Indian NGOs receive Rs 20k crore foreign funding in 2018-19, highest in 3 years

Hyderabad: Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in India have received a whopping Rs 20011.21 Crore foreign funding in 2018-19.

Foreign funding for Indian NGOs is regulated by the foreign contribution (regulation) Act established in 2010. According to the current data, they are around 30,000 NGOs in India registered with the body and eligible to obtain funds.

In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, the Ministry of Home affairs said NGOs received Rs 20011.21 crore in 2018-19.

In 2017-18, the NGOs received Rs 19764. 64 Crore foreign funding. Likewise, around Rs 18337. 66 crore were received by different NGOs in 2016-17. Foreign funding for Indian NGOs is regulated by the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010.

Money is granted to NGOs for five types of programmes including religious, social, economic, educational, and cultural. These registered bodies are supposed to file their annual returns by the end of December.

It may be recalled that BJP led NDA government has been against the foreign funding to NGOs citing ‘hidden agenda’.

In the last 5 years, as many as 14,500 NGOs were banned from receiving funds. In 2019 alone, 1808 NGOs registration was canceled. The government said the registration was canceled because they failed to file their annual reports.

“A unit of FCRA Wing monitors the receipt and utilization of foreign contribution. Methods of monitoring include interalia, scrutiny of Annual Returns, inputs from field agencies, on the spot audit, and inspection of the accounts of FCRA Associations. Further, in the new system of FCRA monitoring all annual returns are to be filed electronically. The Bank accounts of the FCRA registered associations have also been linked to the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) for better monitoring of flow of funds,” the home ministry said.