Kolkata NGO designs Bio Toilets to battle open defecation

Bengal's Nadia to become first open defecation-free district in country, claims Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced that April 30th will be observed as Nirmal Bangla Divas—an initiative to achieve open defecation-free districts in the state. According to the state government, West Bengal’s Nadia district is set to become country’s first district that has become freed of open defecation. “On April 30th, we will make a formal announcement of Nadia becoming first Indian district to earn Open Defecation Free (ODF) status. Hooghly and Bardhaman are placed on second and third rank respectively,” Banerjee claimed.

The state government has further claimed that it has planned to set up individual household latrines (IHHL) across 8.47 lakh households in 2014-15—the highest in the country. “As part of the Nirmal Bangla (Clean Bengal) Mission, as many as 3.47 lakh toilets were set up across Nadia. These were constructed not just in the interiors of Nadia, but also in the urban centres and townships. By March 2015, all households in the district had access to toilets,” an official statement said.

UNICEF rings alarm against open defecation

According to UNICEF, slow progress on sanitation and the entrenched practice of open defecation among millions around the world continue to put children and their communities at risk. Some 2.5 billion people worldwide do not have adequate toilets and among them 1 billion defecate in the open – in fields, bushes, or bodies of water – putting them, and especially children, in danger of deadly faecal-oral diseases like diarrhoea, claims UNICEF. India, with 597 million (half the population) practising open defecation, also has high levels of stunting. Globally, some 1.9 billion people have gained access to improved sanitation since 1990. However, progress has not kept up with population growth and the Millennium Development Goal target on sanitation is unlikely to be reached by 2015 at current rates of progress.

Green Sanitation Foundation

In the wake of this announcement, iamin contacted Green Sanitation Foundation, a voluntary organisation in Kolkata that works against open defection to find a solution to the lack of proper sanitation facilities in India. As we interacted with Green Sanitation Foundation’s director Sudip Sen, he shared the concept of‘green toilets’ with us. Sen’s organisation strives to improve hygiene and sanitation in India through the use of Bio Toilets.

What are Bio Toilets?

Green Sanitation Foundation has launched Bio Toilets. These toilets can convert human waste into a non toxic, non-contaminating water compatible substance by maintaining the environmental standards. The process of conversion is facilitated by the application of multi strain bacteria culture. This process involves the aerobic forms of bacteria. “The major advantage of these bio toilets is that they do not need a sewage system to operate. They treat solid waste and convert it to liquid form, which is harmless and does not contaminate groundwater, soil, etc,” said Sen. Here’s a video that features bio toilets:

https://youtu.be/wOrosqIt05k

Cost factor

As claimed by the NGO, the cost of installing a Bio Toilet ranges between Rs.25 - 30,000, which includes training on O&M, communication efforts, etc. “Multiple bio toilets will cost more. GSF is also working on developing solar powered community bio-toilets,” added Sen.

Source: http://www.iamin.in/en/jadavpur/news/kolkata-ngo-designs-bio-toilets-battle-open-defecation-58620

Check NGOs Seeking Govt Funds for Duplication: Maneka

Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Maneka Gandhi today said that NGOs and welfare organisations seeking funds for government's schemes should be checked for duplication as many ministries end up funding them for similar purposes.

She asked MPs to identify genuine NGOs doing good work at a meeting of Consultative Committee of Parliament attached to the Ministry.

The WCD Ministry had recently come across a large number of fake applications under its "Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women" (STEP) scheme, aimed at providing employability skills to women.

"Government should assist the organisations in their task of skill development of women. We will try our best to ensure India's money goes to the best," Gandhi said.

The meeting was called to discuss various aspects related to skill training to women under STEP scheme.

Addressing the Members of the Committee, Gandhi said the training should not only be restricted to few areas like sewing, stitching and embroidery but should also include various diverse activities like making food items, rope making and knitting which are in demand and can generate easy economic opportunities for women.

She informed that the STEP scheme will be revived later this year and the proposals of projects will be uploaded on internet and if the proposals are rejected, the reasons thereof will also be shown.

Source: http://www.outlookindia.com/news/article/check-ngos-seeking-govt-funds-for-duplication-maneka/894084

The crackdown: Is the government really at war with NGOs?

The government's recent move to cancel the registration of nearly 9,000 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for failing to provide details of foreign funding for three years starting from financial year 2009-10 clearly shows that it has intensified its ongoing major crackdown on non-profit organisation operating in the country. The move came soon after the government suspended the licence of Greenpeace India and put US-based Ford Foundation on a security watch list, necessitating government approval to carry out their activities in the country.

