New Delhi: Any NGO involved in anti-developmental activities, religious conversion, inciting protests with malicious intentions or that has links to terrorist or radical organisations will face the cancellation of its FCRA registration, the Union Home Ministry has announced.
In a notice uploaded on an official website on Monday, the home ministry also said that any NGO whose acceptance of foreign funding may affect social or religious harmony or is involved in induced or forceful religious conversion or proselytisation will face cancellation of its registration under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010.
FCRA registration will also be cancelled if any NGO is not utilising foreign funding as per the aims and objectives of the NGO or if it has not uploaded the annual returns, the ministry said.
According to the law, all NGOs receiving foreign contributions have to be registered under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act or else are not allowed to accept foreign funding.
Giving a long list of reasons under which an NGO’s FCRA registration is cancelled, the home ministry said an NGO’s FCRA registration can be cancelled if no activity has been carried out by it or it has become defunct or the claimed activities could not be corroborated during field inquiry or field inquiry has revealed that no reasonable activity for the welfare of society has been undertaken by the NGO during last 2-3 years.
Other reasons for cancellation include prosecution pending against any office bearer, member, or key functionaries for not responding to clarifications sought, or for not providing requisite information or documents despite being given the opportunity to do so.
If an NGO has diverted foreign contribution for carrying out anti-development activities or inciting malicious protests, field inquiry has revealed the likelihood of personal gain by the organisation or by the office bearers, or the foreign contribution is likely to have been utilised for undesirable activities, linkage with terrorist organisations or anti-national organisations, key functionaries have links with terrorist or radical organisations, their FCRA registration would be cancelled, the notice said.
If any field agency has reported adverse inputs against the NGO and its acceptance of foreign funding is likely to affect social, religious harmony or is involved in induced, forceful religious conversion or proselytisation or its office bearers have linkage with radical organisations — the organisation will also face action under the FCRA.
The notice said not utilising any foreign funding for projects as per the aims and objectives of the NGO, not uploading annual returns of any of the previous six financial years, and not fulfilling the criteria of spending a minimum amount of Rs 15 lakh of its core activities for the welfare of society during the last three financial years were also included as reasons for cancellation of FCRA registration.
