SOCIAL ISSUES IN INDIA


 Siddhi Anil Kumbhar
Roll No. 5016

Role and significance of NGOs associated with social work:

 India has made rapid progress in the socio-economic sphere in the last seven decades . Millions have been brought out of poverty, life expectancy has shot up, literacy rate has almost tripled and people have better access to healthcare services. However , given the vastness of India, both in terms of demography and area, and its social-cultural diversity, millions are still bereft of a decent life. Even today, numerous people struggle to get basics such as health, shelter, education and nutritious food. The benefits of India's economic progress have not been uniform in nature. There is rampant economic inequality. This is where NGOs' role comes into the picture. Their job is to plug the gasps left by the government by improving the lives of the most marginalised communities.

In India, NGOs undertake a variety of activities, most of which are aimed at improving the socio-economic status of communities with limited means. From providing direct benefit (like distributing nutrition feed to malnourished children) to enabling and empowering people (like making a community realise the importance of sending their children to school), the primary role of NGOs in India has a far-reaching impact in helping underprivileged.

Since the past few decades many Non-Government Organizations in India have come into existence and through their dedicated and selfless work strengthened their position in society. Out of these have carved a name for themselves and have impacted society in a positive way. These NGO in India have to overcome many problems that are prevalent in our country such as lack of transparency or corruption.

All organizations that nominate themselves for India's Best NGOs to work For TM undergo a rigorous assessment. This year 44 NGOs applied for this Study. As part of this assessment, all organizations were evaluated through two lenses. The First lens measures the quality of employee experience through our globally validated survey instrument known as Trust Index. The survey helps in seeking anonymous feedback from employees and carries 75% weightage. The Second lens is called Cultural Audit, it is a proprietary tool of the Institute that evaluates the strength of the leadership as supported by meaningful values & philosophy and quality of the practices & programs  that shape employee experience,build consistent levels of trust and enable each individual to use their potential to better organizational performance. This carries 25% weightage. The Institute undertakes a robust validation process on the data gathered through the assessment process. The cumulative score of Trust Index and Culture Audit determines an organization's inclusion in India's Best NGOs to work For TM . No individual or jury has a say in who makes it to the Top 10 list-only employees feedback and quality of culture audit determines if an organization is a great workplace.


Some Major Functions and Roles of NGOs in India are: 

Utilising funds raised through donations, NGOs in India work for a wide range of causes. Some such causes include:

1.Child rights


2.Poverty

3.Social Injustice     

4.Environmental conservation 



5. Human rights

6. Care for elderly people

7. Women Empowerment 


8. Wildlife Conservation

9. Animal Right

10.Sanitation and Hygiene


11. Humanitarian Relief 

12. Health and Nutrition 

13. Literacy and Education 

14. Refugee Crisis

15. Disease Control and others

NGOs are composed of expert with years of experience in executing social welfare activities. Before rolling out a project, detailed analysis of the situation is done and possible solutions are contemplated. Collaboration with civic agencies and other government agencies (at district, state and even national level at times) is done to carry out the work. 

NGOs not only go on the ground to address these issues, they also undertake massive campaigning activities to generate awareness on these issues. In today's time, NGOs are efficiently leveraging the power of social media to disseminate information about their work and reach more and more people. 

The Importance of NGOs in India 

India has made rapid progress in the socio-economic sphere in the last seven decades. Millions have been brought out of poverty, life expectancy has shot up, literacy rate has almost tripled and people have better access to healthcare services. However, given the vastness of India, both in terms of demography and area, and its socio-cultural diversity, millions are still bereft of a decent life. Even today, numerous people struggle to get basics such as health, shelter, education and nutritious food. The benefits of India's economic progress have not been uniform in nature. There is rampant economic inequality. This is where NGOs role comes into the picture. Their job is to plug the gasps left by the government by improving the lives of the most marginalised communities.

In India NGOs undertake a variety of activities, most of which are aimed at improving the socio-economic status of communities with limited means. From providing direct benefit (like distributing nutrition feed to malnourished children) to enabling and empowering people (like making a community realise the importance of sending their children to school), the primary role of NGOs in India has a far-reaching impact in helping underprivileged and deprived people march ahead in life. 

Non-Governmental Organizations in India have developed and strengthened through their good works in the last few decades. However , only a few of them have impacted society, and some are still working hard and serving the community. Here is some information about some Best NGOs ( Non Government Organizations ) in India and how they are doing ideal for society by doing great work for the society in India. They will give complete information about NGOs. 

