The Societies Registration Act, 1860 is a legislation in India which allows the registration of entities generally involved in the benefit of society - education, health, employment etc.
The Indian Societies Registration Act of 1860 was enacted under the British Raj in India, but is largely still in force in India today. It provides for the registration of literary, scientific and charitable societies.
The British Indian Empire, with a wish to encourage such activities and to promote the formal organization of groups of likeminded people, incorporated the Act 21 of 1860. In other words, The Societies Registration Act, 1860 (21 of 1860), which came into force on 21 May 1860. The Act continues until today and being an Act of Parliament, comes under the Right to Information Act, wherein the government is legally responsible to give any information requested by any citizen of India with respect to any society.