Faith Groups Receive Just 6% of India’s Foreign Funds: JPC Chief

City hosts first outstation hearing on FCRA Amendment Bill

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, Nov 2: Faith-based organisations account for only around six per cent of the roughly Rs 22,000 crore in foreign contributions received in the country, Joint Parliamentary Committee chairman Sanjay Jaiswal said on Monday after the panel’s first outstation consultation on the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, in Shillong.
Jaiswal told reporters that the remaining 94 per cent of foreign contributions goes to NGOs and other organisations.
Nearly 40 organisations from Meghalaya and other Northeastern states presented their views and suggestions to the committee, which is examining the proposed amendments.
Representatives of religious institutions, non-governmental organisations and groups working for persons with disabilities from Meghalaya, Assam, Nagaland and Manipur took part.
The panel sought additional clarifications from several participants and asked them to submit written responses within 15 days.
With opposition parties alleging that certain provisions of the FCRA Amendment Bill could affect legitimate foreign funding for Christian NGOs and minority-run social welfare and educational institutions, the JPC chairman said, “We want to have practical solutions to the practical problems being presented before us. Our interest is national interest, and we are listening to all concerned stakeholders before arriving at any conclusion,”
He said the proposed amendments contained safeguards for places of worship, including temples, churches and mosques, which would continue to be maintained without interference.
The committee had noted the suggestions and concerns raised, particularly over registration and renewal procedures, compliance requirements and the possible implications for institutions receiving foreign funds.
Written submissions would be examined before the panel finalised its recommendations.
No consensus had yet been reached, he added, and the recommendations would be shaped collectively after consultations with stakeholders across the country.
Smaller organisations, including those working for persons with disabilities, also raised difficulties with registration and re-registration requirements. Jaiswal said these suggestions would be considered.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma met the committee at Umroi Airport and described the exercise as a healthy democratic process in which the panel was hearing the grievances of stakeholders.
Jaiswal noted that the committee was gathering inputs to understand the practical difficulties faced by organisations receiving foreign contributions and was examining, among other issues, the role of state-level authorities under the existing FCRA framework. The panel will next hold consultations in Chennai and Kochi.