FCRA changes: ease of monitoring vs crippling curbs
3 years, 4 months ago

FCRA changes: ease of monitoring vs crippling curbs

The Hindu  

The story so far : The Supreme Court has reserved its judgment on petitions challenging the validity of amendments introduced in 2020 to the Foreign Contribution Act, 2010, aimed at tightening the curbs on NGOs allowed to receive foreign funds. Another amendment mandates that every person granted a certificate or prior permission to receive overseas funds must open an FCRA bank account in a designated branch of the State Bank of India in New Delhi. However, the recipients are allowed to open another FCRA bank account in any scheduled bank to which they could transfer the received funds for utilisation. In addition, the Government is also authorised to take the Aadhaar numbers of all the key functionaries of any organisation that applies for FCRA registration or for prior approval for receiving foreign funds.

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History of this topic

MHA warns unlicensed NGOs against receiving foreign funds
2 months, 1 week ago

MHA warns unlicensed NGOs against receiving foreign funds

Hindustan Times  

The Union home ministry has warned that non-government organisations that receive and utilise foreign funds without having a licence under the foreign contribution regulation act or after its expiry will be penalised, according to a communication by the ministry on Tuesday. All NGOs receiving foreign funds have to be mandatorily registered under the FCRA and they have to utilise such …

Home Affairs Ministry mandates chartered accountants to report FCRA violations in their audits
2 months, 4 weeks ago

Home Affairs Ministry mandates chartered accountants to report FCRA violations in their audits

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: The Foreigner's Division of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has announced that Chartered Accountants filing audit returns on behalf of NGOs must specify whether the organization has violated provisions of the Foreign Contribution Act, 2010, officials said on Sunday. It further said, “CAs will have to specify if the NGO has violated the provisions of FCRA, 2010 …

FCRA amendment in 2020 to discourage NGOs from spending on posh buildings and luxurious vehicles: MHA annual report
2 years, 4 months ago

FCRA amendment in 2020 to discourage NGOs from spending on posh buildings and luxurious vehicles: MHA annual report

The Hindu  

The Foreign Contribution Act was amended in 2020 to discourage expenditure by non- government organisations on “unproductive items” such as “inflated staff salaries, posh buildings and office and luxurious vehicles,” the Ministry of Home Affairs has said in its 2021-22 annual report. The Ministry said that the Foreign Contribution Amendment Act, 2020 was passed by Parliament in September 2020 and …

MHA Amends FCRA Rules, Allows Relatives Living Abroad to Send Up to Rs 10 Lakh to Indians Without Restrictions
2 years, 8 months ago

MHA Amends FCRA Rules, Allows Relatives Living Abroad to Send Up to Rs 10 Lakh to Indians Without Restrictions

News 18  

The Union Home Ministry has amended certain rules related to the Foreign Contribution Act allowing Indians to receive up to Rs 10 lakh in a year from relatives staying abroad without informing the authorities. It stated earlier that any person receiving foreign contribution in excess of one lakh rupees or equivalent thereto in a financial year from any of his …

When less is not more – FCRA amendments and Supreme Court’s rights jurisprudence
2 years, 9 months ago

When less is not more – FCRA amendments and Supreme Court’s rights jurisprudence

Hindustan Times  

Quite often, judgments of the Supreme Court criticised for being lengthy and cumbersome. The SC’s recent judgment in Noel Harper v. Union of India, affirming the validity of certain amendments to the Foreign Contribution Act, 2010, despite being of decent length, could have fared better on both counts. The FCRA regulates acceptance and utilisation of foreign contribution or foreign hospitality …

FCRA licences of NGOs extended by three months
3 years, 3 months ago

FCRA licences of NGOs extended by three months

The Hindu  

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday extended the validity of FCRA registered NGOs whose licenses were not renewed by December 31 by another three months in “public interest.” The extension will however bring no relief to Missionaries of Charities, founded by Mother Teresa, as the ministry asserted that NGOs whose request for renewal was turned down will not be …

FCRA Amendments Aim To Prevent Foreign Powers Interfering With Internal Polity, Diversion Of Funds By NGO : Centre Tells Supreme Court
3 years, 5 months ago

FCRA Amendments Aim To Prevent Foreign Powers Interfering With Internal Polity, Diversion Of Funds By NGO : Centre Tells Supreme Court

Live Law  

Defending the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act 2020, the Central Government has said that the changes in the law were necessary to prevent malpractices and diversion of funds by NGOs.The Centre said that the amendments were necessary in view of the fact that some foreign powers and foreign state and non-state actors continue to take up activities that amount to interference …

