Synopsis At the time when Non-Governmental Organisations are growing day-by-day and making their presence felt at the grassroots, national and international levels, and Government of India has accorded an important place to their role in the country's planned development. (Seventh to Eighth), this new volume on the subject is bound to be welcomed by planners, policy-makers, administrators, social workers, scholars and researchers as a timely and very useful work. The book reflects the adoption of inter-disciplinary approach so very necessary to comprehend the nature, role and the dynamics of the NGO world. It brings the perspectives from political science, public administration, social work, sociology, history, philosophy, development economics and environment under one roof in examining the issue of people's participation through NGOs in rural-urban development, women's development, environmental development and nation-building in India. While many empirical works on NGOs are available today, this study makes a qualitative difference in three respects: 1. It conceptualises the NGOs, for the first time, as the institutional mechanism for channeling people's participation in socio-economic development and nation-building.   2. Its canvas paints the theory, and practice of these bodies and seeks to weave an integrated and holistic theory on the NGOs, thereby filling the gap on the body of knowledge. 3. It puts forward many suggestions and recommendations which practising administrators, managers and social workers will find very constructive and useful.