Foreign Funding For NGOs Drops Amid Modi Government’s Crackdown On Those Flouting FCRA Norms

Amid a crackdown on Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) not adhering to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, funding received by NGOs and associations from outside India has declined to Rs 15,329 crore in 2016-17 from Rs 17,799 crore in 2015-16, The Times of India has reported.

In 2014-15, foreign funding stood at Rs 15,305 crore.

In the last few years, the number of NGOs and association with valid FCRA licences has come down from more than 40,000 in 2014-15 to 24,000 at present. Registration of over 13,000 NGOs has been cancelled in the last three years for violations of FCRA provisions, Junior Home Minister Kiren Rijiju said.

In a reply to a related question, Rijiju informed the Rajya Sabha that over 18,800 licences had been cancelled since 2011. Further, he added that 2547 NGOs were yet to file their annual returns of receipt and expenditures in spite of the ministry extending the amnesty window to 14 June 2017.