Meghalaya CM Flags FCRA Amendment Concerns to Home Minister
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Article summary
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to formally convey the state government's concerns over proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010. The CM highlighted that the proposed changes could severely disrupt the functioning of religious, educational, and charitable institutions — many of them church-run — that have historically complemented government service delivery in Meghalaya, a state where Christians constitute over 74% of the population. FCRA governs the receipt and utilisation of foreign contributions by individuals, associations, and companies in India, and has been amended significantly in 2010 and 2020, with the 2020 amendment already drawing criticism for restricting sub-granting and mandating SBI New Delhi accounts. The Northeast, particularly Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Mizoram, is uniquely dependent on faith-based civil society organisations for healthcare, education, and welfare delivery in remote areas. This episode underscores the tension between national security-driven regulatory tightening and the federal principle of respecting state-specific socio-cultural contexts — a recurring UPSC Mains theme.
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Sample questions — answers revealed after test
Q1. With reference to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2020, which one of the following changes was introduced by that amendment?
Q2. A faith-based NGO registered under FCRA receives ₹1 crore in foreign contributions in a financial year. It wishes to transfer ₹30 lakh of this to a partner grassroots organisation for field implementation, use ₹15 lakh for administrative expenses, and receive the funds directly into its State Bank of India branch account in Shillong. Which of these three actions is/are permissible under FCRA as amended in 2020?
Q3. Consider the following statements regarding the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 and its constitutional and judicial dimensions: 1. FCRA derives its legislative competence primarily from Entry 14 of the Union List, which deals with treaties and agreements with foreign countries, and Entry 97 (residuary powers). 2. The Supreme Court in Noel Harper v. Union of India (2022) struck down the mandatory SBI New Delhi Main Branch account requirement as a disproportionate restriction on the right to carry on an occupation under Article 19(1)(g). 3. Under FCRA, once an organisation's registration is cancelled, it is barred from receiving foreign contributions for a period of 3 years. 4. Members of the legislature and judges are among the categories explicitly prohibited from receiving foreign contributions under FCRA.