The cooperative movement in India grew owing to the need for development in agriculture and allied sector. The first law on Cooperative was the Cooperative Credit Societies Act, 1904 and it was followed by a more comprehensive legislation called the Cooperative Societies Act passed in 1912 for formation of Cooperative societies other than credit. The Cooperative Societies Act, 1912 made provision for the creation of the post of registrar of cooperative societies and registration of cooperative societies for various purposes and audit. Cooperatives have been treated as a provincial subject under the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919 and Government of India Act, 1935 and also, provinces were empowered to make their own cooperative laws. The subject of Cooperative Societies is enlisted under the State List of the Constitution of India and therefore, the States are empowered to make respective laws on Cooperative Societies. Housing is also a State subject but the Central Government is entrusted with the responsibility to formulate policies regarding measures and programmes for effective implementation of social housing schemes, mostly for the weaker sections of the society. The National Housing Policy was formulated as strategy under the 8th Five Year Plan with the long term objective to reduce houselessness, to improve the housing conditions of the inadequately housed and to provide a minimum level of basic services and amenities to all. The National Cooperative Housing Federation of India was established in 1969 to lead the Cooperative Housing movement in India. Its main objectives are to coordinate the Apex Cooperative Housing Finance Societies and to promote and develop cooperative housing societies in the country. The National Cooperative Housing Federation of India is backed by the Ministry of Urban Development as a measure to encourage cooperative housing. The National Cooperative Housing Federation of India has drafted a Model Cooperative Housing Societies Law to satisfy the specialized needs of housing cooperatives and it has been approved by the Ministry of Law and the Ministry of Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation. Every State and Union Territory in India has been directed to adopt the Model Law subject to the local conditions and requirements.
