Agency (New Delhi):
The Lok Sabha, on December 19, 2023, was informed that Indian NGOs have received a substantial amount of foreign contributions totaling over Rs 55,000 crore in the three financial years spanning from 2019 to 2022. This figure was disclosed by Union Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai, in a written reply.
Rai outlined the legal framework governing foreign contributions to NGOs in India. Under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA, 2010), all associations or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are required to obtain either registration or prior permission to accept foreign funds.
He provided detailed statistics, revealing that a total of 13,520 associations or NGOs have been beneficiaries of foreign contributions amounting to Rs 55,741.51 crore during the last three financial years, namely 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022.
In addition, Rai reported on the recent trends in FCRA registration. Over the last two years (2021 and 2022), the government received 1,615 applications for FCRA registration. Out of these, 722 applications were approved, while 225 were rejected as of December 14, 2023. The rejections were attributed to the failure of the applying organizations to meet the eligibility criteria set forth in the FCRA, 2010, and its associated rules.