A few months ago, the home ministry said lobby groups such as Greenpeace were damaging the country's economy by campaigning against genetically modified food, mining and power projects.

The Ford Foundation was put on a watch list following accusation that it was providing funding to a local group run by an activist who is a Modi critic. This has given some fodder to Modi's critics to argue that the government's move to restrict the movement of foreign funding to local charities is an attempt to scuttle the voices of those, who oppose the government's economic agenda.

The sudden spurt in the number of circulars issued by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) against organisations registered under The Foreign Contributions Regulation Act, 2010 (FCRA) in the recent past has proved that the ministry has intensified its scrutiny of NGOs.

In December, an RBI circular listed NGOs such as Danish International Development Agency, US-based Mercy Corps, US, Netherlands-based Hivos International and US-based Climate Work Foundation and Greenpeace in a list of those whose funds should be monitored by banks. Any NGO receiving funds from them will now need prior permission of the MHA before they bring in the funds. Also, from April 1, all organisations registered under the FCRA have to reapply for licence within a year.

The previous Manmohan Singh government too issued notices to NGOs that hadn't filed their returns during 2006-2009. But critics say the crackdown has become more pronounced under the Modi government because it wants to stifle voices against its economic and growth agenda.

The government's supporters say this increased scrutiny is to safeguard national security. The significant spurt in cross-border terrorist activities over the last couple of decades, which reared its ugly head following a series of terror strikes including 9/11 attacks in the US and 26/11 carnage in Mumbai, has forced the government to track every penny that is flown to the country by NGOs and think-tanks to ensure that the money is not used to fund terrorist or secessionist activities.

The government suspect that most of these organisations misuse funds by indulging in money laundering and campaigning against development work.
The strain in the relationship between bureaucracy and the civil society in the country that is increasingly being based on mutual suspicion and hostility is also cited as a reason for the crackdown on NGOs, which activist groups accuse as an attempt to silence free speech, opposing views and dissent.

Both Indian and foreign donors are shying away from engaging with NGOs which work in governance, environment and human rights as the government is seen increasingly hostile to and suspicious about activities in the space supported by donor money.

The government's 'blacklisted' of foreign donors amply indicates that those working on environment issues and climate change, and those organisations which have an alternative vision and definition of growth elicit government ire more than others.

The fall in fund flow to the NGOs in the country in the recent past is also seen as a fallout of the deterioration in mobilising funds for charity and development aid because of the global economic recession as well as the projection of India as an 'emerging economic power'.

Following the intensified government scrutiny, donor entities are likely to go slow on their funding plans till the political opposition to the government's approach against charities becomes more visible and vocal in the public domain.

This may also lead to a situation where funding for NGO activities will become more decentralised—smaller donations from a large section of the civil society supporting social entities that genuinely pursue larger common good instead of a few big funders controlling fund flow.
While the government cannot be criticised for putting national security on the top of its agenda, whether voices of dissent should be stifled in a mammoth democracy like ours needs to be debated.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.in/The-crackdown-Is-the-government-really-at-warwith-NGOs/articleshow/47100618.cms

FAST TRACK CBDT APPROVAL FOR NEPAL SUPPORTING NEPAL EARTHQUAKE RELIEF

Responding to several requests for Earthquake Relief to Nepal, CBDT has come forward in fast tracking the procedure for giving approval for any NGOs wanting to spend money in that country. Vide a press release CBDT has promised to give approvals within 2 days. Normally the process is quite a long one and takes anywhere from 3-4 months.

All those NGOs interested may contact CBDT website for the procedure to be followed. Srr-Foundation have also provided copy of instructions on their website at following link:

http://srr-foundation.org/circulars/permission-under-section-11-1-c-28-04-2015.pdf

BSE, two others plan CSR platform

The initiative ‘Sammaan’ would help corporates access implementing agencies, whose credentials have been verified, to carry out CSR works

New Delhi: A platform to help companies find implementing agencies for carrying out social welfare activities will soon be launched by leading stock exchange BSE along with industry body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and think tank IICA.

The initiative ‘Sammaan’, launched in New Delhi on Wednesday, would help corporates access implementing agencies, whose credentials have been verified, to carry out corporate social responsibility (CSR) works under the companies law.

Under the Companies Act, 2013 certain classes of profitable companies are required to spend at least 2% of their three-year annual average net profits towards CSR activities.

BSE said in a statement it has collaborated with the two other entities to form the platform in order to enable companies undertake effective CSR. A recent analysis by BSE showed that there are 1,294 companies on the exchange that are required to make CSR spend under the law.

“There are an estimated 20 lakh implementing agencies registered in India. Corporates, especially the small and medium ones, will need assistance to identify an NGO that they can partner with for their CSR compliance,” the statement said.

