On 18 September 2026, the 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, held its first meeting and received a detailed briefing from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on the proposed amendments. The JPC had been formally constituted on 3 September 2026 following widespread criticism against the bill and is expected to submit its report to Parliament in November-December 2026.
During its first meeting, the Committee examined issues relating to the regulation, utilisation and oversight of foreign contributions, including provisions concerning the proposed Designated Authority and its powers over assets created from foreign contributions when an organisation’s FCRA registration is cancelled, surrendered or ceases to be valid. Members raised questions regarding the scope of these powers and the procedures for managing and disposing of such assets.
According to data presented by the Ministry of Home Affairs to the JPC, the number of active FCRA-registered NGOs declined from 29,022 in 2015 to 14,466 in 2026, while foreign contributions increased from ₹17,832 crore in 2015–16 to ₹22,974 crore in 2024–25. In this context, the MHA defended the amendments as measures intended to strengthen transparency, accountability and oversight of foreign contributions, seeking to address existing legal and operational gaps, administrative uncertainty and the absence of clear procedures for the management and final disposal of such assets.
On the day of its first meeting, the JPC also issued a public notice inviting clause-by-clause comments, proposed amendments and suggestions from NGOs, trusts, societies, experts and other stakeholders. The examination process as well as the invitation for stakeholder submissions provide an opportunity for parliamentary scrutiny and civil society participation that is particularly important considering the potentially significant negative implications of the amendments on the affected organisations’ legal and operational security. Stakeholders are expected to submit comments and suggestions within a period of 7 days.