NGOs in India:

1. CRY (Child Rights and You) : Trusted NGO , CRY works tirelessly to ensure happier and healthier childhood for India's underprivileged children. CRY addresses children's critical needs of healthcare, nutrition, education and protection from child labour and child marriage by working with parents, teachers, Anganwadi workers, communities , district and state-level governments, and the children themselves. In the last 42 years, CRY has impacted the lives of over 3 million children across 19 states in India.


2.Smile Foundation: Smile Foundation is an NGO based in New Delhi, India. It was established in 2002 and has a presence in 25 states. As of 2017, the Foundation reaches approximately 4 lakh children and their families. The purpose of the Smile Foundation for Education in India was to promote education among the underprivileged. Their development program includes Education, health, livelihood for children and women, and provision equally affected by lack of resources. Some of his programs are Smile on Wheels, Mission Education and Smile Twin e-learning programs. 


3. Goonj : Goonj is a NGO based in Delhi, India. It performs disaster relief, humanitarian aid and community development work in parts of 23 states of India. Echo focuses on clothes as a basic but unheard of need. It was founded in 1999 by Anshu Gupta. In 2012 by the Schwab Foundation, a World Economic Forum partner organization. For his work with Goonj, he was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2015. 

 Goonj has started with 67 garments and now deals with over 3500 tones of material every year. It is registered under the Societies Act and Section 80G, 12A and FCRA to exempt foreign contributions. 


4. Nanhi Kali: Nanhi Kali is an Indian NGO that supports education for underprivileged girls in India. Founded by Anand Mahindra in 1996, it is jointly managed by Nanhi Foundation and KC Mahindra Education Trust, part of the Mahindra Group's corporate social responsibilities.  Project Nanhi Kali educated girls and women positively to influence India in the long run. In an interview, the chairman of the non-profit organization , Sheetal Mehta , told the Daily News and Analysis that "we wanted to create global awareness about the plight of young girls in the country who are denied their basic rights."

5. HelpAge India:  This NGO focused on the concerns of elders. Established in 1978, its mission is to "work for the cause and care of under-aged elderly people and improve their standard of living". HelpAge is taking action against universal pension, healthcare, and Elder Abuse at the national, state and social levels with the central and state governments and advocates for the needy. It runs various age care programs to cater to the more significant needs. It aims to serve the disadvantaged elders holistically to lead an active, dignified and healthy life.


6. Save the children India: save the children is India's leading independent child rights NGO. which works in 16 states of the country. Starting its journey on 27th December 2004 when it was registered as 'Bal Raksha Bharat' under the societies Registration Act, 1860 and under the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act on 23rd April 2008. They have changed the lives of more than 12.4 million children till March 2022. 





7. Give India Foundation: Give India is a non-profit organization in India. It is an online donation platform channels and resources to trusted non-governmental organizations across India. As a web portal, it helps raise funds and contributions from individuals in India and worldwide and then distributes these donations to trusted NGOs. 

8. CARE India: CARE India has been working in India for 68 years and is a non-profit organization focusing on reducing poverty and social injustice. Our overall goal is to empower women and girls from poor and marginalised communities and improve their lives and livelihoods. We do this through well-planned and comprehensive health, education, livelihood, disaster relief, and response projects. Care India reached 31.5 million people directly through 43 projects in 14 states, covering more than 90 districts. 

9. Pratham:  Pratham is one of the largest non-governmental organizations in India. Madhav Chavan and Farida Lambe founded it. It works towards the provision of quality education for underprivileged children in India. Established in Mumbai in 1994 to provide pre-school education to children in slums, Pratham has intervened in 23 states and union territories in India and supported chapters in the United States, Britain, Germany and Sweden. 


10. Oxfam: Oxfam India works to ensure that Adivasis, Dalits, Muslims and Women and Girls have safe-violence-free future. They research to find lasting solutions to end rising inequalities and exclude marginalized communities from getting decent jobs, quality free education and healthcare.


 The work done by NGOs goes a long way in nation building. With the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Act mandating 2% spend by large corporate on social issues, NGOs have the potential to touch millions of more lives through their work. Over the years, NGOs have streamlined their operations and enhanced their scales. NGOs in India are already proving to be agents of change. In times to come, they will continue to play a significant role in helping large sections of the Indian society come out from the quagmire of property and distress. 
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