This book explores what difference development aid has made to the size, complexity, style of functioning, values and future direction of the NGO sector in India. It does this, first, by giving a comprehensive documentation of the experience of Indian NGOs with foreign aid since Independence. Simultaneously, it also analyses, in a broad historical perspective, some of the issues which are the subject of contemporary debate regarding the voluntary sector and aid, such as who decides 'what' is development and 'how' it should be brought about; whether foreign donors have hidden agendas, and if their aid amounts to cultural imperialism; and whether aid has made NGOs more self-reliant. The book also looks at the tripartite relationship between NGOs, donors, and governments, examining, for instance, whether the government is justified in imposing restrictions on receipt of funds by NGOs on the grounds that terrorist activities and religiously motivated communal strife are often financed with funds from abroad, with NGOs being used as fronts for both.

This book explores what difference development aid has made to the size, complexity, style of functioning, values and future direction of the NGO sector in India. It does this, first, by giving a comprehensive documentation of the experience of Indian NGOs with foreign aid since Independence. Simultaneously, it also analyses, in a broad historical perspective, some of the issues which are the subject of contemporary debate regarding the voluntary sector and aid, such as who decides ?what? is development and ?how? it should be brought about; whether foreign donors have hidden agendas, and if their aid amounts to cultural imperialism; and whether aid has made NGOs more self-reliant.

The book also looks at the tripartite relationship between NGOs, donors, and governments, examining, for instance, whether the government is justified in imposing restrictions on receipt of funds by NGOs on the grounds that terrorist activities and religiously motivated communal strife are often financed with funds from abroad, with NGOs being used as fronts for both.

India has been a major recipient of international aid since its independence on account of its developmental gaps and wide income disparity; yet it also ranks among the top four nations in the world in terms of the number of billionaires. How and what do these fabulously wealthy Indians contribute to the development of their own society? What is the nature of Indian philanthropy? Has the phenomenal wealth creation in recent decades seen an increase in altruistic spending in social development, and what role does the Indian state play in promoting or restraining the act of giving? Making an important distinction between charity and philanthropy, Giving with a Thousand Hands argues that while charity is alive and well in India, the country is short on philanthropy defined as altruistic giving on a large enough scale to bring about transformative social change. The author in this book offers a vision for the future of Indian philanthropy, maintaining that it has a vital role to play in the country and needs to be encouraged through various measures.