work done on behalf of charitable or non-governmental organizations, to work done by an individual for the benefit of others. The UN General Assembly, embracing an openended concept of volunteerism, defines it as “a wide range of activities, including traditional forms of mutual aid and self-help, formal service delivery and other forms of civic participation, undertaken of free will, for the general public good and where monetary reward is not the principal motivating factor.”
Volunteerism has been recognized the world over as being a major contributor to peace and development. While the UN International Year of the Volunteer in 2001 has given a major boost to volunteerism globally, in India volunteerism has been a part of India’s rich tradition. Indeed, it is embedded in the country’s cultural ethos. Philanthropy and individual acts of social service have, historically, been the main forms of voluntary activity in India. Institutionalized social service activities existed largely within the domain of religious institutions: Ashramas and Maths among Hindus, Waqfs and Khanqahs among Muslims and Gurudwaras and Deras among Sikhs80. Mahatma Gandhi further developed the tradition set by these early voluntary religious organizations. According to Gandhiji “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” The need for Volunteerism has been advocated in the successive Five Year Plans, in the National Youth Policy and in the Volunteer based Programmes of the Government. However, the National Policy on Voluntary Sector in India was announced only in 2007. The Planning Commission formulated the Policy. The Planning Commission was set up by a Resolution of the Government of India in March 1950 in pursuance of declared objectives of the Government to promote a rapid rise in the standard of living of the people by efficient exploitation of the resources of the country, increasing production and offering opportunities to all for employment in the service of the community. The planning commission along with other functions, formulates, executes and monitors the five year plans to determine the government’s development priorities most effective utilization of resources81.
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This article would confine itself to three aspects of Volunteerism in India: 80 Planning Commission, Government of India (GOI). Steering Committee Report for the Tenth Five Year Plan (20022007). 81 Planning Commission. History. Retrieved 19 January 2012 from http://planningcommission.nic.in/aboutus/history/ index.php?about=aboutbdy.htm.