Beyond FCRA

Governing NGOs demands consistency and transparency

Amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), passed by the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, appear to enhance the draconian regime that successive governments have imposed on non-governmental organisations (NGOs), especially foreign-funded ones. Coming as it does just months after the stellar role NGOs played during the migrant workers crisis, compensating for the government’s tardy response, it points to the regime’s aversion to implicit criticism embedded in the actions of civil society organisations. To be sure, the amendment Bill contains some provisions that are unexceptionable, such as the one that requires the NGO to provide the Aadhaar numbers of office