Implementing agencies on Sammaan would provide clear and defined programmes, objectives, expected outcomes and budgets. “A Letter of Fulfilment provided by BSE to the corporate donors will increase the credibility of the implementing agencies and their programmes,” it added.

Source: http://www.livemint.com/Companies/9rNF60NgX5VQweX5pKWtwJ/BSE-two-others-plan-CSR-platform.html

Platform for ‘compassionate capitalism’ brings together corporates, NGOs

NEW DELHI, APRIL 29:

In an endeavour to usher in ‘compassionate capitalism’, the Bombay Stock Exchange, along with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) has launched a CSR initiative called Sammaan.

Launching the platform here on Wednesday, President Pranab Mukherjee urged industry leaders to use their business acumen to add value to society at large. “You have a bigger purpose than to merely earn profits. Just as you add value to your shareholders’ wealth, it is equally important to add value to the society at large”, he said.

‘CSR nothing new’

He said the notion of CSR is not new to India. “Mahatma Gandhi had espoused the socio-economic philosophy of trusteeship. It provided a means for wealthy people to be trustees to look after the welfare of the common man,” he said, adding that CSR has gradually evolved into the corporate framework.

Speaking at the launch event, BSE’s non-executive Chairman S Ramadorai said by law, 1,294 BSE-listed companies are required to spend about ₹8,000 crore on CSR in 2015-16. Of these, 1,167 companies have a CSR budget of less than ₹10 crore, he said, adding that the platform can facilitate corporates in selecting, monitoring and bringing together NGOs for CSR projects CII President Sumit Mazumdar said “business cannot succeed in societies that are struggling,” and underlined two key social development enablers that CII will focus on – women & child development and public health & sanitation.

Sammaan will serve as an intermediary between corporate India and non-government organisations with regard to various corporate social responsibility projects. It will also provide corporates with a programme dashboard to monitor funding and progress of their CSR programmes.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/csr-platform-to-bring-together-corporates-ngos/article7154430.ece

CBDT Permission for Nepal on Fast Track

Tax-exempt NGOs wanting to take up earthquake relief work in Nepal need CBDT prior-approval for this. This permission normally takes 3-6 months. However, the CBDT today announced that the permission will be granted within two working days.

To get the permission you need to submit a completed application, setting out details of what you want to do, the area, and the amount to be spent. More details on this are given in AuditAble 12: Taxing NGO Programs Outside India.

Reference:

1. AuditAble 12: Taxing NGO Programs Outside India (www.AccountAid.net)

2. Sec. 11(1)(c) of Income Tax Act, 1961

3. CBDT Press Release dated 28-Apr-2015 (http://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/Lists/Press%20Releases/Attachments/359/CBDT-Press-Release-28-04-2015.pdf)

The cancellation of 9000 NGO’s by MHA

Dear All,

It is to bring to your notice that there are fresh media reports of the cancellation of 9000 NGO’s by MHA. We request you to not get panicked by this information as these are cumulative cancellations ever since the new FCRA 2010 was enacted and no fresh cancellation has taken place. These cancellations are due to most of them not filing their annual returns by the due dates and many of these organizations did not intimate the MHA about their change in addresses. Even upon contacting these organizations, the MHA never received any response from these organizations. Attached is the cancellation order within this email order http://mha1.nic.in/pdfs/FCRACAncellationOrder_270415.pdf and for further updates we will keep providing the needed information.

Regards
VANI team

Attention: JAN AUSHADHI: GENERIC MEDICINE CAMPAIGN.

The Jan Aushadhi scheme launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Govt. of India aims to make available quality generic medicines at affordable prices to all through special outlet known as Jan Aushadhi store opened/to be opened in each district of all the States. The new business plan approved by the Department of Pharmaceuticals in August, 2013 brought out it no. of changes to make the campaign a real success.
For More Information please visit: http://janaushadhi.gov.in 

CSR, tax laws not favourable for international aid

Indian companies are mostly extending aid in Nepal by leveraging their own businesses as a goodwill gesture

Indian companies, led by ITC Ltd, Bharti Airtel Ltd and SpiceJet Ltd, have rushed to the aid of earthquake-ravaged Nepal, and many more are looking for ways to provide help.

For now, Indian companies can mostly extend aid by leveraging their own businesses or services as a goodwill gesture.

For instance, ITC is supplying the National Disaster Relief Management (NDRM) centre, which is involved with disaster relief, with 200,000 food packets and nine tonnes of biscuits and ready-to-eat food.

