3 weeks ago
Shashi Tharoor Slams FCRA Amendment Bill as 'Control, Not Transparency'
The government of India wants to change a law called the FCRA, which controls how charities and other groups in India can receive money from other countries.
A politician named Shashi Tharoor says the new changes are not about being open about that money, but about the government taking control.
He is worried because the new law would let a person chosen by the government take over the money and buildings of groups like hospitals and schools if their license is delayed or taken away.
Tharoor says this could turn a big, working 500-bed hospital into government property just because of a paperwork delay.
He says this is a big problem for churches and charities in a place called Kerala that have been helping poor people for many years.
He also believes the law may break important rules in India's constitution that protect people's property and religious groups.
Tharoor wants all the opposition parties to work together and stop the law from passing.
He thinks the law should first be studied carefully by a special committee that listens to experts and the public.
The government says the changes will fix problems in the old law and help manage foreign money better.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has slammed the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, calling it 'about control, not transparency.'
Tharoor said the Bill's centrally appointed Designated Authority could take over and ultimately sell the assets of organisations whose FCRA registration is suspended, cancelled, or denied renewal.
He warned that a single administrative delay or an adverse ruling by the Ministry of Home Affairs could turn a functioning 500-bed charitable hospital in Kerala into state property.
Tharoor urged opposition parties to unite, resist the Bill 'through every legal and democratic channel,' and demand its referral to a Select Committee.
The government introduced the Bill in the Lok Sabha on March 25, 2026, and is likely to seek its passage during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament.
- Who
- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is opposing the Bill, and the Indian government (Centre), which is pushing it in Parliament.
- What
- The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, which creates a Designated Authority empowered to take charge of the foreign funds and physical assets of organisations whose FCRA registration is suspended, cancelled, or denied renewal.
- Where
- India, in Parliament's Monsoon Session; Tharoor's concerns specifically reference charitable institutions in Kerala.
- When
- The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25, 2026, and the government is likely to seek its passage during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament in August 2026.
- Why
- Tharoor alleges the amendments are about executive control rather than transparency and raises constitutional concerns, while the government says they address operational gaps and strengthen oversight of foreign contributions.
Opposition View
Government View
Designated Authority and asset takeover
Opposition View
Tharoor says the Designated Authority creates 'an unprecedented mechanism of control that bypasses traditional legal protections,' letting the government manage and sell NGO properties, even those only partly funded by foreign contributions.
Government View
The government says the amendments address operational gaps and strengthen management and oversight of foreign contributions; assets and unused foreign funds would be returned if registration is restored or renewed within the prescribed period.
Purpose of the Bill
Opposition View
Tharoor argues the Bill is 'about control, not transparency' and constitutes executive overreach that could invite constitutional challenges.
Government View
The government maintains the changes are intended to fix operational gaps in the existing law and improve oversight, including provisions for judicial appeal and preservation of the religious character of places of worship.
How the Bill should proceed
Opposition View
Tharoor urges the Opposition to resist the Bill 'through every legal and democratic channel' and demand referral to a Select Committee for clause-by-clause consideration and public consultation.
Government View
The Centre is likely to seek passage of the Bill during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Key facts
- Bill
- Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026
- Amends
- Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010
- Introduced
- Lok Sabha, March 25, 2026
- Key Provision
- Centrally appointed Designated Authority over foreign funds and assets of organisations whose FCRA registration is suspended, cancelled, or denied renewal
- Critic
- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, in an opinion piece published in The Indian Express
- Constitutional Concerns Cited
- Articles 300A, 14, 25, and 26 of the Indian Constitution
- Penalty Change
- Maximum imprisonment for FCRA violations reduced from five years to one year
- Reported Timeline
- Government likely to seek passage during the Monsoon Session of Parliament (August 2026)
Quotes
Shashi Tharoor
Congress MP and former foreign secretary
“The Amendment introduces an unprecedented mechanism of control that bypasses traditional legal protections.”
news18.com
“This Bill must therefore be resisted through every legal and democratic channel available.”
news18.com











