3 weeks ago

Shashi Tharoor Slams FCRA Amendment Bill as 'Control, Not Transparency'

Shashi Tharoor Slams FCRA Amendment Bill as 'Control, Not Transparency'
Shashi Tharoor Says FCRA Amendment Bill 'About Control, Not Transparency'; Calls For Opposition Unity · news18.com

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.

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

Sources

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