India Says FCRA Bill Is Internal Matter, Notes US Also Regulates Foreign Funds
The Indian government on Friday responded to a United States lawmaker's criticism of the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment (FCRA) Bill, 2026, asserting that legislative matters concerning India are its internal affairs. The response also noted that the United States, like several other nations, regulates the flow of foreign funds into its territory.
Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We have seen the comments on FCRA. Legislative matters concerning India are our internal affairs on which decisions are taken by the Parliament of the country. I would also like to point out that there are several nations, including the United States, which regulate the flow of foreign funds.”
The remarks came after US Congressman Riley Moore, a first-term Republican from West Virginia, expressed concern over the proposed bill. In a post on X on Tuesday, Moore alleged that certain provisions could allow the Indian government to take over churches and religious charities. He warned that the issue could affect bilateral ties between New Delhi and Washington.
Moore wrote, “Christians have been in India since St Thomas the Apostle travelled to the Malabar Coast just decades after the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. But despite this long Christian history, India's Parliament is considering amending Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment (FCRA) rules to permit government takeovers of churches and religious charities.”
Calling the proposal “a clear attack against Christians,” Moore said that if the legislation moved forward in its present form, it would become “a point of major concern in our bilateral relationship with India.”
The FCRA governs how foreign donations are received and used by organisations operating in India. It covers a wide range of entities, including charities, educational institutions, religious bodies and non-governmental organisations receiving funding from overseas. The proposed amendment seeks to modify how these institutions receive foreign donations.
One of the most contentious provisions in the bill empowers the Central government to establish a “Designated Authority” that would take over the management of foreign contributions and assets created using those contributions if an organisation's FCRA registration is cancelled, surrendered, or ceases because it is not renewed.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, 13,520 organisations received foreign contributions amounting to Rs 55,741 crore between 2019 and 2022. As per the ministry's FCRA portal, as of July 15, 2026, there were 14,449 organisations holding active FCRA registration certificates. The portal also records that 22,498 registrations had been cancelled, while another 15,212 had lapsed after being deemed expired.
India has consistently maintained that its legislative processes are sovereign and that foreign comments on internal matters are unwarranted. The government has not yet announced a timeline for parliamentary consideration of the bill.
