Now Reading: Catholic body seeks withdrawal of proposed FCRA amendment bill
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Catholic body seeks withdrawal of proposed FCRA amendment bill
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India has urged the government to withdraw the proposed Foreign Contribution Regulation Act Amendment Bill, 2026, saying it could hinder charitable institutions working in education, healthcare and…
The Story in Brief
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India has urged the government to withdraw the proposed Foreign Contribution Regulation Act Amendment Bill, 2026, saying it could hinder charitable institutions working in education, healthcare and humanitarian assistance. CBCI president Anthony Cardinal Poola also cited reported violence, intimidation and mob lynching involving Christians in parts of the country, and called for protection of constitutional freedoms.
The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in March and brought up during the Monsoon Session before being referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee after Opposition protests. Times Now reports that Rajya Sabha MP V. Sivadasan has also urged safeguards against excessive executive control, selective enforcement and restrictions on organisations critical of government policies.
The Indian Opinion
The claim that the Bill either protects national interest or automatically represses civil society is too simple. Financial violations need action, but criticism of government policy is not proof of wrongdoing. The real test is whether the final law requires evidence, a fair hearing, independent review and judicial remedy before registration is suspended or cancelled. Parliament’s committee must make those safeguards clear.
Sources (2): hindustantimes.com, timesnownews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
