In a significant administrative reform with strong cooperative overtones, the Central Government has notified the Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Registration of Societies Regulation, 2026, introducing democratic governance, financial accountability and stricter oversight for registered societies in the Union Territory.
The new Regulation mirrors several principles commonly followed in the cooperative sector. It mandates elected governing bodies with a fixed three-year tenure, compulsory Annual General Meetings (AGMs), audited accounts, updated membership registers and regular filing of annual returns.
One of the major highlights is the provision empowering authorities to supersede governing bodies and appoint administrators in cases of financial irregularities, delayed elections or mismanagement, a mechanism similar to those used in cooperative institutions.
The law also introduces digital governance measures, transparency in property transactions and powers for inquiry into societies suspected of fraud or misuse of funds.
Interestingly, societies will not be allowed to use the term “co-operative” in their names without prior government approval, underlining the legal distinction between societies and cooperative institutions.