The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has revoked the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) permits of five prominent non-governmental organisations (NGOs) following "due process". The reasons cited for this action include violations such as the misappropriation of international funding.
The affected NGOs are the CNI Synodical Board of Social Service (CNI-SBSS), Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI), Indo-Global Social Service Society (IGSSS), Church Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA), and Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFOI). These organisations are no longer permitted to receive foreign contributions or utilise their existing foreign funds.
Among the affected NGOs, the CNI-SBSS, affiliated with the Church of North India, has been actively involved in various social service activities, while VHAI has been advocating for public health policies and programs across India. IGSSS has been renowned for its humanitarian efforts aimed at empowering marginalised communities, while CASA, the social development arm of the National Council of Churches in India, has been addressing diverse social issues. EFOI, an association of evangelical Christians, has been dedicated to promoting Christian unity and social justice.
This move comes close on the heels of the cancellation of the Centre for Policy Research's (CPR) licence earlier this year. The Union has significantly tightened FCRA regulations since 2020 through various amendments which also led to the cancellation of licences for several NGOs, including the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF), Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT), and CPR, over the past few years, citing violations of the law.
The FCRA Act amended in September 2020 included barring public servants from receiving foreign funding and mandating Aadhaar for every office-bearer of NGOs. The amended law also limits organisations from using more than 20% of foreign funds for administrative purposes, down from the previous limit of 50%.