The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has cancelled the registration under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) of World Vision India (WVI), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that focuses on children’s issues. US-based World Vision is one of the largest Christian voluntary groups in the world, with a presence in over 100 countries. It has been operational in India for the past 70 years.
According to the MHA order, the Indian NGO is no longer eligible to receive foreign donations, even from its parent organisation, as its registration has been cancelled due to a “violation” of FCRA norms.
WVI has been registered under the FCRA since 1986, to receive money that is used to carry out “social and educational” programmes. The NGO has signed agreements with several government departments in the past. In 2016, amid a social media scandal, the Rajasthan government had to cancel an MoU signed with WVI on Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS).
Suspended in 2022
The NGO’s registration was first suspended in November 2022, a year after it applied for renewal of its FCRA registration, which must be done every five years. The Ministry initially suspended the registration for 180 days for alleged non-compliance with the provisions of the FCRA. The suspension was extended in May 2023.
According to WVI’s latest financial statement for the year 2022-33, submitted to the MHA on October 14, 2023, “The Society (WVI) has submitted its detailed responses to the MHA for all the issues raised by them alleging non-compliance by the Society with the provisions of the FCRA relating to the periods from 2012-13 to 2020-21. The Society has also provided necessary supporting documents for all the issues raised in the letters of the MHA.”
‘The liabilities cannot be settled’
The financial statement added that WVI’s operations had been significantly impacted due to the suspension as it could not carry out any activities covered under the FCRA beyond November 2022. “The Society has closed all its project offices working exclusively on FCRA projects and also terminated the contract with its employees working on FCRA projects in the month of May 2023,” it said. “Considering the suspension, the Society has not been able to access funds or assets and has not been able to settle its liabilities to employees and vendors (including ₹39.72 crore relating to the period November 2022 to 31 March 2023). The Society has requested access to 25% of the funds to settle liabilities to the MHA, which are pending disposal as on date,” it added.
In 2022, WVI received around Rs 170 million in foreign donations from its partners in the US, Switzerland and Germany, among others. It also received Rs 800,000 as a donation from the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Since 2011, around 20,000 NGOs have had their FCRA registrations cancelled on various grounds of violating the provisions. On January 10, the health ministry cancelled the FCRA registration of the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), a leading public policy think tank in New Delhi.
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