Rajya Sabha sends FCRA bill to joint parliamentary panel

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, August 12, adopted a motion to refer the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, to a 31-member joint committee of Parliament for further scrutiny.

The motion, moved by Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, was adopted by voice vote in the upper house. The Lok Sabha had already passed a similar motion referring the bill to the same 31-member joint committee, amid strong opposition protests and demands for its withdrawal.

The bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25 and proposes tighter government oversight of non-governmental organisations and foreign funding in the country. It seeks to create a designated authority to manage and dispose of assets if an organisation loses its FCRA licence.

Opposition parties have alleged that certain provisions of the bill could affect legitimate foreign funding for Christian NGOs and minority-run social welfare and educational institutions. The government has maintained that the proposed legislation is not religion-specific and is aimed at regulating foreign contributions.