The Government of India has banned nearly 19,000 NGOs in the country since 2011 from receiving any foreign funds by cancelling FCRA registration.
Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju told the House that the number of NGOs registered in the country has reduced from 40,000 in 2014-15 to around 24,000 today. The government has also cancelled FCRA licences of more than 13,000 NGOs which are operating in the country in the last 3 years.
Home ministry in RS: No of NGOs/associations registered under FCRA has reduced to 24,000 now from 40,000 in 2014-15. FCRA licence of over 13,000 NGOs cancelled in past 3 years
— Bharti Jain (@bhartijainTOI) July 25, 2018
Kiren Rijiju also said that 2,547 NGOs have failed to follow the order issued by the government to submit their annual returns on both income and expenditure. The NGOs should also submit the receipts of funds they receive from abroad and other balance sheets regarding their financial activities.
The Minister replied in Rajya Sabha to a written question, “Registration of 18,864 Foreign Contribution Regulation Act registered associations and institutions have been cancelled from 2011 till now and they have been barred from receiving foreign funds.”
He also said that the total funds received by NGOs and other voluntary organizations present in the country saw a decrease from 17,799 crores in 2015-16 to 15,329 crore in 2016-17.
MHA in Rajya Sabha: Total foreign contributions received by NGOs/associations in India fell to Rs 15,329 crore in 2016-17 from Rs 17,799 crore in 2015-16 https://t.co/9V5i8nI04s
— Bharti Jain (@bhartijainTOI) July 25, 2018
The Narendra Modi government, soon after coming to power, began a process of scrutinizing foreign-funded NGOs in the country. The government has followed a meticulous process when it comes to FCRA rules compliance. A report by CBI in 2015, had revealed that there are more than 31 lakh NGOs operating in the country which received their funds either from the government or from abroad, only a paltry 10% had filed their balance sheet.
Last year, the government had revoked the FCRA registration of prominent Indian institutions like the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi University, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and IIT-Delhi for failing to file returns of past 5 years.
