SRINAGAR: The Lok Sabha has referred the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for a comprehensive review following objections from opposition parties and concerns voiced by minority organizations.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the motion to send the Bill to the JPC was initiated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, despite earlier indications that Union Home Minister Amit Shah would move the proposal.
The legislative move followed a brief discussion where Congress leader K.C. Venugopal raised questions about the Home Minister’s absence and expressed apprehension that the proposed legislation could negatively impact minority communities, urging its withdrawal.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav echoed similar sentiments, stating that opposition parties were collectively of the view that the amendments were detrimental to minorities.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju countered these allegations, asserting that the Bill contained no provisions specifically targeting any community. He emphasized that foreign contributions are permissible only through established legal procedures and that the proposed amendments are designed to protect the interests of all communities.
The Joint Parliamentary Committee will comprise 31 members, with 21 appointed by the Lok Sabha Speaker and 10 by the Rajya Sabha Chairman. The committee has been mandated to submit its report during the initial week of the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament.
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, was initially introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25. Its consideration was postponed in April due to apprehensions expressed by various church groups, particularly in the context of upcoming Assembly elections in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
The proposed amendments aim to introduce a new Chapter IIIA. This chapter would establish a designated authority empowered to take provisional custody of foreign contributions and associated assets in instances where an organization’s Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, registration is cancelled, has been surrendered, or has otherwise lapsed.
Should an organization fail to secure a fresh certificate, renew its registration, or have its registration restored within the stipulated timeframe, the foreign contribution and related assets could be permanently vested with the designated authority. Subsequently, these assets might be transferred to a Central or state government ministry, department, or authority as per prescribed regulations.
A specific provision within the Bill addresses places of worship, stipulating that such assets must be managed in a way that preserves their religious character.
The designated authority will also be vested with the power to access account books, electronic records, bank accounts, and other pertinent documents belonging to individuals whose foreign contributions or assets have been placed under its custody.
For specific legal proceedings, the authority will possess powers analogous to those of a civil court, including the authority to summon individuals, compel attendance, demand the production of documents, and receive evidence.
Individuals who feel aggrieved by an order issued by the designated authority will have the right to file an appeal before a District Judge within a period of 90 days.
Further proposed changes target Section 3 of the FCRA, which delineates categories of individuals prohibited from receiving foreign contributions. The amendment seeks to expand this provision by substituting the current reference to specific entities, such as media or news companies and associations, with the broader term “any person.”
Another significant proposed amendment pertains to Section 48 of the Act. This section currently stipulates that no investigation into an offense under the Act can be initiated without prior sanction from the Central Government. The proposed modification aims to modify this prerequisite.
The referral of the Bill to the JPC is anticipated to provide a platform for both the government and the opposition to thoroughly scrutinize the proposed amendments before the legislation is brought back for parliamentary debate.
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