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The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a motion to refer the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, to a 31-member joint committee of Parliament for further scrutiny, amid strong Opposition protests and demands for its withdrawal. The motion, moved by Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai amid sloganeering by Opposition MPs demanding the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah in the House, provides for a committee, comprising 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. The members from the Lok Sabha will be nominated by Speaker Om Birla, while those from the Rajya Sabha will be nominated by Chairman C P Radhakrishnan. The committee has been asked to submit its report to the Lok Sabha by the last day of the first week of the Winter Session of Parliament in 2026. Before after the motion was passed, Congress MP KC Venugopal said the Opposition had only just received information about sending the bill to a joint committee and alleged that the legislation was
The government is considering sending 'The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026' to a joint committee of both houses of Parliament, even as the Congress and some opposition parties have demanded that it be withdrawn, sources said on Tuesday. The Congress and TMC were among the parties which raised the issue during the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee of the Rajya Sabha, though it was not part of the agenda, asking when the FCRA Bill will be taken up in the House, to which the government said a decision will be taken on it in due course of time. The two parties demanded that the bill be withdrawn, but others like BJD feel the bill could be sent to a joint committee of Parliament for further scrutiny. The DMK also wants the Bill to be withdrawn, the sources said. The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25 this year and proposes tighter government oversight on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and foreign funding in the country. Government ..
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging him to reconsider the proposed amendments to the FCRA, and stated that the changes in the legislation could lead to a burden on churches and Christian charitable organisations and affect educational, healthcare and social welfare programmes in the state. Rio proposed that the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act amendments be referred to a parliamentary committee for comprehensive examination, with representatives of stakeholders concerned given an opportunity to present their views. Such a process, he said, would help address genuine concerns, remove apprehensions and build public confidence while protecting transparency, accountability and national interest. The move would demonstrate the "inclusive and positive approach" of the NDA government and reaffirm India's commitment to constitutional values, secular ethos and respect for the rights and contributions of all communities, the chief minister .
India's Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra has said the amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act were aimed at bringing in more transparency and expected organisations to receive money through a laid-down process. In a series of posts on X, Kwatra on Sunday said regulating foreign financial flows in public and political spaces is a sovereign step driven by national security concerns and cited similar laws enacted by the US for this purpose. "The US has had FARA (Foreign Agents Registration Act) since 1938 and FATCA (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act) since 2010. Australia legislated in 2018, Canada in 2024. The UK's scheme came into force in July 2025. The EU is legislating now," he said. Kwatra's post on X came days after a US lawmaker voiced concern over the FCRA amendments, claiming that it would allow the Indian government to take control of churches and charities. He said when a registration is cancelled or surrendered, foreign contributions and the assets
The Mizoram government and the state's apex church bodies on Saturday decided to jointly submit a memorandum to the Centre, recommending changes to the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, maintaining that the legislation in its present form is unacceptable. The decision was taken at a meeting between Chief Minister Lalduhoma and leaders of the Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee (MKHC) and the Council of Churches in Mizoram (CCM) at the CM's official residence. During the meeting, the participants held detailed discussions on the proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) and unanimously expressed the view that the bill, in its current form, was unacceptable, officials said. It was decided that the state government would prepare a memorandum recommending amendments to the proposed legislation. The meeting also resolved that Lalduhoma would seek an appointment with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to facilitate a visit by a join
The home ministry has revised the compounding penalties for a number of offences under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010, involving the receipt and utilisation of foreign contributions by non-governmental organisations, according to a gazette notification. The orders were notified by the ministry on Monday under powers conferred by section 41(1) of the Act. The penalty for defraying foreign contributions beyond 20 per cent of the contributions received for administrative expenses, in contravention of section 8 of the Act, will be Rs 1 lakh or 5 per cent of the amount spent beyond the limit, whichever is higher, the notification said. The utilisation of foreign contribution in speculative activities, in contravention of section 8(1) of the Act read with rule 4 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules, 2011, will now attract a penalty of Rs 1 lakh or 30 per cent of the amount invested in such activities, whichever is higher. In addition, 100 per cent of the
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday termed the Centre's proposed FCRA Amendment Bill 2026 "draconian", and alleged it targeted minorities, especially Christian organisations and demanded that it be dropped. Addressing a rally here, Stalin alleged that the BJP-led Centre failed to protect Tamil Nadu fishermen and it has failed in its foreign policy. Furthermore, the Dravidian party chief alleged that PM Modi has created a situation of no influence for India, even among smaller neighbouring countries. The FCRA Amendment Bill is tantamount to taking away rights provided by the Constitution and it was a serious assault on the freedom of religion and also on the people who wish to do social service, he said.
A bill to amend the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) is unlikely to come up before the Lok Sabha in the ongoing Budget session for consideration amid opposition's concerns over some of its provisions, sources said on Wednesday. In the Lok Sabha, the FCRA (Amendment) Bill was listed for consideration and passage. But as soon as the Question Hour began at 11 am, opposition members, mainly from Kerala, started raising slogans against the provisions of the Bill. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Bill, introduced in the House last month, seeks to protect national security and interest and asserted that it was not aimed against any religion or organisation. It was aimed at preventing misuse of foreign contributions, Rijiju said to placate the opposition. The minister accused the Congress and Left parties of misleading people of Kerala, the state which faces assembly polls on April 9. He said that though the Bill had been listed in Wednesday's official agenda
A legislation brought by the government to amend the FCRA will significantly tighten its oversight of foreign-funded organisations, proposing the creation of a powerful new authority to seize and manage the assets of non-profits that lose their licence. The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, introduced in Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Wednesday, also sought a comprehensive statutory framework for vesting, supervision, management and disposal of foreign contributions and assets through a 'designated authority', including provisional and permanent vesting. At present, approximately 16,000 associations are registered under the Act and receive around Rs 22,000 crore annually, the statement said. According to the statement of objects and reasons, the proposed law seeks to provide timelines for receipt and utilisation under prior permission. It provides for the cessation of certificate, regulating of handling of assets during ...
The Central Bureau of Investigation has begun an inquiry into alleged violation of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act against an institution founded by Ladakh-based educationist and activist Sonam Wangchuk, officials said on Thursday. There has been an inquiry going on for some time but no FIR has been registered yet, they said. When contacted, Wangchuk told PTI that a CBI team came with "an order" about 10 days ago, saying that they are acting on a complaint from the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding alleged Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) violations in the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL). "The order said we have not taken clearance under FCRA to receive foreign funds. We don't want to be dependent on foreign funds, but we export our knowledge and raise revenue. In three such instances, they thought it was foreign contribution," Wangchuk claimed. He said a CBI team visited HIAL and the Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL
The Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday allowed NGOs whose FCRA registration validity has expired to pay compounding penalty and fees from the FCRA bank account held with the SBI through the FCRA online portal. In a public notice, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said it administers the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA, 2010) and rules made thereunder, which regulate the receipt of foreign contributions by NGOs, voluntary organisations and associations, and their utilisation for bonafide activities as per law. According to Rule 12(5) of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules, 2011 (FCRR, 2011), no person whose certificate of registration has ceased to exist shall either receive or utilise foreign contributions until the certificate is renewed. Accordingly, NGOs and associations whose registrations ceased after the expiry of the validity period were not able to make the payment of compounding penalty and fees from the FCRA bank account. "In view of the abov