Home Ministry cancels FCRA registration of five NGOs for 'violation' of laws

The Union Home Ministry has cancelled the registration of at least five NGOs for alleged violation of various provisions of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, sources said on Tuesday, 2 April.

The NGOs whose registrations have been cancelled are CNI Synodical Board of Social Service, Voluntary Health Association of India, Indo-Global Social Service Society, Church's Auxiliary for Social Action, and Evangelical Fellowship of India, they said.

With the cancellation of their Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration, these NGOs will no longer be able to receive foreign contributions nor utilise the existing available funds.

The sources said the home ministry cancelled the FCRA registration of the NGOs for allegedly utilising funds for works that were not in their mandate.

The NGOs violated the laws by being involved in activities that are contrary to the provisions of the FCRA, they said.

There were 16,301 NGOs with valid FCRA licences as on 17 July 2023.

The Centre has cancelled the FCRA licences of more than 6,600 NGOs in the last five years for violation of the law. Overall, FCRA licences of 20,693 NGOs have been cancelled in the last decade.

According to data disclosed in Parliament last year, Rs 55,741.51 crore was received in foreign contributions by 13,520 FCRA-registered associations or NGOs between the 2019-2020 and the 2021-2022 financial years.