FCRA: Govt permits NGOs to open SBI account under new rules
3 years, 9 months ago

FCRA: Govt permits NGOs to open SBI account under new rules

Op India  

On Thursday, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs informed the Delhi High Court that all NGOs, with the exception of one, have been permitted to open bank accounts with the State Bank of India in the National Capital, reported The Economic Times. It must be mentioned that all NGOs, receiving foreign donations, are required by law to have their primary …

FCRA amendments crippling our work, say NGOs
3 years, 10 months ago

FCRA amendments crippling our work, say NGOs

The Hindu  

The amendments to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act enacted last year that among others made it compulsory for NGOs to open a bank account in Delhi has crippled the work of many organisations who are unable to receive foreign funds. An NGO has now moved the Delhi High Court seeking exemption from the Union Home Ministry’s March 31 deadline to …

Get acquainted with foreign funding Act to help NGOs: Home ministry to CAs
4 years, 1 month ago

Get acquainted with foreign funding Act to help NGOs: Home ministry to CAs

Hindustan Times  

After making stricter rules for NGOs to receive funds from abroad, the ministry of home affairs has now advised Chartered Accountants to familiarise themselves thoroughly with the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act 2010, Foreign Contribution Regulation Rules 2011 as well as amendments and notifications issued by it from time to time so that they can help and guide the associations and …

India tightens oversight on funds received by NGOs
4 years, 2 months ago

India tightens oversight on funds received by NGOs

The Hindu  

The Ministry of Home Affairs has laid down a charter for banks which says that “donations received in Indian rupees” by non-governmental organisations and associations from “any foreign source even if that source is located in India at the time of such donation” should be treated as “foreign contribution”. Last September, the Foreign Contribution Act, 2010, was amended by Parliament …

Centre Asking Questions Over Foreign Donations, Says Farmer Union
4 years, 3 months ago

Centre Asking Questions Over Foreign Donations, Says Farmer Union

News 18  

Chandigarh: Bhartiya Kisan Union, one of Punjab's largest farmer organisations protesting against the recent farm laws, on Sunday said it has been asked by a central agency to submit its registration details which allow it to receive foreign funds. The BKU president Joginder Ugrahan and its general secretary Sukhdev Singh revealed about the Union government's demand alleging that the Centre …

Home Ministry amends FCRA rules
4 years, 4 months ago

Home Ministry amends FCRA rules

The Hindu  

The Ministry of Home Affairs has relaxed norms for farmer, student, religious and other groups who are not directly aligned to any political party to receive foreign funds if the groups are not involved in “active politics”. The new rule said, “The organisations specified under clauses and of sub-rule shall be considered to be of political nature, if they participate …

Govt. designates single SBI branch for all FCRA accounts
4 years, 5 months ago

Govt. designates single SBI branch for all FCRA accounts

The Hindu  

The Ministry of Home Affairs has asked all NGOs seeking foreign donations to open a designated FCRA account at the State Bank of India’s New Delhi branch by March 31, 2021. The order said the Centre has notified the New Delhi Main Branch of SBI, 11 Sansad Marg, New Delhi-110001 for the purposes of opening the “FCRA account” to receive …

Choking the NGO sector: The FCRA 2020 amendment deepens a licence raj that could throttle civil society
4 years, 6 months ago

Choking the NGO sector: The FCRA 2020 amendment deepens a licence raj that could throttle civil society

Times of India  

The passing of Foreign Contribution Amendment Bill, 2020, in both Houses of Parliament, without any real deliberations, poses deeply troubling and ominous messages for civil society and democracy in India. Before the amendment, the FCRA organisation needed a FCRA number or prior permission to receive money from a foreign source; the money can come to a designated account, which is …

Why NGOs fear the new FCRA regulations
4 years, 6 months ago

Why NGOs fear the new FCRA regulations

India Today  

In the abridged monsoon session of Parliament, the contentious Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2020, was passed amid concerns by non-governmental organisations that the new changes will sound the death knell for them. Voluntary Action Network India, the apex body of Indian voluntary development organisations, said in a statement: “The FCRA will be a death blow to development relief, scientific research …

The Hindu Explains | What is Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, and how does it control donations?
4 years, 6 months ago

The Hindu Explains | What is Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, and how does it control donations?

The Hindu  

September 13, 2020 12:42 am | Updated 09:57 am IST The story so far: The licences of 13 non-governmental organisations have been suspended under the Foreign Contribution Act, 2010, this year. However, in 2017 the MHA, through the Finance Bill route, amended the 1976-repealed FCRA law paving the way for political parties to receive funds from the Indian subsidiary of …

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