“We will be looking at deploying more material aid based on the need. For now, since we are food manufacturers, we could address this need urgently,” said an ITC spokesperson as the death toll from Saturday’s quake and scores of aftershocks crossed 4,000.

Airtel offered free calls on its network from India to Nepal for 48 hours from Saturday.

SpiceJet said it is offering free flights from Kathmandu to India to people who cannot afford to pay the full fare. In addition, it is helping non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and relief organizations to travel to Nepal in a flight that has been put together for relief measures.

Mobile wallet provider Paytm said it will match the donation by its customers and will put the contributions into a relief fund run by the Indian government’s Nepal-specific relief fund.

The companies’ move marks a departure from past practice in two respects: so far companies have responded to disasters in India, and they have done so by extending financial aid.

Noshir Dadrawala, chief executive of the Mumbai-based Centre for Advancement of Philanthropy, a not-for-profit working in the area of corporate social initiatives, said companies will not be able to tap their corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds for international aid, as government rules require that these funds be spent on CSR activities in India.

Besides the restrictions on CSR placed by the Companies Act of 2013, charitable funding outside of India is not easy to carry out under the Income Tax Act, 1961, and it is regulated by the Reserve Bank of India.

“Every trust, society or section 8 (previously section 25) company that enjoys tax exemptions is required to apply its income for charitable purpose only in India. For a charitable organization to send funds out of India, it would require the permission of the Reserve Bank of India and the funds could only be used “for a cause in which India is interested”, says Dadrawala.

While companies are routing their relief material through government agencies such as NDRM or through the ministry for external affairs, which in turn sends the material with the Indian Air Force, Indian-registered NGOs may not find it easy to engage in relief operations in Nepal, even when they have the expertise.

Goonj, an NGO that works in disaster relief, has found its work hampered by these rules, and has been unable to send immediate relief material even though it is ready.

“We have good experience in disaster response and given the scale of the disaster, there is a great need to mobilize resources quickly. We have two truckloads of material—medicines, blankets, tents—ready to be deployed. But we are awaiting permission from the home ministry and external affairs ministry,” said Anshu Gupta, founder, Goonj.

Ketto.org, an online crowdfunding platform, has created a page for raising funds for Nepal relief, and its co-founder Varun Sheth said it raised close toRs.6 lakh in just a day. “We are trying to get as many individuals to raise funds as possible. Currently, about 21 individuals are campaigning for funds, including actor Kunal Kapoor,” Sheth said. They are aiming to raise about Rs.25 lakh in the course of the month and the money will be used to assemble disaster kits which will contain tarpaulin, mats, soaps, blankets, etc. Ketto will work with CARE India, an NGO that deals with disaster preparedness and response among other issues. CARE India in turn hopes to supply these items to CARE Nepal.

CARE India CEO Muhammad Musa said the NGO has mobilized 1,500 kits that will support 9,000 people. The kits contain essential items such as tarpaulin for making tents, water, hygiene kits, etc. Like Goonj, CARE is also awaiting permission from the government to send the material across to Nepal.

Dadrawala said cross-border laws are complicated when it comes to providing aid, and suggested the rules be relaxed in major disasters like the Nepal quake in order to allow aid to flow freely.

Officials at the ministry of corporate affairs refused to offer a comment for this story.

Dadrawala said given the restrictions, the best way to deploy funds would be to route them through a local unit in Nepal or through the Prime Minister’s relief fund.

Donations to the Prime Minister’s relief fund are acceptable under CSR rules. The Prime Minister’s relief fund is being deployed to give compensation to the kin of those who have died in the Nepal earthquake.

Source: http://www.livemint.com/Companies/nakU1vpalqWSVM6Ti0hJJM/CSR-tax-laws-not-favourable-for-international-aid.html

Licenses of 630 Odisha NGOs cancelled

Days after including the US-based charity Ford Foundation in the list of entities that can’t fund local organisations without permission, the Union government has cracked down on nearly 9,000 NGOs that receive foreign funds, including 630 from Odisha.

The home ministry has cancelled the registration of these NGOs, saying they have failed to comply with rules.

A home ministry letter says that 10,343 associations had not submitted annuals returns since 2009-12. Notices were sent to them to file returns by October last year, but only 229 associations responded.

The registration of the remaining 8,975 organisations has been cancelled.

The largest number of NGOs which came under the hammer of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) are from Uttar Pradesh followed by Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi and West Bengal.

In Kerala, more than 527 association licenses were cancelled while in Karnataka 805 were cancelled. Maharashtra also saw a huge clamp down on NGO where nearly 950 licenses were cancelled while in Bihar and Odisha 644 and 630 NGOs came under the radar.

None of the NGOs in Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura file returns.

