Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust
Founded2002
FounderSonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi
TypeNon-governmental organization, Indian Trusts Act 1882
FocusEducation, Healthcare, Poverty Reduction
Location
Area served
India
MethodCommunity Mobilization, Empowerment, Capacity Building, Service Delivery
Key people
Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson
Deep Joshi, CEO
Websitewww.rgct.in
www.rgmvp.org
www.igehrc.org

The Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT) is a registered non-profit institution which was established in 2002 by the Indian National Congress. Named after the 6th Prime Minister of India, the trust is headed by the Interim President of the Indian National Congress.[1]

Board of Trustees and Management

The Board of Trustees as well as the Management of the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable is heavily influenced by the Indian National Congress.

Board of trustees

Post in the Trust Trustees
Chairperson Sonia Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi
Business Executive Dr Ashok Ganguly
Charted Accountant Bansi Mehta
Deep Joshi

Management

Post in the Trust Trustees
CEO Dr YSP Thorat
CEO Dr Anil Tara
State Program Director Mohanan
Chief Financial Officer Shantannam D Sinha

Initiatives

Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojana

Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojana (RGMVP) is a flagship program of the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT) which "aims to build and strengthen the community institutions of the poor".[2] It is a rights-based initiative that works for poverty reduction, women’s empowerment and rural development in the backward regions of Uttar Pradesh. The main activity of RGMVP includes organising poor rural women into community institutions in the form of Self Help Groups (SHGs) - each consisting of 10-20 women - that act as social platforms to address issues of financial inclusion, healthcare, livelihood, education and environment. The organisation has "the belief that the poor have a strong desire and innate ability to overcome poverty".[3]

RGMVP has been designed by RGCT and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) with technical assistance from the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) for promotion, credit linkage and federation of SHGs in select districts of Uttar Pradesh.[4] The programme has been visited by the Microsoft Chairman, Bill Gates[5][6][7] and the British ex-Foreign Secretary, David Miliband.[8]

Indira Gandhi Eye Hospital and Research Centre

Indira Gandhi Eye Hospital and Research Centre (IGEHRC) was established by the Trust (RGCT) in 2006 to address a requirement for quality and affordable eye care and eliminate curable blindness in Northern India and Asia. Currently, two hospitals are operating in Uttar Pradesh: a secondary level facility in Amethi, and a tertiary level hospital in Lucknow. Two additional centres are operational in Gurugram. IGEHRC aims "to provide timely and affordable world-class eye care to all segments of society".[9] Regular community outreach programmes are organised in rural areas to provide quality eye care and to create eye care awareness among the rural population.[10]

Controversies

Amethi Rajiv Gandhi Trust land grab scam

In 1983 Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation had taken 65 acres land from farmers to set up a factory by Emperor Bicycle Company in Kauhar village of Amethi. After company failed to set up the factory, instead of returning the land to farmers as per rule, it was given to the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust in violation of rules. The trust was sued. On 26 August 2015, the local court ordered the Rajiv Gandhi Trust to return the land to Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation.[11][12][13][14] But despite the order, the land is continued to be under the trust.[15][16]

Gurugram Rajiv Gandhi Trust land grab scam

Between 2004-2014, Government of Haryana, then under the administration of Indian National Congress's Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, had handed over 1,400 acres of panchayat land to the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust in the name of public interest use, resulting in this trust being sued by the gram panchayat in Punjab and Haryana High Court against the land grabbing of the Gandhi family by the Hooda government.[17][18]

Investigations

Probe by Home Ministry

In 2018, Ministry of Home Affairs launched a probe to investigate violation of foreign funding laws in 42 organizations one of which was the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust.[19][20]

Inter-Ministerial Committee

In 2020, Ministry of Home Affairs set up a inter-ministerial committee headed by the special director of the Enforcement Department to coordinate investigation into violation of various legal provisions of PMLA, Income Tax Act, FCRA and other provisions by the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust along with the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.[21][22][23] The committee will consist of the representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation and Income Tax Department.[22][20]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "About RGCT - Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust". www.rgct.in. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  2. ↑ "RGMVP". www.rgmvp.org. Archived from the original on 2 June 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  3. ↑ "RGMVP". www.rgmvp.org. Archived from the original on 1 June 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  4. ↑ "National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development". nabard.org. Archived from the original on 13 June 2010. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  5. ↑ "Bill Gates visits Amethi with Rahul Gandhi, Photo Gallery". Ndtv.com. 12 May 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  6. ↑ "Gates promises to make Amethi an IT hub". The Hindu. 11 May 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  7. ↑ "Rahul takes Bill Gates to Amethi : Latest Headlines, News - India Today". Indiatoday.intoday.in. 11 May 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  8. ↑ "Rahul's self-help groups fan out over 10 districts - Express India". www.expressindia.com. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  9. ↑ "IGEHRC | Quality Eye Care | Affordable Eye Care Hospital | Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust". Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
  10. ↑ "IGEHRC | Affordable Eye Care Hospital | Community Screening Camps | Eye Screening Camps". www.igehrc.in. Archived from the original on 27 August 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  11. ↑ Service, Tribune News. "Rajiv Gandhi Trust land in Amethi to be returned to UPSIDC". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  12. ↑ "Amethi land row: Bicycle firm never owned land sold to Rajiv trust, rules court". The Indian Express. 27 August 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  13. ↑ PTI (26 August 2015). "Rajiv Gandhi Trust ordered to return land in Amethi to UPSIDC". mint. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  14. ↑ "Court orders Rajiv trust to return land". The Hindu. 27 August 2015. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  15. ↑ "'Rahul Gandhi Has Grabbed Our Land': Cong Chief Faces Farmers' Ire in Amethi". News18. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  16. ↑ "With Rahul in Amethi, farmers demand back land given to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation". WION. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  17. ↑ Rahul ji! See how Gandhi family has grabbed thousands of acres of farmers, Perform India, 7 Dec 2017.
  18. ↑ "Gurugram Rajiv Gandhi Trust Land Grab Scam Latest News, Photos, Videos on Gurugram Rajiv Gandhi Trust Land Grab Scam". News Nation (in Hindi). Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  19. ↑ "Home Ministry probes Mary Kom's NGO, Rajiv Gandhi Trust over 'foreign fund misuse'". The Asian Age. 20 March 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  20. 1 2 Tripathi, Rahul. "Government widens probe into trusts named after Rajiv, Indira". The Economic Times. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  21. ↑ "All about 3 Gandhi family-linked trusts being probed by govt for 'financial irregularities'". ThePrint. 8 July 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  22. 1 2 "Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust come under the scanner". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  23. ↑ "Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust: All you need to know about Rajiv and Indira Gandhi trusts under probe by MHA | India News - Times of India". The Times of India. 8 July 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
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