The government is likely to refer the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 (FCRA) to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed examination, sources said on Tuesday. The move comes amid concerns raised by the Opposition over the provisions of the FCRA Amendment Bill.
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, has so far not been listed on the agenda of the Lok Sabha for consideration and passing, but the government indicated earlier that it could be taken up on August 12.
FCRA bill to be discussed in Parliament on August 12?
Earlier on August 7, the FCRA Bill will be taken up for discussion and passage in Parliament on August 12 and will not be implemented retrospectively, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma said after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Lalduhoma, accompanied by a delegation of church leaders from Mizoram, met Shah to convey concerns over the proposed legislation, which seeks to tighten oversight of foreign-funded organisations by creating a powerful designated authority to take control of the assets of NGOs that lose their FCRA licence. "We have conveyed our apprehensions on the new FCRA bill to the home minister. He assured us that the Bill will not come into effect retrospectively," Lalduhoma told reporters in the Parliament House complex.
Asked about the timeline for the legislation, the chief minister said Shah informed the delegation that the Bill would be debated in Parliament on August 12. The proposed law was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25.
About FCRA Bill 2026
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 seeks to empower the government to create a "Designated Authority" to take over the management of foreign contributions and assets created using foreign contributions when an organisation's FCRA registration is cancelled, surrendered or ceases because it is not renewed.
This bill also states that in case of assets that are a place of worship, the Authority must ensure that its religious character is maintained. Apart from this, the proposed legislation will also reduce the maximum penalty for violation of the Act from imprisonment of five years to one year. The FCRA portal indicates that, as of July 15, 2026, there are 14,449 active FCRA certificates, 22,498 cancelled, and 15,212 deemed as expired.
(Input: Pawan Nara)
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