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DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

GS-II :
  • 25 September, 2020

  • 8 Min Read

The foreign hand

The foreign hand

Context:

  • The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2020 has been passed in both the houses of the Parliament.
  • The Bill amends the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010.
  • FCRA regulates the acceptance and utilisation of foreign contribution by individuals, associations and companies.

New regulations:

  • New regulations put onerous conditions on civil society organisations, and educational and research institutions that have partnerships, including those of financial nature, with foreign entities.

Criticisms:

  • Amendments to the FCRA were drafted without consultation with stakeholders (lack of systems approach).
  • The bill passed with limited discussion in Parliament, further clip the wings of India’s battered civil society.
  • In Parliament, the BJP alleged that foreign money was being used for religious conversions.
  • In 2017, the government barred an American Christian charity, Compassion International, accusing it of supporting conversions.
  • Some of the restrictions not only show up India to be overregulated but could also impact NGOs.
  • As a growing economy, India has been proactive in seeking global capital and technology. The aversion appears to be towards select categories of global ideas and ideals — environmentalism, human rights and civil liberties.
  • The International Commission of Jurists has said the new law was incompatible with international obligations and India’s own constitutional provisions on rights.

Way forward:

  • The pandemic has underscored the importance of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the whole earth is one family) as a framework for India’s global engagement.
  • Thousands of NGOs serve extremely disadvantaged sections, at times filling in for the state, at others, supplementing it.
  • The question of foreign funding must be delinked from the debate on religious propagation and conversions as there are adequate laws against conversion by inducement.
  • For a global community to function, there is a need for a seamless sharing of ideas and resources across national boundaries.
  • It should not be discouraged unless there is reason to believe the funds are being used to aid illegal activities.

Source: IE


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