The Foreign Contributions Regulations Act requires organisations receiving foreign funds to give details of the contributions received their source and the purpose for which they were used, every year.

NGOs and lobby groups have been on the government’s radar since last year after a report by the Intelligence Bureau said they had been stalling economic growth by campaigning against power projects, mining and genetically modified food.

Last week, the home ministry placed the Ford Foundation on its watch list, saying it wanted to ensure that its funds were utilised for “bonafide welfare activities without compromising on concerns of national interest and security”.

Earlier, Greenpeace India was barred from receiving foreign funds. The government alleges that it has “prejudicially affected the economic interest of the state”.

Source: http://odishasuntimes.com/125184/licenses-of-630-odisha-ngos-cancelled/

No Ban On 8,975 NGOs: Govt Clarifies

Minister of State Home, Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday said that there is no ban on 8975 NGO’s rather they are just on watch list.

Earlier a report came that government has cancelled licences of nearly 9,000 NGOs entities for violation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

In an order, the Home Ministry said that notices were issued to 10,343 NGOs for not filing annual returns for the year 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12.

The notices were served on October 16, 2014 saying that the NGOs should file their annual returns within a month specifying amount of foreign funds received, sources of such funds, for which purpose it was received and in manner in which such foreign contribution was utilised, according to a Home Ministry notification.

Out of the 10,344 NGOs, only 229 replied.

There was no reply from the remaining NGOs leading to cancellation of their registration issued under FCRA, the notification issued yesterday said.

Among the registration cancelled 8,975 NGOs include 510 NGOs against whom notices were sent but returned undelivered.

Government earlier had suspended the FCRA licence issued to Greenpeace India and frozen their seven bank accounts for various alleged violation of laws.

The government last week ordered that funds coming from the US-based Ford Foundation should not be released by any bank to any Indian NGOs without mandatory permission from the Home Ministry. 

Source: http://focusnews.com/india/govt-cancels-licences-of-nearly-9000-ngos/24440/

NGOs need to declare funds, there's nothing wrong in that

The Centre’s move to cancel the licenses of over 9,000 NGOs has come in for controversy.

What has made headlines is the government’s decision to suspend the license of Greenpeace and block its foreign funds.

Another decision that has caused a lot of debate has been the Centre’s move to place the Ford Foundation on its watchlist.

Congress leaders have called the moves “fascist” and said the government is harming the interests of the poor.

It’s time for a little perspective. The government placed only those NGOs on notice that have violated FCRA – Foreign Contributions Regulations Act. The act says organisations receiving foreign funds have to detail the amount of funds they have received and to what purpose they were used at the end of each year.

Clearly, the government is asking these NGOs to declare their sources of income. Is there anything wrong in that?

No. If they were corporate houses, we would be attacking the Centre for not carrying out an audit. So why these double standards? But unfortunately, instead of understanding India’s concerns, the NGOs, especially Greenpeace, are claiming they are being ‘victimised.’

The Congress too has jumped into the fray on the NGOs side. This is hypocrisy. It was in 2012 the UPA commissioned an IB report against some NGOs who it believed were fermenting tensions against the Kudankulam project in Tamil Nadu.

The report found that eight out of 11 donors to the Tamil NGOs were funded by European-based donors. Why? We need to know. So let us be clear here. The government is not saying all foreign donors have nefarious designs and it is not saying NGOs should not receive foreign funds. All it is asking is that the funds be declared.

If Greenpeace etc. have a problem, they must be told to follow the law. Otherwise, they can pack their bags and leave. India can manage quite well without them.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-3059579/QUICK-EDIT-NGOs-need-declare-funds-s-wrong-that.html

Govt's indiscriminate crackdown on NGOs will affect the 'marginalised’

They are called cafeteria sessions. At lunch time, Greenpeace fund-raisers wander among hundreds, sometimes thousands, of young men and women packing the cafeterias of Indian companies. It’s not a good idea to name these companies. Greenpeace’s activities include forest preservation, renewable-energy promotion and fighting on behalf of local communities. These appear to be popular causes among young professionals. Donations of Rs 300 to Rs 500 constitute about 80% of Greenpeace’s Indian contributions, generating Rs 7 of every Rs 10 the NGO receives. This year 30,000 Indians have contributed.

Small donations, from cafeteria sessions and city streets, continue to pour in, and this is where the government crackdown on Greenpeace is hurting. With its seven bank accounts suspended, there is no way to receive the money.

The government accuses Greenpeace of a raft of violations related to foreign contributions, procedures and income tax. Some tax questions: What does the funding of mangrove plantations in the Sunderbans have to do with your work? What does payment to a photographer have to do with your work? Suspend accounts, and keep the query flood coming. “It’s quite a brilliant way of decimating us,” says one staffer.

