Tezzbuzz Desk- The Central Government on Wednesday passed the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 (FCRA Bill) Amid opposition's opposition, it was sent to the Joint Parliamentary Committee i.e. JPC of the Parliament. A proposal was made in the Lok Sabha to send the bill to the 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee, which was approved.
In place of Home Minister Amit Shah, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai introduced the FCRA Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha. Now JPC will do a detailed review of the bill. The committee will include 21 members of the Lok Sabha and 10 members of the Rajya Sabha. The committee will have to submit its report by the next session.
Akhilesh Yadav protested
Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav opposed the bill, calling it against minorities. Questions have also been raised by the opposition parties regarding some provisions of the bill. The opposition alleges that the proposed amendment will increase surveillance on NGOs and social institutions that receive foreign funding. Some parties say that its provisions may affect legitimate foreign funding of Christian organizations and social and educational institutions run by minority communities.
However, the central government says that the proposed law is not to target any particular religion or community. According to the government, its objective is to make the system of foreign contribution more transparent and effective and to ensure proper monitoring of its use.
BJD supported sending JPC
Different opinions also emerged among the opposition parties in Parliament regarding the FCRA Bill. According to sources, some opposition parties including Congress and Trinamool Congress raised questions about the bill and demanded its withdrawal.
At the same time, Biju Janata Dal i.e. BJD believed that the bill can be sent to the Joint Parliamentary Committee for detailed discussion and scrutiny. Objections were also raised by DMK regarding the bill. The party's stance was that the government should either withdraw the bill or send it to the JPC.
The bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in March
The FCRA Amendment Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha during the budget session on March 25 this year. The proposed amendments seek to strengthen government oversight over NGOs operating in the country and activities involving foreign funding.
Opposition parties objected to some of its provisions, saying that this could affect the legitimate aid received from foreign sources. He claims that it may also impact some institutions working in the field of social welfare and education.
Now JPC will do detailed investigation
After sending the bill to the JPC, the committee will now review its provisions in detail. The committee will include MPs from both houses and opinions from different parties can be taken. Earlier, the FCRA Bill was also discussed in the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee of the Rajya Sabha. Many members including Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, JP Nadda and leaders of opposition parties attended the meeting.
Now everyone's eyes will be on the JPC report. Based on the recommendations of the committee, the government can decide to carry forward the bill or make changes in it.