Union home ministry to brief JPC on FCRA bill

The Union home ministry on Friday is likely to brief a Joint Committee of Parliament (JPC) on the proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026.

In August, the bill proposing controversial amendments to the country’s foreign contribution law was referred to a 31-member joint committee of Parliament.

Union home minister Amit Shah, who piloted the bill, said the amendments ensure that such inflows of charity “do not adversely affect national interest, public order or national security,” pitching the bill as essential for sovereign interests.

“Over the period, certain operational and legal gaps have been identified, particularly in relation to the management of foreign contribution and assets created therefrom in cases where registration is cancelled, surrendered or otherwise ceases”, Shah had said on the proposed legislation.

Introduced in the previous session but held back at the time, the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill triggered major controversy with the Opposition and several church delegations raising concerns.

Opposition parties, sections of civil society and religious organisations have argued that the amendments, if cleared, would give the government broad control.

As of now, only 14,434 organisations currently hold a valid registration.

What are the 2026 amendments

Among the key concerns regarding the proposed bill is the plan to empower a “designated authority” to take over, manage or sell assets built with foreign funds by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) whose licences are cancelled, suspended or not renewed.

The 2026 bill vests assets tied to foreign funds with the designated authority. It also reduces the maximum prison term to one year.

The MHA separately notified FCRA Rules, 2026, on June 22. These permit a range of faith-based activities but explicitly exclude proselytisation, and prohibit associations from having foreign nationals, other than those of Indian origin, as key functionaries.

The bill also proposes to do away with Section 15 of the existing Act. The provision currently limits the authority’s power to managing the activities of the organisation, utilising foreign contributions or disposing of assets created from such contributions when adequate funds are not available to run the activity.

What Shah said

Shah has argued in the bill that the absence of a “comprehensive framework for supervision, management and disposal of such assets has led to administrative uncertainty and scope for misuse. Further, multiplicity of investigations, inconsistency in penalties, absence of timelines for utilisation, lack of express provision for cessation of registration, and ambiguity regarding treatment of assets during suspension have resulted in implementation challenges.”

Headed by Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Sanjay Jaiswal, the JPC will examine the bill’s provisions before issuing a report.

The 31-member JPC was constituted earlier this month after Parliament referred the bill to it for detailed examination. The panel comprises 21 members from the Lok Sabha and ten from the Rajya Sabha.