Registration Of Over 1,800 NGOs Cancelled For Foreign Funds Violation

Over 1,800 NGOs and academic institutes found to be violating laws have been banned by the government from receiving foreign funds this year, officials said on Tuesday.

Among those whose registration under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act has been banned include the University of Rajasthan, Allahabad Agricultural Institute, Young Men's Christian Association, Gujarat and Swami Vivekananda Educational Society, Karnataka.

"With the cancellation of the FCRA registration, all NGOs and academic institutions were prohibited from accepting a foreign contribution," a Home Ministry official said.

The FCRA registration of these organisations were cancelled mostly due to their failure to submit annual income and expenditure statement on foreign funding for up to six years despite repeated reminders.

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.

In addition to 1,807 associations, registration of one more organisation -- Bengaluru-based NGO Infosys Foundation -- was also cancelled this year following a "request" of the NGOs itself.

Earlier, an official of the Infosys Foundation had said its de-registration from the FCRA followed a request it proactively made to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

"This (request) was done as the Infosys Foundation does not come under the purview of the FCRA following the amendment made to the act in 2016. We had approached the ministry to consider this, and thank them for granting our request," the official had said.

Ever since the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014, the Ministry of Home Affairs has cancelled the FCRA registration of over 14,800 NGOs, thus banning them from receiving foreign funding.