Greenpeace is not known to avoid a fight, but the disquiet is evident: How long can it withstand State hounding? It is among 15 organisations that must now get prior approval from the Union home ministry before receiving money from abroad. This onslaught has set off a quiet turmoil: A host of other non-profits that receive foreign contributions and substitute for the government in places and situations where it is absent are preparing for crackdowns and reviewing procedures, or — in the case of Sutradhar, a decade-old, non-profit educational resource centre that trains teachers — shutting down.

Since Indians are not generous enough, Sutradhar survives on foreign generosity. Unlike Greenpeace, it does not want to fight, or even answer questions. No longer will artists, storytellers, teachers and caregivers gather at its centre in Bengaluru. The greatest loss will be to children who live on the city’s margins, including the poor and disabled.

At the other end of the spectrum is the Infosys Foundation, whose funding includes healthcare, destitute care, cancer clinics and toilet construction in remote regions of several Indian states. It is in a quandary because unlike many other NGOs, the Infosys Foundation does not accept money from donors — it receives an annual grant from Infosys Ltd, the IT giant, which is now, technically, a foreign company. That means both the foundation and its recipients must have clearance under the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA), 1976.

Foreign funding is a term made fraught by India’s government — unless the organisation receiving money from abroad happens to be the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

“You must remember that the FCRA came into being during a dark period of Indian history,” a former bureaucrat with extensive experience with the law told me. “It was born out of a paranoid mind, Indira Gandhi’s.” Until 1976, foreign funds were not regulated. The FCRA gave New Delhi the powers to block funds, of intrusive auditing and powers of prosecution. It became progressively intrusive.

Intended or inadvertent default — even if caused, say, by officials not putting papers submitted in the relevant file — does not matter, the former official said. The government’s actions may not be fair or stand scrutiny of the law, but they reflect its policies. On September 30, 2014, as many as 10,331 NGOs receiving foreign aid were warned of the FCRA licence cancellation for not filing annual statements.

The return of such paranoia betrays a great insecurity of a supposedly confident government. India cannot hope to better the lot of its poorest people — more than 200 million, for example, are without an officially recognised ‘asset’, neither bicycle, nor radio — without help from NGOs. Of course there are spurious ones, but the ones I refer to serve as a bridge between the state and its people.

That is the role played by one of the oldest foreign NGOs, the Ford Foundation, which entered India in 1952 at the invitation of then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru (which, to Nehru haters, makes it suspect), part-funded the Green Revolution and is now on a watchlist for reasons of ‘national security’. It has handed out $508 million to 1,250 institutions in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, in areas as diverse as dryland framing and folklore conservation. Among its aims — incendiary to the insecure — are ‘to combat the socioeconomic marginalisation of tribal communities, women and adolescent girls, and religious minority communities’. In a country where emerging middle-class discourse would rather ignore the ignored, it’s easy to see why the focus on minorities is particularly abhorrent and why the Centre quickly responded to the Gujarat government’s anger.

Gujarat accused the Ford Foundation of ‘direct interference…in the internal affairs of the country and also of abetting communal disharmony in India’ and of ‘a religion specific and Muslim supportive criminal code (sic) and also keep the 2002 riots incident alive’, a newspaper reported.

The Danish government’s aid agency, DANIDA, is one of the 14 under watch. An example of its work: Providing drinking water and toilets to 35 Tamil Nadu panchayats. The state government’s contribution: 12.7%; DANIDA’s: 78.19%. The agreement was signed by the government of India, which, since 1963 received many interest-free loans for industrial development from DANIDA, repayable after 35 years. India made full use of such generosity when it was a basket case. It is no longer an economic wreck, but millions are still mired in hopelessness. The new paranoia can only keep them there longer.

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/samar/govt-s-indiscriminate-crackdown-on-ngos-will-affect-the-marginalised/article1-1341290.aspx

India cancels registration of 9,000 charities

New Delhi: India has cancelled the registration of nearly 9,000 charities for failing to declare details of donations from abroad, as New Delhi tightens surveillance on foreign-funded non-governmental organisations in the country.

The crackdown comes days after the government suspended the license of Greenpeace India and put US-based Ford Foundation on a security watch list, ordering government approval of any of its activities in the country.

A “cancellation order” issued by the home ministry and uploaded to its website late on Monday said the government had cancelled the registration of 8,975 associations because they did not declare details of their foreign funding for three years starting from 2009/10.

The order, dated April 6, did not name the groups whose licenses were cancelled but said they had not filed the “mandatory annual returns”.

