"This study is an attempt to evaluate the voluntary efforts being done in rural India in organising the marginalised weaker sections of the society for their development and liberation. The main focus is on the role of NGOs, also called Third Sector' (the other two sectors being government and business), which has been gaining increasing importance in the development of the underprivileged. International development agencies such as the World Bank, the IMF etc., have also realised the limitations of formal organisations such as government agencies and the role of private sector in the objective development of various sections of the society. As such, the book concerns with the aims, objectives, organisational structure and initiation of development programmes by the voluntary organisations and the role of voluntary workers in the process of development. It also examines the limitations of seeking funds and their utilisation, the problems and prospects of involving the target groups and its implication in the development process. Further, it also highlights the importance of the voluntary organisations and their impact on the development of weaker sections of the society."