NGO
- NGOs are voluntary organizations, that work toward a social cause and social justice. They have assumed a significant space in civil society.
- NGOs with the support given by the government has been accelerating its development activities by taking up specific issues like poverty alleviation, casteism and discrimination, women rights, child labour, rural development, environmental issues etc.
Role of NGOs in Development:
- Social development: NGOs ensure development which essentially involves the equal participation of the people.
- They play an important role in educating and motivating people to fight for their rights.
Education:
- The NGOs actively work for promoting education, particularly among weaker sections of the population.
Women empowerment:
- More and more women are working for their rights and involving themselves actively in the social sphere.
- Sewa, Sathin, Eklavya, Disha etc. are some of the thousands of NGOs known for their role in development by creating awareness among people and interventions regarding women.
Environmental awareness:
- Thousands of voluntary organisations work to awaken people and governments against environmental degradation and depletion of resources e.g. Vanashakti NGO.
Rehabilitation:
- The projects like the construction of dams, road highways and railways have often led to displacement of some sections of people, particularly in rural areas without being properly compensated.
- The NGOs have a major role to play towards the cause of people’s resettlement and are also performing commendable jobs in this direction.
Protecting dignity:
- Protecting dignity of women by protecting women suffering from gender discrimination, racial and religious discriminations.
Human rights protection:
- The contribution of NGOs to human rights and public awareness is significant in India.
- The recognition of the rights of homosexuals and transgender people, for instance, would have been unimaginable without the sustained effort of civil society organisations.