Societies formed by memorandum of association and registration
Section 1 of the Societies Registration Act, 1860 deals with societies formed by memorandum of association and registration. Any seven or more persons associated for any literary, scientific, or charitable purpose, or for any such purpose as is described in section 20 of this Act, may, by subscribing their names to a memorandum of association, and filing the same with the Registrar of Joint-stock Companies , form themselv The Act was enacted on 21 May 1860.
Any seven or more persons associated for any literary, scientific, or charitable purpose, or for any such purpose as is described in section 20 of this Act, may, by subscribing their names to a memorandum of association, and filing the same with the Registrar of Joint-stock Companies 1***, form themselves into a society under this Act.
STATE AMENDMENTS
Orissa.--
Insertion of new section before section 1, Act 21 of 1860.--In the Societies Registration Act, 1860 (21 of 1860) (hereinafter referred to as the said Act), section 1 shall be renumbered as section 1-A and before the said section as so renumbered, the following new section shall be inserted, namely:--
1. Appointment of Registrar of Societies.--The State Government may, by notification, appoint a person to be called the Registrar of Societies and he shall exercise such powers and perform such duties and functions as are conferred by or under the provisions of this Act, and shall subject to such general or special order as the State Government may from time to time make, superintend the administration and carry out the provisions of this Act throughout the State or Orissa.
[Vide the Orissa Act 21 of 1958, s. 2]
Adaptation.--In the said Act, for the expressions, Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Registrar wherever they occur, the expression Registrar of Societies shall be substituted.
[Vide the Orissa Act 21 of 1958, s. 3]
Pending proceedings and construction of reference to Registrar of Companies in instruments issued or made before this Act.--(1) All proceedings under the said Act pending before the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies at the date of commencement of this Act shall stand transferred to the Registrar of Societies and any such proceedings shall be continued and disposed of by the Registrar of Societies, as if it had been originally instituted before such Registrar under the said Act.
(2) In all certificates of registration and in all rules or bye-laws of societies and in all other instruments issued or made under the said Act before the date of commencement of this Act, references to the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies or the Registrar of Companies shall be deemed to be and be construed as references to the Registrar of Societies.
[Vide the Orissa Act 21 of 1958, s. 4]
Orissa.--
Amendment of Section 1.--In the Societies Registration Act, 1860 (21 of 1860), as applicable to the State of Orissa , section 1 shall be renumbered as sub-section (1) thereof and after sub-section (1) as so renumbered, the following sub-sections shall be inserted, namely:--
"(2) The State Government may, by notification, appoint one or more Additional Registrars with such local jurisdiction as may be assigned to them by the State Government.
(3) The Additional Registrars so appointed shall, subject to the control of the Registrar of Societies, exercise such of the powers and perform such of the functions of the Registrar of Societies as the State Government may authorize in that behalf.".
[Vide the Orissa Act 9 of 1979, s. 2]
STATE AMENDMENT
Union territory of Ladakh
After the preamble and before the existing section 1, insert--
"1. Appointment, etc. of Registrar of Societies, etc.--(1) The Administration of Union territory of Ladakh may, by notification, appoint a person to be called the Registrar of Societies and he shall exercise such powers and perform such duties and functions as are conferred by or under the provisions of this Act, and shall subject to such general or special order as the Administration of the Union territory of Ladakh may from time to time make, superintend the administration and carry out the provisions of this Act throughout the Union territory of Ladakh.";
"(2) The Administration of the Union territory of Ladakh may by notification, appoint one or more Additional Registrars with such local jurisdiction as may be assigned to them.
(3) The Additional Registrars so appointed shall, subject to the control of the Registrar of Societies, exercise such of the powers and perform such of the functions of the Registrar of Societies as the Administration of the Union territory of Ladakh may authorise in that behalf.";
(b) number the existing section as section 1A and in this section as so numbered, for "Registrar of Joint-Stock Companies" substitute "Registrar of Societies.".
[Vide Union Territory of Ladakh Reorganisation (Adaptation of Central Laws) Second Order, 2020, vide Notification No. S.O. 3805(E), dated (26-10-2020).]
