Centre suspends FCRA licence of think tank CPR amid I-T searches

The government has suspended Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licence of Centre for Policy Research (CPR), a leading think tank. 

According to a report in the ET, offiical sources confirmed CPR's licence was under scrutiny following Income Tax surveys on CPR and Oxfam India in September 2022. Oxfam India's FCRA licence was revoked in January 2022, after which the non-governmental organisation (NGO) filed a revision petition with the home ministry. 

According to the report, officials said that CPR's licence was revoked recently over non-compliance with FCRA norms and the society had filed for renewal. However, modalities are now being worked out for CPR in order to utilise the funds received in their FCRA account.

A CPR filing showed the FCRA received in their account for the period October to December 2022 was Rs 10.1 crore which included donations from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, University of Pennsylvania, World Resources Institute and Duke University among others. It also receives grants from the Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR), and is a Department of Science and Technology (DST) recognised institution.

The report also suggests that the findings of the Income tax searches on CPR were cited as one of the main reasons for the suspension of its FCRA licence. The ministry sought clarification and documents from the think tank regarding FCRA-based funds.

Officials from CPR maintained that their FCRA application is still under renewal and they are unaware of the suspension of the licence. 

A senior government official informed the ET that review and renewal applications of many NGOs are still under process and licences of more than 200 NGOs were revoked, or lapsed, in the past six months. Earlier this year, more than 6,000 NGOs, whose licenses were withdrawn, had approached the Supreme Court seeking relief. However, the apex court turned down their pleas.