Home Ministry cancels FCRA licenses of 20,000 NGOs

The Home Ministry took this decision after an inquiry was conducted into the functioning of the NGOs whose FCRA licenses had recently been renewed.

By: Priyal Ray |
December 27, 2016 7:03 pm

The government today cancelled the licenses of 20,000 NGOs for violation of laws. Only 13,000 NGOs among the 33,000 now remain legally valid.

The Home Ministry took this decision after an inquiry was conducted into the functioning of the NGOs whose FCRA licenses had recently been renewed.

This inquiry into the functioning of the NGOs started about a year ago and the process is still continuing. Earlier, the government had denied FCRA license renewal to 25 other NGOs on suspicion of them being involved in anti-national activities.

On December 15, 7 NGOs, including one run by activist Shabnam Hashmi, were barred from receiving foreign funds after their FCRA licences were cancelled. These NGOs’ licenses were cancelled on the basis of alleged adverse intelligence reports which accused the organizations of working against public interest by using foreign funds, painting the government as “anti- Dalit” abroad, besides others.

Kiran Bedi took to twitter to congratulate the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party government on this move:

Yes massive clean up. Kudos to Govt for this massive exercise. Clearing arrears. https://t.co/cp9wUpHqQH

— Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) December 27, 2016