After a record 1,111 NGOs got FCRA nod in 2023, 30 get clearance in Jan.

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CategoryPolity

Last Updated12/01/2024

A Taiwan-headquartered Buddhist monastic order in Delhi has been granted clearance under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010, enabling the organisation to receive foreign funds.

The Fo Guang Shan Cultural and Educational Centre has received FCRA registration for its “religious, cultural, economic, educational and social” programme.
The Fo Guang Shan monastic order originated in Taiwan in the 1960s and the Delhi centre was established in 2008.
It is a Buddhist religious trust.
In all, 30 Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and associations have been granted FCRA registration in the first month of the year.

Last year, a record number of 1,111 NGOs were granted permission to receive foreign donations, the highest since 2014.
MHA data shows nearly half of fresh FCRA registrations under the religious category are for Christian NGOs
Registration under FCRA is mandatory to receive foreign donations.
The NGO must have a definite cultural, economic, educational, religious or social programme to get registered.
According to data available with the Ministry, as many as 3,294 associations were granted fresh registration from 2014 to 2023.
The Ministry also informed the Lok Sabha on December 19, 2023 that out of the total 1,615 applications received for registration under FCRA in the years 2021 and 2022,
- As many as 722 were granted clearance while 225 applications were rejected.
- The refusal of these applications was due to not fulfilling the eligibility criteria in accordance with the provisions of the FCRA, 2010 and rules made thereunder,” the Ministry said.
It added that a total of 13,520 associations received foreign contributions worth ₹55,741.51 crore across the financial years 2019-2020, 2020-21, and 2021-22.
As on January 10, there were 16,987 FCRA-registered NGOs active in the country.
The FCRA registrations of nearly 6,000 NGOs had become inoperative from January 1, 2022 as the Ministry refused to renew their application or the NGOs did not apply for one.
The registration is valid for five years.