Foreign Funding

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A total of Rs 2,430.84 crore in foreign funding has been received by Indian NGOs in the last three years, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai informed Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. An amount of Rs 905.50 crore in foreign funding has been received by NGOs in 2021-22, Rs 798.18 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 727.16 crore in 2019-20, he said in a written reply. The minister said as on March 10, 2023, the FCRA registration certificate of 16,383 NGOs is valid, out of which 14,966 NGOs have submitted mandatory annual returns for the financial year 2021-22 under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010. He said some complaints had been received in the past regarding misutilisation or diversion of foreign contributions by the FCRA registered associations and such complaints are dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the Act and rules.

The FCRA registration of 1,811 NGOs were cancelled by the government between 2019-21 for alleged violation of law, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said in Lok Sabha on Tuesday. According to the law, any NGO which intends to receive foreign funding must register itself under the FCRA. "During the last three years i.e. 2019 to 2021, the FCRA registration certificates of 1,811 associations have been cancelled under section 14 of The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA, 2010) due to violation of provisions of the FCRA, 2010," he said in a written reply to a question. Rai said whenever any inputs pertaining to use of foreign contribution to spread terror activities are received by the ministry, appropriate action under the FCRA, 2010 and other extant laws and rules is taken.

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An MHA official said that with the restoration of the FCRA licence, the Kolkata-based famed organisation will be able to receive foreign fundings and can also spend the money lying in the banks

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Until now, the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 banned political parties from receiving funds from any foreign source