Govt extends validity of FCRA registration of NGOs till March 31

Tribune News Service

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New Delhi, December 31

The government today said it has extended the validity of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) registration of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) by three months till March 31.

In the notice, which was issued today, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the extension benefits, however, would not be available to organisations such as the Missionaries of Charity, as their application for renewal of the FCRA registration had already been rejected.

The Centre, in public interest, has decided to extend the validity of the FCRA registration certificates of NGOs up to March 31, 2022, or till the date of disposal of their renewal applications, whichever is earlier, in respect of only those entities that fulfil certain criteria, the MHA said in the notice.

The NGOs with FCRA registration certificates expiring between September 29, 2020, and March 31, 2022, and that have applied for renewal on the FCRA portal before the expiry of the certificates, in accordance with Rule 12 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules, 2011, are eligible for the benefits.

“All FCRA registered associations are therefore advised to take note of the fact that in case of refusal of the application for renewal of certificate of registration, the validity of the certificate shall be deemed to have expired on the date of refusal of the application of renewal and the association shall not be eligible either to receive foreign contribution or utilise the foreign contribution received,” the notice said.

The NGOs that have valid registration certificates under the FCRA are eligible to receive funding from abroad.

A total of 22,762 NGOs are registered under the FCRA and the renewal applications of about 6,500 have so far been processed.