Oxfam, Jamia, IIT, IMA among more than 12,000 entities to lose FCRA licence

More than 12,000 NGOs, including Oxfam India Trust, Jamia Millia Islamia, the Indian Medical Association and the Leprosy Mission, whose FCRA licences had expired over the past few months have lost their licences as of January 1, 2022.

These entities either did not apply for renewal of their FCRA (Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act) licence or the Union home ministry rejected their applications.

FCRA licences – required to be able to receive funding from abroad – of over 6,000 NGOs and other organisations expired overnight, the home ministry said on Saturday morning, NDTV reported.

Home ministry sources were quoted as saying that said most of the 6,000+ NGOs or organisations had not applied for their licences to be renewed, despite reminders being sent to make the application before the December 31 deadline.

The list of entities whose registration ceased or validity expired include the Tuberculosis Association of India, the India Islamic Cultural Centre, Indira Gandhi National Centre For Arts, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial Foundation, Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Godrej Memorial Trust, The Delhi Public School Society, Nuclear Science Centre in JNU, India Habitat Centre, IIT-Delhi, and Delhi College of Engineering.

Also read: Freezing of Missionaries of Charity account: What Mamata, Centre say

There were 22,762 FCRA-registered NGOs till Friday. On Saturday, only 16,829 NGOs in India still have an FCRA licence, which was renewed on Friday till March 31, 2022, or till the time renewal applications (for NGOs who have applied) are decided.

Days earlier, the ministry had refused to renew such a licence for Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity citing “adverse inputs”, leaving the group – which operate orphanages and shelters for the poor, sick, and destitute across India – without access to foreign funds in over 250 accounts.

Refusing FCRA clearance has been listed by critics of the BJP-led Modi government as its way of suppressing organisations whose work or officials are not considered supportive enough of the Centre.