Tightening the loose nut bolts of foreign funding, MHA cancels FCRA license of 1807 NGOs for violating law

New Delhi, November 13: Complying to do it the legal way and kicking off the illegal methods to grab in foreign funding, the Ministry of Home Affairs cancelled Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) regulations of over 1807 NGOs and educational institutions across the country in 2019. These NGOs and academic institutes found to be violating laws have been banned by the government from receiving foreign funds this year.

 

The banned NGOs and institutions failed to provide annual income and expenditure information on the funds they had received from abroad for the past six years. It is for these violations that their FCRA registration has been cancelled. Among those whose registration under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act has been banned include University of Rajasthan, Allahabad Agricultural Institute, Young Mens Christian Association, Gujarat and Swami Vivekananda Educational Society, Karnataka.

These institutions were repeatedly asked for the income and expenditure information by the MHA but they ignored. According to the FCRA guidelines, registered entities must submit online income and expenditure details online for each financial year. As per FCRA guidelines, registered associations are required to submit electronically an online annual report with scanned copies of income and expenditure statement, receipts and payment account, balance sheet, etc., for every financial year within nine months of the closure of the financial year.

Associations which do not receive foreign contribution during a particular year are also required to furnish a ‘NIL’ return for that financial year within the aforesaid period, read the guidelines. Other associations whose FCRA registration has been cancelled include Institute of Pulmocare and Research, West Bengal, National Geophysical Research Institute, Telangana, National Institute of Virology, Maharashtra, Rabindra Nath Tagore Medical College Hospital and Research, West Bengal and Baptist Christian Association, Maharashtra.

Ever since the newly formed government has come into power, the loose nut-bolts of foreign funding have been tightened to perform it in a legal way. Many NGOs which use foreign funding without abiding to the rules and regulations of the FCRA regulations have been banned.