more than 100 institution’s FCRA licenses canceled by home-ministry, including JNU,DU,can’t receive foreign funds
The Center has banned foreign funding from more than one hundred educational institutions like Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi University (DU), IIT Delhi and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The Union Home Ministry has canceled the license of these institutions under the Foreign Contribution Regulatory Act, 2010 (FCRA) for not filing the annual returns of the last five years.
Explain that any institution can get donations from abroad only after being registered under FCRA . For such institutions it is mandatory to give details of their annual income and expenses to the Central Government. An educational institution requires FCRA registration number to receive donations and donations from overseas students settled abroad.
Among the institutions which have canceled the FCRA license, the Supreme Court Bar Association, Indian Council of Medical Research, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Punjab University, Gargi College (Delhi), Lady Irwin College (Delhi), Escort Heart Institute and Research Center, Gandhi Peace Foundation, Nehru Youth Center Organization, Armed Forces Flag Day Fund, School of Planning and Architecture (Delhi), and The FICCI Socio Economic Development Foundation is also included.
Apart from these, the Doon School of Old Boys Association Shri Guru Teg Bahadur Khalsa College (Delhi), Dr. Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia International Trust, Co-Ordining Voluntary Adaction Resource Agency, Bombay Dissation Society, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Science (Karnataka), Indira Gandhi Institute Cancellation of license of off-child health (Bengaluru), Shri Mahatma Gandhi Charitable Trust (Gujarat) and Sri Satya Sai Trust has given.
An official of the Home Ministry said that the said institution has failed to file returns for the last five years from 2010-11 to 2014-15, while they were informed several times about this.
IIT-Delhi director V Ramgopal Rao told the Indian Express that we have no information about this. But, IIT-Delhi has nothing to hide. He said that I am convinced that we have filed a return. It looks like a procedural problem and we will sort it out with the government.
Gargi’s collage Acting Principal Pramila Kumar said that we have filed our return. The fact is that the reminder was received by the ministry on this and we have informed them that the return has been filed. I do not know why this happened.
The Vice Chancellor of JNU and DU did not respond to this.
A Home Ministry spokesman said that the institutions which had registration under FCRA were given time to file annual returns and link the bank account. Although some NGOs supported by the government claimed that they got the exemption but they have been asked to deposit the documents. The institution which has not been able to file their returns, their license has been canceled. However, the institute can appeal against the cancellation of the license, which will be considered on the basis of merit.
In May, the Central Government had given all NGO one month’s time to file its annual return.
