Delhi NGOs received highest amount of foreign contribution: Centre

live mint | March 30, 2023

NGOs based in Delhi received the highest amount of foreign funds, followed by those based in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu out of the over ₹55,600 crore contribution sent to India from abroad in the last three years, Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

As per the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010, every non-governmental organization which receives foreign contributions has to submit an annual return along with the income and expenditure statement, receipt and payment account, and balance sheet for every financial year, said Union Minister of State for Home Nityananad Rai.

He said that during 2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22, a total of ₹55,645.08 crore was received by Indian NGOs as foreign contributions, according to the news agency PTI.

Among these, Delhi has received ₹14,062.77 crore in the said three financial years, Karnataka received ₹7,241.32 crore, Maharashtra received ₹5,606.01 crore and Tamil Nadu received ₹6,804.07 crore, he said in response to a written question.

All NGOs in the country received ₹16,359.48 crore in 2019-20, ₹17,166.34 crore in 2020-21, and ₹22,119.26 crore in 2021-22.

The minister said between 2020 and 2022 and the current year, the FCRA registration certificate of 1,828 NGOs has been canceled for violation of the provisions of the act.

As on March 10, 2023, there were 16,383 FCRA-registered organizations in the country, officials said.

Meanwhile, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has received representations informing it that NGOs are raising funds using pictures of minor children.

“Further, it had recently come to the notice of this ministry that a well-known NGO ‘Save the Children’ was advertising regularly on electronic and social media seeking ₹800 per month from the general public to tackle the challenge of malnutrition in tribal children,” Irani said in a written response.

She said such activities of NGOs are in violation of sections 74 and 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and also section 23 of the POCSO Act, 2012.