By Matters India Reporter
NEW DELHI, March 27, 2026: The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India on March 27 criticized a proposed amendment to India’s foreign funding law, warning it is “dangerous and alarming in its implications” and could be misused by authorities.
In a statement, the bishops’ body said the Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment Bill gives sweeping powers to the government that risk undermining constitutional freedoms.
“The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) expresses grave concern over the Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment Bill (FCRA Amendment) introduced in the Lok Sabha, terming it dangerous and alarming in its implications,” the statement said. This legislation was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Wednesday.
The conference said provisions in the bill could allow authorities to act under “the pretext of license renewal,” warning this “risks enabling executive overreach into the constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of minorities.”
It raised particular objection to clauses that allow the government to deny licence renewals or cancel registrations.
“The CBCI strongly objects to provisions that empower the Central Government—being the licensing authority—to deny renewal or cancel licenses and subsequently, through a newly proposed authority, assume control over the institutions, funds, properties, and assets of minority organizations and NGOs,” the statement said.
Such powers, it added, “are unacceptable and raise serious concerns regarding fairness, transparency, and accountability.”
The bishops also questioned how the bill was introduced, saying it came “despite protests from opposition Members of Parliament,” and called for “wider consultation and deliberation on matters affecting fundamental rights.”
The CBCI urged the government to reconsider the legislation and ensure protections remain intact.
It called on authorities “to reconsider the proposed amendments and to remove all contentious provisions from the bill,” stressing the need to safeguard “the constitutional rights and freedoms of all citizens, especially minorities.”
The Union Government has deferred the passage of the contentious FCRA Bill in the Lok Sabha, presumably driven by concerns of a backlash from the Christian Community in poll-bound Kerala. The most fearsome provision of the proposed bill is creation of a designated authority (read Central Government) to take over the assets of an NGO whose FCRA registration/licence is cancelled. A CBCI representative has said the postponement is not tantamount to “withdrawal” of the bill. Source: The Telegraph Calcutta 02.04.2026. Report Link: https://epaper.telegraphindia.com/calcutta-edition/29/2026-04-02/page-4/article-1592543448.html
A lot of Hindu organization’s, like those run by zamrithanandamayi and other Godmen and Gidwimen receive lots of foreign contributions, in cash and kind. Hope there won’t be double standards on this!