Centre seeks cancellation of CPR’s licence under FCRA

The foreign funding of the Centre for Policy Research needed to be stopped immediately as the think tank was receiving and utilising its foreign contribution for “undesirable purposes” that could affect India’s economic interest, the home ministry has told the Delhi high court. The home ministry also told the court that during the examination of a report of raids shared by the income-tax department, it was revealed that CPR had transferred foreign contributions to other entities The think tank’s licence under the Foreign Contribution Act, or FCRA, was suspended by the government on February 27, five months after the income-tax department carried out raids on the premises of CPR, Oxfam India and the Independent and Public Spirited Media Foundation. The home ministry also told the court that during the examination of a report of raids shared by the income-tax department, it was revealed that CPR had transferred foreign contributions to other entities and deposited the funds in non-designated accounts in violation of the provisions of FCRA. Against the backdrop of CPRs contention that its order suspending the licence was passed without any inquiry, the ministry, while calling the violations against the think tank as “grave in nature”, contended that any prior notice regarding suspension of certificate of registration would have defeated the very purpose of immediate stoppage of wrong utilisation of foreign funding.