India defends FCRA amendments amid US lawmaker criticism
The Indian government has defended the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment (FCRA) Bill, 2026, as an internal legislative matter after US Congressman Riley Moore criticized the measure. Moore alleged the amendments constitute "a clear attack against Christians" and could allow the government to take control of churches and religious charities, potentially impacting US-India bilateral relations.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal rejected these claims, stating that legislative decisions are made by Parliament and noted that many nations, including the United States, regulate foreign fund flows.
The proposed bill seeks to enhance transparency and governance of foreign contributions. Key provisions include the creation of a "Designated Authority" to manage assets of NGOs whose FCRA registration is cancelled, surrendered, or not renewed. If registration is not restored within a set period, the government could gain permanent control over those assets. Additionally, the bill introduces a minimum foreign-fund utilization threshold of Rs 10 lakh over the previous two financial years for renewal eligibility and proposes reductions in certain criminal penalties.
Entities: Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act · Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill 2026 · Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) · Government of India · India · Indian Parliament · Ministry of External Affairs · Ministry of External Affairs (India) · Randhir Jaiswal · Riley Moore · United States Congress
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 8 SOURCES] The Bill reduces the maximum imprisonment penalty for statutory violations from five years to one year. (The Bill)
- [● 9 SOURCES] US Congressman Riley Moore criticized the proposed FCRA amendment, saying it would allow the Indian government to take over churches and religious charities and called it an attack on Christians. (US Congressman Riley Moore criticized the proposed FCRA amendment, saying it would allow the Indian government to takes;)
- [● 10 SOURCES] India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said legislative matters on the FCRA amendment are internal affairs decided by Parliament. (India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal)
- [● 10 SOURCES] The Bill allows permanent vesting of assets of NGOs whose FCRA registration is not restored within a prescribed period. (The Bill)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Bill sets a minimum foreign‑fund utilisation threshold of Rs 10 lakh over the previous two financial years for NGOs to be eligible for FCRA renewal. (The Bill)
- [● 10 SOURCES] India said several nations, including the United States, regulate the flow of foreign funds. (Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal)
- [● 10 SOURCES] The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill 2026 proposes creating a Designated Authority to manage foreign contributions and assets of NGOs whose FCRA registration is cancelled, surrendered, (The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill 2026)