(1) Any voluntary association registered under the Societies Registration Act, 11860 (21 of 1860) or a company registered under the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956) or any other law for time being in force with the objective of protecting the rights and interests of women by any lawful means including providing of legal aid, medical, financial or other assistance and desirous of providing service as a service provider under the Act shall make an application under sub-section (I) of section 10 for registration as service provider in F'orm VI to the State Government.
(2) The State Government shall, after making such enquiry as it may consider necessary and after satisfying itself about the suitability of the applicant, register it as a service provider and issue a certificate of such registration:
Provided that no such application shall be rejected without giving the applicant an opportunity of being heard.
(3) Every association or company seeking registration under sub-section (1) of section 10 shall possess the following eligibility criteria, namely:— 52 THE GAZE I') E OF INDIA: EXTRAORDINARY fPART II—S13c. 3(i)1
(a) It should have been rendering the kind of services it is offering under the Act for at least three years before the date of application for registration under the Act and these rules as a service provider.
(b) In case an applicant for registration is running a medical facility, or a psychiatric counseling centre, or a vocational training institution, the State Government shall ensure that the applicant fulfils the requirements for running such a facility or institution laid down by the respective regulatory authorities regulating the respective professions or institutions.
(c) In case an applicant for registration is running a shelter home, the State Government shall, through an officer or any authority or agency authorised by it, inspect the shelter home, prepare a report and record its finding on the report, detailing that —
(i) the maximum capacity of such shelter home for intake of persons seeking shelter;
(ii) the place is secure for running a shelter home for women and that adequate security arrangements can be put in place for the shelter home;
(iii) the shelter home has a record of maintaining a functional telephone connection or other communication media for the use of the inmates;
(3) The State Government shall provide a list of service providers in the various localities to the concerned Protection Officers and also publish such list of newspapers or onon its website.
(4) The Protection Officer shall maintain proper records by way of maintenance of registers duly indexed, containing the details of the service providers.