Opposition gears up to resist Centre's FCRA amendment; why foreign funding bill is under fire

The Indian opposition is preparing to resist the Centre's Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, set to be introduced in Parliament soon. The amendment aims to bolster government supervision over foreign-funded assets if organizations lose their registration. Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge stated the Opposition plans to obstruct the government's FCRA move, with a decision to follow after an all-party meeting of floor leaders.

Opposition members, including NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule, argue against labeling foreign funding as inherently suspicious and call for the bill's withdrawal. If the government refuses to withdraw the bill, Sule suggested referring it to a Joint Parliamentary Committee. The party urged its MPs to attend parliamentary sessions on August 10, 11, and 12.

The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs has not included the FCRA amendment bill in the government's agenda for the following week. The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, seeks to modify the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, which governs foreign donations received by individuals, associations, and organizations.

As of July 15, there were 14,449 active FCRA registrations, 22,498 cancelled, and 15,212 expired. The bill proposes establishing a designated authority to manage foreign contributions if an entity's FCRA registration is canceled, surrendered, or lapsed. The authority could control assets and monitor activities if necessary. Several sections of the FCRA Bill have drawn criticism - Section 14B concerning certificate cessation, Section 16A transferring assets to a designated authority, and Section 16B applying the new framework to assets already vested under the existing law.

Congress general secretary K C Venugopal called the FCRA bill "completely unconstitutional" and expressed concerns about its potential impact on NGOs and minority-run community groups, particularly in Kerala.