Arunachal Pradesh
After section 1, the following section shall be inserted, namely:--
"Definitions-1A. --In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:--
(a) "Administrator" means the Administrator of the Union territory of Arunachal Pradesh appointed by the President under Article 239 of the Constitution;
(b) "Registrar" means the Registrar of Societies appointed by the Administrator."
[Vide Arunachal Pradesh Act 6 of 1978, s. 2 and the schedule]
Uttarakhand
Substitution of section 1.--In Societies Registration Act 1860, (which is hereinafter referred to as Principal Act) the section 1 shall be substituted as follows, namely:--
"1. Societies formed by memorandum of association and registration.---Any seven or more persons associated for any literary, scientific or charitable purpose, or for any such purpose as is described in section 20 of the Act, may, be digital signature of their name in online form of Memorandum of Association and rules filling the same online with the Registrar form themselves into a society under this Act.
[Vide Uttarakhand Act 4 of 2019, s. 2]
Haryana
Insertion of section 1A in Central Act 21 of 1860.--After section 1 of the Societies Registration Act, 1860 (hereinafter called the principal Act), The following section shall be inserted, namely:--
"1A. Definitions.-- In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,--
(a) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(b) "State Government" means the Government of the State of Haryana.".
[Vide Haryana Act 14 of 2007, s. 2]
Section 1, The Societies Registration Act, 1860 (Act 21 of 1860).
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
Judgments citing this section
These may be obiter dicta or a precedent, for you to study. These are the judgments where this section is quoted.
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… Whenever any vacancy occurs in the committee, the committee is competent to nominate a new member. The committee shall meet in the first week of May every year. Three members shall constitute a quorum. The proceedings of the meeting of the committee shall be reduced to minutes. As per section 1 of the Societies Registration Act, 1860, the minimum number of members required for the formation of a society is 7. After the death of A.S. Muhammed Kutty, the managing committee met on 12.07.1959 and all the existing six members were re-elected for three years and Smt. Suharabi, was inducted into the committee, …
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… Whenever any vacancy occurs in the committee, the committee is competent to nominate a new member. The committee shall meet in the first week of May every year. Three members shall constitute a quorum. The proceedings of the meeting of the committee shall be reduced to minutes. As per section 1 of the Societies Registration Act, 1860, the minimum number of members required for the formation of a society is 7. After the death of A.S. Muhammed Kutty, the managing committee met on 12.07.1959 and all the existing six members were re-elected for three years and Smt. Suharabi, was inducted into the committee, …
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… Whenever any vacancy occurs in the committee, the committee is competent to nominate a new member. The committee shall meet in the first week of May every year. Three members shall constitute a quorum. The proceedings of the meeting of the committee shall be reduced to minutes. As per section 1 of the Societies Registration Act, 1860, the minimum number of members required for the formation of a society is 7. After the death of A.S. Muhammed Kutty, the managing committee met on 12.07.1959 and all the existing six members were re-elected for three years and Smt. Suharabi, was inducted into the committee, …
Questions about Section 1
What does Section 1 of the Societies Registration Act deal with?
Section 1 of the Societies Registration Act is headed "Societies formed by memorandum of association and registration". Any seven or more persons associated for any literary, scientific, or charitable purpose, or for any such purpose as is described in section 20 of this Act, may, by subscribing their names to a memorandum of association, and filing the same with the Registrar of Joint-stock Companies , form themselv
How do I find court cases under Section 1 of the Societies Registration Act?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Societies Registration Act 1, section 1 Societies Registration Act, section 1 of the Societies Registration Act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome.
What should I read with Section 1 of the Societies Registration Act, and has it changed?
Its own text turns on section 20 (To what societies the Act shall apply), so none of them can safely be read on its own. 3 other provisions in this corpus refer back to it.
When was Section 1 of the Societies Registration Act enacted?
Section 1 of the Societies Registration Act, cited as Societies Registration Act 1, was enacted on 21 May 1860 as Act 21 of 1860. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
- 20. To what societies the Act shall apply6292 words
- 12. Societies enabled to alter, extend or abridge their purposes2939 words
- 4. Annual list of managing body to be filed1214 words
- 3. Registration and fees836 words
- 13. Provision for dissolution of societies and adjustment of their affairs609 words
- 19. Inspection of documents, Certified copies351 words
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 14 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.