FCRA registration of educational institutes has been cancelled

More than 1,800 NGOs and academic institutes found to be violating laws pertaining to foreign funding have been banned by the government from receiving overseas funds this year. The institutes whose registration under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act has been banned include the University of Rajasthan, Allahabad Agricultural Institute, Young Men’s Christian Association, Tamil Nadu, and Swami Vivekananda Educational Society, Karnataka. The FCRA registration of these institutes was cancelled due to their failure to submit annual income and expenditure statement on foreign funding for up to six years. According to the FCRA guidelines, registered associations are required to submit electronically an annual report with scanned copies of income and expenditure statement, receipts and payment account, and balance sheet within nine months of the closure of the financial year. Associations which do not receive foreign contribution during a particular year are also required to furnish a ‘NIL’ return. Other associations whose FCRA registration has been cancelled include Institute of Pulmocare and Research, West Bengal, National Geophysical Research Institute, Telangana, National Institute of Virology, Maharashtra, and Baptist Christian Association, Maharashtra.