Govt Extends FCRA Registration Certificate Validity Upto 31st March 2022

On Friday, the Union interior ministry extended the validity of NGOs’ FCRA registration for another three months, until March 31.

According to a notice published by the Ministry of Home Affairs, organizations such as the Missionaries of Charity would not be eligible for the extension benefits because their petitions for a renewal of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act registration have previously been rejected (MHA).

In the public interest, the Centre has decided to extend the validity of NGOs’ FCRA registration certificates until March 31, 2022, or until their renewal applications are processed, whichever comes first, in respect of only those organizations that meet specified conditions, according to the notification.

The benefits are available to NGOs that hold FCRA registration certificates that expire between September 29, 2020 and March 31, 2022 and have applied for renewal on the FCRA portal before the expiration date, in accordance with rule 12 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules, 2011.

“All FCRA registered associations are advised to take note of the fact that if an application for renewal of certificate of registration is refused, the validity of the certificate shall be deemed to have expired on the date of refusal of the application for renewal, and the association shall not be eligible to receive foreign contribution or to use the foreign contribution received,” the notice stated.

NGOs with valid registration certificates under the FCRA are eligible for international funding.

The FCRA has a total of 22,762 NGOs registered, with around 6,500 renewal applications completed thus far.

The MHA denied the Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa in Kolkata, their renewal application on December 25 because they did not match the FCRA’s eligibility requirements due to some negative inputs.

The MHA also stated that it did not freeze any Missionaries of Charity bank accounts, but that the State Bank of India had informed it that the organization had requested that its accounts be frozen.

Several politicians, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, have criticized the Centre for rejecting the Missionaries of Charity’s FCRA renewal application.

On Thursday, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik urged all district collectors to guarantee that no Missionaries of Charity unit functioning in the state is in financial distress, and to use the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund if necessary.

To Read More Download PDF Given Below: