JPC meet on FCRA Bill: Panel to hold first sitting on Sept 18

JPC first meeting on Sept 18 on FCRA

NEW DELHI: The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, will hold its first meeting in Parliament on September 18, with BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal as its chairman, news agency ANI reported.The 31-member committee was constituted after the Centre moved a motion in Parliament to refer the FCRA Amendment Bill to a JPC. The panel comprises 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha.

The Bill was formally referred to the JPC after Union minister of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai moved a motion in the Lok Sabha.

What is FCRA?The FCRA Amendment Bill, 2026, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25 and seeks to amend provisions governing the receipt and use of foreign contributions by individuals, associations and organisations in India.The government has maintained that the proposed amendments are aimed at strengthening regulation of foreign contributions and ensuring that funds are used for the purposes for which they are received.However, the Congress has opposed the Bill and demanded its complete withdrawal, arguing that the proposed changes could be used to target civil society and minority institutions.