The government on Tuesday came under attack from Congress and NGOs for its decision to scrap licenses of more than 9000 NGO’s for allegedly violating Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), accusing it of being “revengeful” and targeting selectively.

Congress leaders said certain non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which were critical of government polices were on the firing line.

Senior Congress leader Verappa Moily said the present government is “very revengeful” and its actions amounted to curbing the movement of NGOs.

“The government is merely drawing inferences.this is not in the interest of the country. Creating an image that all the NGOs are not good is not good for the country,” he said and added that if there was an erring NGO, it should be prosecuted.

Greenpeace activist Priya Pillai, who was prevented from going abroad to the UK, said that her organisation had been publishing its accounts on its website.

“We are not being targeted for our accounts. The main issue why Greenpeace and some other NGOs are being targeted is because it has a voice of dissent. Because they have been working for tribal rights, land rights of communities and this has been an area of concern for the government.

“The government is not ready to listen to the voice of dissent in the country,” she said.

However, Minister of State Kiren Rijiju defended the decision, saying “action has been taken after getting specific inputs.”

He was responding to questions from reporters about Government cancelling licenses of the NGOs and freezing seven bank accounts of Greenpeace India for alleged FCRA violations.

The US-based Ford Foundation has also been put in the ‘watch list’ last week by the Home Ministry last week which directed that funds coming from the international donor should not be released by any bank to any Indian NGO without mandatory permission from it.

In its order, the Home Ministry said notices were issued in October last year to nearly 10,000 NGOs to file their returns for 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 within a month.

The NGOs were asked to specify the amount of foreign funds received, sources of such funds, for which purpose it was received and the manner in which such foreign contribution was utilised.

However, only 229 NGO’s filed their returns leading to cancellation of their registration issued under FCRA, the notification said.

Congress leader Rajiv Shukla asked the government to spare the NGOs who were working for good cause.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi criticised the government move claiming that the NDA regime has become intolerant to criticism.

“Government is trying to rein in critical voice. It has become intolerant which is not good,” he said.

BSP leader Mayawati said her party had no issues if the government was acting against those NGOs which were not following laid-down norms.

Source: http://gulfnews.com/news/asia/india/india-cancels-registration-of-9-000-charities-1.1500742 

FCRA licenses of 10,117 NGOs cancelled, UP and AP top the list

Here is a look at data from some of the major states in which several NGO licenses were cancelled:

After temporary suspension of Greenpeace India's foreign contribution license, and lodging Ford Foundation on a watch list to monitor its activities, the Government of India on Sunday cancelled the licenses of 8975 NGOs for failing to file annual financial returns in the past few years. The official orders are dated April 6, 2015. This is in addition to 1142 NGOs from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana whose licences were cancelled on March 3, 2015. The total number of NGOs cancelled during the present NDA regime for violation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) norms now stands at 10,117.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had issued notices to 10,343 NGOs on October 16, 2014 seeking an explanation as to why they had not filed financial returns for the years 2009 to 2012. Only 229 NGOs responded according to MHA orders. MHA is reportedly examining their replies "on case to case basis".

The administrative action against NGOs is seemingly a part of the NDA government's campaign to ascertain the amount of foreign funds received by NGOs in India, the source of funding and how the funds are being utilized.

“No reply has been received from the remaining associations numbering 8975”, said the Home Ministry’s order which was communicated to the NGOs, their respective jurisdictional district magistrates and the RBI. The MHA has cancelled license of these NGOs under Section 14 of the FCRA.

Many NGOs have alleged that the government had not given enough time for them to respond to notices. This is however not the first time that a government in power at the centre is cancelling licenses of NGOs, though the scale this time is much larger than in previous occasions. In 2012, the UPA government had cancelled license of almost 4,000 NGOs for the same reason.

- See more at: http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/fcra-licenses-10117-ngos-cancelled-and-ap-top-list#sthash.iEKjeBlu.dpuf 

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Ministry of Home Affairs cancels FCRA licences of 8,975 associations

NEW DELHI: In yet another massive crackdown on NGO's and associations accepting foreign funds without complying with the regulation of filing annual returns, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has cancelled the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licences of 8,975 associations from different parts of the country including delhi, Mumbai and Andhra Pradesh. This is the largest ever cancellation order with more than 12,000 NGO registered with home ministry.

In its order signed by under secretary Anand Joshi, the Home Ministry states, "no replies have been received from 8975 associations." Among the associations who licenses were cancelled include Don Bosco School Damra in Assam, Osmania University in Hyderabad and Bethel Church association in Bihar besides many other christian NGO. As per the order, "the home ministry had issued notices to 10343 associations all over India for not filing mandatory annual returns in FC-6 form for the period 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011 and 2012." 

