Section 11 of the Co-operative Societies Act, 1912: Amendment of By-laws of a Registered Society
Section 11 of the Co-operative Societies Act, 1912 deals with the legal requirement for registration of an amendment to the by-laws of a registered society. The central point is that an amendment does not become valid under this provision merely because the society has approved it internally; the amendment must also be registered under the Act.
Text of Section 11
11. Amendment of the by-laws of a registered society
(1) No amendment of the by-laws of a registered society shall be valid until the same has been registered under this Act, for which purpose a copy of the amendment shall be forwarded to the Registrar.
(2) If the Registrar is satisfied that any amendment of the by-laws is not contrary to this Act or to the rules, he may, if he thinks fit, register the amendment.
(3) When the Registrar registers an amendment of the by-laws of a registered society, he shall issue to the society a copy of the amendment certified by him, which shall be conclusive evidence that the same is duly registered.
Meaning and effect of Section 11
The provision establishes a registration-based process for amendments to the by-laws of a society governed by the 1912 Act. A proposed amendment must be sent to the Registrar. The Registrar considers whether the amendment is contrary to the Act or the rules and may register it if the statutory requirement is satisfied.
After registration, the Registrar is required to issue a certified copy of the amendment to the society. Under sub-section (3), that certified copy is conclusive evidence that the amendment has been duly registered.
What are "by-laws" under the 1912 Act?
Section 2(a) of the Co-operative Societies Act, 1912 defines "by-laws" as the registered by-laws for the time being in force and includes a registered amendment of those by-laws. Read with Section 11, this definition emphasizes that registration is an essential statutory element of an amendment under the Act.
Practical requirements under Section 11
- The society must first adopt or propose the amendment in accordance with the procedure applicable to it.
- A copy of the amendment must be forwarded to the Registrar for registration under the Act.
- The Registrar examines whether the amendment is contrary to the Act or the applicable rules.
- The amendment becomes valid for the purposes of Section 11 only after registration.
- On registration, the certified copy issued by the Registrar is conclusive evidence of due registration.
Current legal context
The Co-operative Societies Act, 1912 is an important historical central enactment, but its present application must be checked jurisdiction by jurisdiction. The Ministry of Cooperation maintains a State Acts resource covering the co-operative legislation applicable in different States and Union Territories. For a society operating in more than one State, the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 2002 and the regulatory framework administered by the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies are ordinarily relevant.
Accordingly, Section 11 should not automatically be treated as the governing provision for every co-operative society in India. The society's registration, territorial operation, applicable State or Union Territory enactment, and any later legislation should be verified before taking legal or procedural action.
Official legal resources
For verification of the statutory text, refer to the official India Code copy of the Co-operative Societies Act, 1912. For current State and Union Territory legislation, see the Ministry of Cooperation - State Acts. Information concerning multi-State co-operative societies is available from the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies.
Last reviewed: 21 September 2026. This page is intended as a general legal reference. The applicable co-operative law should be verified for the relevant jurisdiction and society.