The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, has given organisations consulted in Shillong 15 days to submit written responses to queries raised by the panel, as it continues to gather stakeholder views before finalising its recommendations.
The consultation, held on Monday, was chaired by JPC Chairman Dr Sanjay Jaiswal and marked the committee’s first meeting outside New Delhi. Around 40 organisations from Meghalaya and other Northeastern states, including Nagaland, Assam and Manipur, participated. They included religious institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and groups working for persons with disabilities.
Jaiswal said the visit followed a request from Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to hear the concerns of organisations in the state receiving foreign contributions. The committee sought additional clarifications from several participants, whose responses will be examined before further deliberations.
He said the committee had not reached a consensus on the proposed amendments and would formulate its recommendations after considering submissions from stakeholders across the country. The JPC plans to consult around 84 organisations nationwide, including more than 40 from the Northeast, and will hold further consultations in Kochi and Chennai.
Explaining the proposed legislation, Jaiswal said it sought to facilitate organisations engaged in social welfare while maintaining safeguards against activities that could threaten national security and national interests.
He said religious organisations accounted for around six per cent of foreign contributions received in India, while NGOs and other organisations received the remaining 94 per cent. Concerns raised by smaller organisations, particularly those working for persons with disabilities, over registration and re-registration requirements would also be considered.
Addressing concerns of religious institutions, Jaiswal said the proposed amendments provided for temples, churches and mosques to continue functioning without interference.
On banking arrangements, he said foreign contributions would initially be routed through a designated State Bank of India account in New Delhi for monitoring the source of funds, after which organisations could transfer the money to accounts with other banks.
Jaiswal said India received approximately Rs 22,000 crore in foreign contributions annually. He also noted that political parties, judges and journalists were among those barred from receiving foreign contributions under the existing legal framework. (With inputs from agencies)
