Congress Leader K.C. Venugopal has raised questions about the functioning of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) that would be in charge of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 and has asked for wider discussion with all actors before the panel begins to discuss the proposed changes to the law on foreign contributions received by non-governmental organisations as well as other eligible institutions in India.
Venugopal’s intervention comes as several JPC members have asked for more time to look at the proposed legislation and seek views from organisations, experts and other stakeholders. Nine members of the committee asked for a postponement of the meeting scheduled for October 12 and asked that the public consultation window remain open for at least four weeks. The motion was supported by the Congress, DMK and Samajwadi Party as well as an MP of the National People’s Party.
The FCRA Amendment Bill, 2026 was introduced in Lok Sabha on March 25 and was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee on August 12 for study. The 31-member panel will be chaired by BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal as well as Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members. The committee will be responsible to see what is in the Bill and then present its report to Parliament in the 2026 Winter session.
The bill would amend the current framework on the acceptance and use of foreign contributions to strengthen transparency, strengthen regulatory oversight and make sure foreign funds are properly utilised. The government has also denied that the proposed amendments specifically target minority organisations, and said they apply to all entities who receive foreign contributions.
But the Opposition has been concerned about a number of provisions of the proposed legislation. One of the main issues has been that of the assets generated by foreign contributions when the FCRA registration or certificate is cancelled, surrendered or otherwise ceases to remain valid. Some have questioned how much power a particular authority would be given over such assets.
The consultation issue is therefore an important part of the JPC's consideration. Some of the members who want more time have said that organisations affected by the changes should be given sufficient time to share their views. They have also asked for sufficient time for JPC members themselves to look at representations and documents before the committee makes a conclusion on the Bill.
The JPC has held its first meeting to discuss the legislation. Members have questioned some of the provisions in the bill - including the foreign-funded assets proposal. The government authorities and the Opposition members discussed different aspects of the Bill, with some of their concerns voiced by the Opposition members and civil society.
Venugopal had been opposed to the proposed legislation when it was referred to the JPC in August. At that time he asked that the Bill be withdrawn and noted that it would have an adverse effect on NGOs and minority organisations. But the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju said that the committee process would offer an opportunity to further scrutinise the Bill and denied that it was directed at the minority community.
The Bill’s issue has also drawn the attention of organisations and politicians outside Parliament. Church bodies and leaders from some northeastern states had earlier expressed their concern over the proposed amendments, and the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly passed a resolution calling for the Bill to be withdrawn with the involvement of states and stakeholders.
The JPC needs to conduct its examination before the report is made, however. NGOs, charitable organisations, legal experts, state governments and other affected stakeholders have argued that the proposed provisions can be understood to work in practice. The government has maintained that the proposed amendments are intended to improve regulation and accountability in the foreign-contribution system.
The FCRA framework has a significant impact for organisations that rely on foreign contributions for education, healthcare, social welfare and charitable work. The PRS Legislative Research reports indicate that 13,520 organisations received ₹55,741 crore in foreign contributions between 2019 and 2022. The FCRA portal had 14,449 active certificates as of July 15, 2026, and thousands of certificates had been cancelled or had expired.
The final recommendations from the JPC could have implications for foreign-funded organisations that operate and comply with India’s regulatory framework. For now, the committee is still evaluating the situation and no final recommendations have been made. The need for more consultation indicates that members are divided on the content of some provisions and how quickly and how much Parliament has to go through it.
As the committee works on the FCRA Amendment Bill, other meetings and stakeholder statements will shape the discussion around it. The latest requests for more time and wider consultation have put the JPC’s process in fresh focus, as well as the government and Opposition giving differing opinions on the proposed changes.
