ImpactMojo Law Guides
Indian laws for the social sector
Guides to the Indian laws that govern development organisations, each saying who the law applies to, what it requires and where it is unclear, with a checklist you can work through.
Development Law Docket
109 judgments of Indian courts that changed what development organisations, state programmes and rights-holders can do. Each entry gives the holding, what it changed in practice and whether the ruling is still good law.
Open the docket →The FCRA for the social sector
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 applies to any organisation that receives money from outside India. The guide covers registration and prior permission, the designated account at the State Bank of India's New Delhi Main Branch, the bar on passing foreign contributions to other organisations, the 20 per cent limit on administrative spending, and how licences are cancelled.
Read the guide →CSR law for the social sector
Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 and the CSR Rules require qualifying companies to spend 2 per cent of their average net profit on listed activities. The guide covers Schedule VII, CSR-1 registration for NGOs, the deadlines for unspent funds, and impact assessment.
Read the guide →The POSH Act for the social sector
The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 requires an Internal Committee at every workplace with ten or more employees. The guide covers what counts as a workplace, including places staff visit for work, the statutory deadlines, and what a small NGO must do.
Read the guide →The RTI Act for the social sector
The Right to Information Act, 2005 lets any citizen ask a public authority for its records. The guide covers how to file an application that gets an answer, how to use the Act for advocacy and evidence, and when your own NGO counts as a public authority.
Read the guide →Child protection laws for the social sector
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 requires any person who has knowledge that a sexual offence against a child has been committed, or who fears that one is likely, to report it to the Special Juvenile Police Unit or the local police. The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 governs child care institutions. The guide covers the reporting duty, registration of child care institutions, the Child Welfare Committees and Childline, and photographing children.
Read the guide →The RPwD Act for the social sector
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 puts duties on employers and on anyone who provides services to the public. The guide covers reasonable accommodation, accessibility standards, and how to design programmes that include people with disabilities.
Read the guide →Running an NGO in India: registration, tax and compliance
A small non-profit can be a trust, a society or a Section 8 company, and each carries different duties. The guide covers registration, approval of the organisation and its donors under the Income-tax Act, 2025, audits and returns, CSR-1, FCRA, NGO Darpan, conflicts of interest on the board, and a calendar of yearly deadlines.
Read the guide →Land, forest and resource rights for the social sector
For practitioners working with rural, Adivasi and forest-dwelling communities. The guide covers the 2013 land acquisition law, claims under the Forest Rights Act, PESA and the Fifth Schedule, how to read land records, and the 2023 amendment to the forest conservation law.
Read the guide →Data protection is a full course
The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 sets rules on consent, notice and children's data, and it applies to NGOs that hold data about the people they serve. Its duties apply from 13 May 2027; the Data Protection Board has existed since 13 November 2025. It has its own foundational course, Data Protection & DPDP 101.
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