Almost Half Of Fresh FCRA Registrations Under Religious Category Are For Christian NGOs: Home Ministry Data

Over the past nine years, data from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) reveals that among the 407 non-government organisations (NGOs) authorised by the Indian government to receive foreign funds for religious purposes, 194 were associated with Christian programmes.

Registration under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) is obligatory for NGOs to receive donations from abroad, and it mandates a clearly defined cultural, economic, educational, religious, or social programme for registration.

However, several NGOs, though not expressly religious in purpose, are perceived to operate within that realm.

In 2023, all four FCRA registrations revoked for violations pertained to Christian organisations: Shekina Prophetic Mission Trust in Tamil Nadu, Holy Berachah Ministries in Karnataka, and Kashmir Evangelical Fellowship and Bethel Charitable Trust in Jammu and Kashmir.

Allegations of religious conversion and funding for church construction in the Jammu region led to the revocation of the last two registrations.

The Ministry data shows that from 2014 to 1 October this year, 3,217 associations were newly registered under FCRA.

Among these, 194 NGOs were registered under "religious-Christian," 139 under "religious-Hindu," and varying numbers under other religious categories.

In 2023, 26 registrations were for Christian programmes and 27 for Hindu initiatives.

Notably, the majority of NGOs registered under FCRA operate with multiple programmess, often including religious ones.

Critics argue that the FCRA is being used to suppress the non-profit sector, a sentiment expressed by civil society groups.

The FCRA provisions, they contend, appear designed to deter civil society organisations from seeking foreign funding, even though such access to foreign funds is available to other sectors through legally sanctioned means.

In a move to enhance transparency, the Ministry recently introduced new rules requiring NGOs to declare assets created from foreign contributions.

Additionally, amendments in 2020 included stricter regulations on administrative expenses and the prohibition of domestic transfers of foreign funds.

Home Minister Amit Shah emphasised the government's commitment to monitoring foreign funding to prevent misuse and combat purported anti-national activities and religious conversions by certain NGOs.