Now Reading: FCRA Amendment Bill referred to 31-member Joint Committee
-
01
FCRA Amendment Bill referred to 31-member Joint Committee
The Lok Sabha on August 12, 2026, adopted a motion referring the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, to a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee. The panel will have 21 members from the…
The Story in Brief
The Lok Sabha on August 12, 2026, adopted a motion referring the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, to a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee. The panel will have 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha, and must submit its report by the last day of the first week of the Winter Session this year.
The government moved the Bill amid strong opposition protests, with Congress, Samajwadi Party and DMK demanding its complete withdrawal. They argue the Bill targets minority-run NGOs and institutions. Parliament Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju challenged the opposition to show a single anti-minority clause. The Bill proposes a designated authority to take over foreign contributions and assets if an organisation's FCRA registration lapses or is cancelled.
The Indian Opinion
Both sides are oversimplifying. The opposition paints the Bill as a wholesale attack on minorities, ignoring that the government has sent it to a JPC for scrutiny. The government, however, cannot brush aside genuine unease: the Bill allows asset seizure even after a certificate simply lapses, with no right to appeal against refusal of renewal. The test will be whether the JPC restores basic safeguards like a hearing before rejection and a clear appeal mechanism.
Sources (4): indiatvnews.com, timesnownews.com, thehindu.com, thehindu.com (2)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 4 sources.
