FCRA Bill echoes UPA-era law, says JPC chief as panel hears church and temple groups

BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal, who chairs the Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, said on Tuesday (October 13, 2026) that several key provisions of the proposed legislation are similar to those in the law enacted by the UPA government in 2010.

Mr. Jaiswal spoke to reporters after a committee meeting at which representatives of the Syro Malabar Church, the Ramakrishna Math, ISKCON and other religious and social organisations presented their views on the Bill. The proposed law has drawn opposition from several parties and organisations.

Citing an example, Mr. Jaiswal said the 2010 law empowered the Union home secretary and the principal secretary of a State to take over the assets of an NGO registered under the FCRA if irregularities were found in its foreign funding. The new Bill, he said, proposes to vest that power in a designated authority instead.

"The law brought by the UPA government had decided that if irregularities were found under the FCRA, all the assets would be handed over to the home secretary or the principal secretary concerned of the State. However, today, there is a designated authority in place of that arrangement," he told reporters.

On the consultations held so far, Mr. Jaiswal said the committee had heard all the views placed before it. "Everyone presented their views. We listened carefully to what everyone had to say. When we sit in our committee meeting, we will discuss these matters. We have heard everyone out, and subsequently, we will deliberate on all these points during the committee meeting. We will take the decisions together," he said.

The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, first enacted in 1976, regulates the acceptance and use of foreign contributions and hospitality by individuals, associations and companies. It was substantially amended in 2010 and again in 2020. The 2026 Amendment Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25 and referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee on August 12, following a sustained demand from opposition parties, which also described certain provisions of the legislation as highly objectionable.

Opposition parties contend that the Bill targets minorities, arguing that some of its provisions would choke legitimate funding for Christian NGOs and for minority-run social welfare and educational institutions.

The government has rejected these charges and challenged the opposition to identify even one provision that discriminates against minorities. It has maintained that the proposed legislation is not religion-specific and is aimed at regulating foreign contributions.

While introducing the Bill in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the legislation seeks to enhance transparency and ensure the proper utilisation of funds received from abroad. Countering the opposition's description of the Bill as "dangerous", Mr. Rai said it is "indeed dangerous" for those who engage in "forced religious conversion" using foreign contributions, and for individuals who "abuse foreign funding" for personal gain.

With the round of stakeholder consultations completed, the committee is expected to deliberate on the submissions it has received. No timeline has been announced for the panel to finalise its report. The Bill will require the approval of both Houses of Parliament and the assent of the President before it becomes law, and further amendments are possible at the committee stage.