Kerala Assembly passes Bill for unified law on societies amid Opposition ruckus over Sabarimala row

The Kerala Societies Registration Act, 2025, meant to replace two laws governing pre-1956 societies with a single piece of legislation for the entire state, was passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly on Tuesday (October 7) amid opposition turmoil over the Sabarimala Gold ‘Theft’ controversy.

Registration Minister Kadannapally Ramachandran, who introduced the bill as notified by the Subject Committee (Economic Affairs), called it an “important, timely and historic step” in matters related to the state’s registration department.

The Bill is designed to replace the Societies Registration Act, 1860 (No. 21) applicable to the erstwhile Malabar district and the Travancore-Cochin Literary, Scientific and Charitable Societies Act, 1955 (Act of 1955) applicable to the erstwhile Travancore-CoChin district.

The bill, which was first presented in the Parliament on September 29, was later directed to the subject.

Speaking at home, Mr. Ramachandran said that only one-fifth of the 5-plus lakh societies in the state have submitted their returns on time. The two current actions involve well-known institutions like the Kerala Cricket Association, Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) and Kerala Sahitya Akademi to rural libraries and even residents’ associations.

“The absence of a single law for the entire state has been a handicap. The bill aims to simplify procedures and bring efficiency and transparency. It also aims to check the possibility of paper organizations and fraud,” Ramachandran said.

The bill covers aspects such as registration, annual general body meetings, filing of returns, handling of crimes and cases, and amalgamation and dissolution of societies.

UDF members save opposition

Meanwhile, opposition UDF members in the Subject Committee have registered their dissent on certain aspects of the bill.

In a note of dissent attached to the bill as reported by the committee, UDF members welcomed the intention to have a unified bill for literary, scientific and philanthropic societies. However, they noted their objections, citing a lack of provision in the design to ensure transparency, prepare a database of existing societies and avoid unnecessary litigation regarding the activities of the societies.