the need for a national policy on the voluntary sector has been debated in public circles for close to 20 years. The matter seemed to have been sealed with the Union cabinet approving a policy on May 17, 2007. "Creating an environment for the Voluntary Organisations (vos) in order to stimulate their effectiveness,' is among its stated aims. But the policy has evoked mixed response from its target group: a few voluntary groups hold that it will strengthen government control over them, while some others see the policy as the first step towards government recognition of their role in developmental activities. The reaction is not surprising considering the policy targets a vast and diverse group including ngos, community-based organisations and charities. "There are 12 lakh vo s in India, 53 per cent of which work in rural areas.The sector is growing at between 10 and 15 per cent annually,' notes the Voluntary Action Network of India (vani), a lobby group representing 2,400 ngos.

The approved policy is a reworked version of a draft circulated in 2003. Between 2003 and 2007, the government carried out a series of consultations with voluntary groups to finalise the policy.


On paper The document's key points deal with accountability and transparency in voluntary sector governance. It recognises the sector as a key agency for development, and as a critical watchdog of the government. It notes, for example, "The independence of vos allows them to explore alternative paradigms of development to challenge