MHA vetoes FCRA license of over 5,000 entities for not meeting renewal guidelines

Amid the ongoing scrutiny on the organizations availing foreign funds and donations, The Home Ministry had tightened the noose and revoked the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) license of 5,789 entities across the country, including prominent educational institutes like Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Milia Islamia, IIT Delhi and Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University.

As per the Home Ministry, the license of these organizations have been revoked on Saturday as they failed to submit the application for its renewal under the latest guidelines, despite several intimations by the ministry regarding the same. Earlier, the Home Ministry had also revoked the FCRA licenses of several NGOs.

Home Ministry revokes FCRA licenses of over 5,000 entities

Out of all, around 179 were denied the FCRA registration as they failed to fulfil all the criteria provided by the MHA that are required to avail the license. The Ministry of Home is the nodal agency that has the authority to grant FCRA registration to NGOs and associations.

"As of January 2022, there are 16,829 live associations who are registered under FCRA. The FCRA registration of 18,778 entities was expiring between September 29, 2020, and September 31, 2021," said an MHA official to ANI.

"Currently, the FCRA registration of 5,789 entities has been denied as they did not apply for the renewal of the facility despite several reminders sent by the government," he added.

An MHA official told ANI that the renewal applications of licenses of a total of 12,989 entities were received between September 30, 2020, and December 31, 2021. The applications are being reviewed, and only 179 of them were rejected on specific grounds. According to the official, the total number of entities whose registration under the FCRA has been suspended in the past is 12,580.

600 Delhi entities, including JNU, IIT Delhi denied FCRA license renewal

Of the total 5,789 entities whose licenses have been denied renewal, 600 belong to Delhi and some prominent institutes among them include Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, IIT Delhi, Indira Gandhi National Centre For Arts and Indian Institute Of Public Administration, Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia, Indian Medical Association, Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial Foundation, Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi College of Engineering and Oxfam India.

Among others, these organizations also lost their licenses, The Delhi Public School Society, Nuclear Science Centre in JNU, India Habitat Centre, Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi College of Engineering, All India Marwari Yuva Manch, Hamdard Education Society, Delhi School Of Social Work Society, Bhartiya Sanskriti Parishad, DAV College Trust and Management Society, India Islamic Cultural Centre and Godrej Memorial Trust are also among these organisations.

With ANI Inputs

Image: PTI