IIT Delhi issues clarification over FCRA issue

IIT Delhi has issued clarification over the reports about non-submission of annual statement of returns on FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act).

The clarification comes in the backdrop of reports that Centre has cancelled FCRA licenses of several well known educational institutions, including Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, IIT Delhi and the Indian Council for Agrarian Research.

"This has reference to the newspaper reports about non-submission of annual statement of returns on FCRA. The newspapers have mentioned names of many academic institutions, including IIT Delhi. The Statutory Bodies created or established under the Central or State Act requiring to have their accounts compulsorily audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, is exempted from the operation of the provisions of the FCRA Act, 2010," said IIT Delhi in a statement.

The statement further added "This is applicable U/s 50 of the said Act. This was notified in the Gazette of India (Extraordinary) dated July 1, 2011, making the institutions like IITs (created by an Act of Parliament), exempted from filing returns, since they are covered under the annual Government Audit."

The IIT Delhi statement said that "Further for the sake of being on the better side, returns were being filed after the completion of Audit of the Institution (DGACE) by IIT Delhi. The filing of return is regular, under our FCRA Registration No. 231660101".

It is also to mention that on above aspect, there has been no information or notice about non filing of return or any other compliance pending. It is evident from the website that names in large number reflected are mostly of Societies, NGO and Trust.

The large number of names of such Statutory Centrally funded institutions is mentioned in the list, which are exempted from the said requirement of filing returns.