The right of all citizens to form associations or unions is guaranteed by the Constitution of India, Article 19(1) (c). Charitable organizations usually take the legal form of a trust, society, or non-profit company (also called not-for-profit organizations or NGOs), and are regulated by a variety of state and central government agencies, laws and authorities. Unsurprisingly for such a large and diverse country there is also a wide diversity of charitable organizations within India. However, while the sector is undoubtedly large, there remains a lack of reliable data about its size and scope.