Washington, India’s Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra has said the amendments to the Foreign Contribution Act were aimed at bringing in more transparency and expected organisations to receive money through a laid-down process.
Key Factors
“The US has had FARA since 1938 and FATCA since 2010. Australia legislated in 2018, Canada in 2024. The UK’s scheme came into force in July 2025. He said when a registration is cancelled or surrendered, foreign contributions and the assets created from them already vest in a State Government authority under a provision that has been in force since 2010. “What the 2026 Bill adds is a designated authority to safeguard those assets – and a way back. Parliament Monsoon Session updates on August 10, 2026 In a series of posts on X, Mr. The Congress on Sunday (August 9, 2026) said it would strongly oppose the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill in Parliament, warning the government against repeating the events of December 2023 when several key laws were passed after 146 Opposition MPs were suspended during the Winter Session. The Congress’s warning came alongside a reminder by party general secretary Jairam Ramesh that the government had used the absence of a large part of the Opposition to push through major legislation in 2023. Ramesh said in a post on X, recalling that 146 MPs — 100 in the Lok Sabha and 46 in the Rajya Sabha — were suspended between December 14 and 21, 2023. The Chief Minister of Mizoram, Lalduhoma and several Christian institutions on Sunday (August 9, 2026) took to social media to appeal to the Centre and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to roll back the Foreign Contribution Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and send the legislation to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for further consultation. The government is likely to consider the appeal despite an earlier plan to discuss the passage of the Bill in the Lok Sabha on August 12, 2026, sources said. The monsoon session of Parliament concludes August 13. “As long-standing partners in nation-building through education, healthcare, and humanitarian service, we respectfully appeal to the Government of India to reconsider and roll back the FCRA Amendment Bill 2026.
Kwatra’s post on X came days after a US lawmaker voiced concern over the FCRA amendments, claiming that it would allow the Indian government to take control of churches and charities. “Places of worship carry their own protection. Mr. Regulating foreign funds sovereign step; U.S. has similar laws: India’s Ambassador to the U.S. on FCRA Congress general secretary K.C. “In the spirit of democratic consultation, we respectfully appeal to the Union government to refer the Bill to a JPC. He hoped that the Union government would give due consideration to the request in the larger interest of inclusive, transparent, and consultative policymaking. certain provisions present significant operational challenges for genuine, grassroot charitable organisations While we fully support transparency and national security.
The EU is legislating now,” he said. If the organisation restores its registration, all assets and unused funds are returned in full,” Kwatra said. Where a cancelled association has created property connected to a place of worship, that property goes to another FCRA-registered association of the same faith to ensure continuity of worship,” he said. “Tens of thousands of associations are registered under FCRA and routinely receive foreign funds for health, education, disaster relief, research and humanitarian work,” Kwatra said. Venugopal said the government should not assume that it could introduce and pass the FCRA Bill in the remaining days of the Monsoon Session without resistance. “If the Central government thinks they can cook up and introduce the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill within these two or three days, they should keep that wish to themselves,” he said in Alappuzha. “History should not repeat itself,” Mr. Lalduhoma said. We humbly request that the Bill be referred to a JPC to facilitate structured dialogue with civil society and faith-based leaders, ensuring we can work together toward balanced solutions that protect both regulatory integrity and essential community service,” Jonathan Lalremruata, advisor to the CBCI told The Hindu.
This would provide an opportunity for concerns and suggestions from different parts of the country, and across stakeholders, to be carefully examined and considered before the legislation is finalised,” Mr. In a series of posts on X, Kwatra on Sunday said regulating foreign financial flows in public and political spaces is a sovereign step driven by national security concerns and cited similar laws enacted by the US for this purpose.
What It Means
Shah at the Parliament House complex on August 6, said in a video message on Sunday (August 9, 2026) that a comprehensive review of the FCRA Act, which came into effect in 2010, is also required Reverend Asir Ebenezer, general secretary, NCCI, who met Mr.
