New Delhi: The Ministry of home affairs has revoked the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) license of the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), a well-known non-governmental organization, due to alleged violations of regulations. The CPR’s license under the Foreign Contribution Registration Act had been suspended eleven months ago. The cancellation order was issued on January 10, as per reports.
“CPR firmly reiterated that it has been functioning within the framework of the law.
Its work has been built over decades to provide globally recognised high quality research on issues that matter deeply to Indian public life and policy. The cancellation of our FCRA is distressing, for it is a cancellation that is disproportionate and without adequate opportunity to be heard. We will weigh our options to seek justice. We remain committed to our core goals and remain steadfast in our belief that this matter will be resolved in line with constitutional values and guarantees”, Economic Times reported CPR president Yamini Aiyar as saying.
As per the law, non-profit organizations functioning in India are only eligible to receive foreign money once they have registered under the FCRA. Nonprofits in the nation are unable to use already received foreign donations or obtain new ones without the home ministry’s approval due to the license suspension.
CPR’s FCRA license had been suspended on February 27, 2023, for a period of six months, which was later extended for an additional six months. Established in 1973, CPR is one of India’s oldest and most prominent think tanks and research centers. It came under scrutiny by the Income Tax authorities in September 2022.
CPR had earlier stated that its activities had been halted and 83 scientists and other employees had left the organization following the suspension of its FCRA license. The organization relied on foreign contributions for 60% of its donations. In October, the High Court granted permission to CPR to utilize 25% of its unused funds from fixed deposits to pay salaries to its employees.
Over the past year, numerous NGOs, including the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust, headed by former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, respectively, Oxfam India, and Care India, have faced cancellations, suspensions, non-renewals, or expiration of their FCRA licenses. More recently, the Ministry of home affairs suspended the FCRA registration of activist-author Harsh Mander’s Centre for Equity Studies.
