Home ministry scraps FCRA registration of six NGOs for alleged violation of the law

The Union home ministry has cancelled the licences of six non-governmental organisations for alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act and for religious conversion, The Economic Times reported on Monday.

According to the report, the organisations are: Diocesan Society Church of North, Jesus and Mary Delhi Educational Society, Delhi Diocese Overseas Grant Fund, Institute of Economic Growth, Samuel Foundation Charitable India Trust and Hemophilia Federation of India.

These organisations will not be able to receive foreign contributions or use their existing funds.

The Institute of Economic Growth describes itself as one of the leading academic institutions in the field of economic and social development. It has hosted renowned international scholars, including Nobel laureates Elinor Ostrom and Amartya Sen.

The institute has published several journals and articles on women’s participation in the workforce, child malnutrition and the Covid-19 pandemic. Its faculty of about 20 social scientists and supporting research staff focus on social and policy concerns.

On Tuesday, the newspaper reported that the Institute of Economic Growth’s application for the renewal of Foreign Contribution Registration Act licence was turned down following which it applied again.

“IEG is an ICSSR [Indian Council of Social Science Research] Institute and is largely dependent on the government for funding, not on foreign funds,” The Economic Times quoted the organisation as saying on Tuesday. “In 2022-’23, the...

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