Under section 18 of FCRA, 2010, every person who has been granted a certificate under this act shall give for every financial year beginning 1st of every April within nine months of the closure of the financial year, to the secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs. The information is sent in form FC-6 mentioning the amount of each foreign contribution received, the source from which and manner in which such foreign contribution was received and the purposes for which and manner in which such foreign contribution was received and the purposes for which and manner in which such contribution was utilised by it. 

The Home Ministry had issued notices to these organisations in October last year through speed post asking why the registration under FCRA not be cancelled for non-filing of returns, giving them 30 days from the date of the notices to reply. However, only 229 associations replies to the show cause notices which were then examined on case to case basis. The remaining 8975 associations also include 510 associations to whom notices were sent but returned undelivered and 632 institutions from whom no reply has been received within the stipulated period. 

Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had suspended the FCRA licenses of Greenpeace on the ground that the NGO was violating the various provision of FCRA and was also engaing in financing Indian NGO which were filing writ petitions. Recently, the foreigners division of the home ministry also put Ford Foundation,, another reputed NGO on the prior permission list. This means that all its funds coming into India will first have to be scrutinized and cleared by the home ministry.

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/ministry-of-home-affairs-cancels-fcra-licences-of-8975-associations/articleshow/47072906.cms

Home Ministry's crackdown on NGOs: Uttar Pradesh leads the list

NEW DELHI: The largest number of Non Government organisation (NGOs) which came under the hammer of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) are from Uttar Pradesh followed by Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi and West Bengal. In its largest ever cancellation order issued recently, the home ministry struck down the licenses of 8,975 organization all over the country after they failed to respond to government's notice issued in October last year. 

Among the organization that faced the government's ire in Delhi were Delhi Karnataka Sangh, which initially also ran the famous Kannada School in Lodhi estate. Delhi Library Network, a digital library which also finds mention in government's digital India plan. Several christian organization based in Delhi such as Diocesan Education Scheme, Diocese of Delhi community development Fund, renowned Diabetes Foundation (INDIA) run by Dr Rekha Sharma and Delhi Yoga Sabha were few other NGOs from Delhi whose licenses were cancelled for not complying to FCRA norms. 

Action against as many as 391 organisation from Delhi were initiated by MHA. An analysis of NGOs carried out across the country also showed that of the 38,000 NGOs registered with the home ministry in more than 20 States, only 10 percent have submitted annual returns. None of the NGOs in Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura file returns. In Assam alone, the licenses of 126 such organisations have been cancelled. According to home ministry officials, Andhra Pradesh is another major is another major state where large number of NGOs are registered, 

In March this year, home ministry had cancelled the licenses of 1142 organisations from Andhra Pradesh while in its second order issued recently, 275 such NGOs faced the strict action. Among them were minority education trust in the name of Aiiman (AF) education society and Amazing Grance Ministeries. From UP, the prominent associations were Dr Zakir Hussain Foundation in Allahabad, Indian Institute of Technology Lucknow, Khadi Gramudyog Ashram , Moradabad, Sakya tibetan Society, Dehradoon. 

World renowned NGO from Tamil Nadu, World Vision of India license was also cancelled. However, a senior home ministry official also explained that the NGOs itself asked the ministry to cancel the license since they had another NGO registered in similar name. The 229 replies received out of more than 10,343 notices issued in October last year, the largest number replies came from Karnataka. The southern States contributed to highest number of NGOs where the license were scrapped. 

In Kerala, more than 527 association licenses were cancelled while in Karnataka 805. The State of Maharashtra also saw a huge clamp down on NGO where nearly 950 NGOs license were cancelled while in Bihar and Odisha 644 and 630 NGO came under the radar. Under section 18 of FCRA, 2010, every person who has been granted a certificate under this act shall give for every financial year beginning 1st of every April within nine months of the closure of the financial year, to the secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs. 

The information is sent in form FC-6 mentioning the amount of each foreign contribution received, the source from which and manner in which such foreign contribution was received and the purposes for which and manner in which such contribution was utilised by it. 

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/home-ministrys-crackdown-on-ngos-uttar-pradesh-leads-the-list/articleshow/47086297.cms

Govt cancels licences of nearly 9,000 NGOs receiving foreign funds

New Delhi: In yet another crackdown on NGOs receiving foreign funds, government has cancelled licences of nearly 9,000 such entities for violation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

In an order, the Home Ministry said that notices were issued to 10,343 NGOs for not filing annual returns for the year 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12.

The notices were served on 16 October, 2014 saying that the NGOs should file their annual returns within a month specifying amount of foreign funds received, sources of such funds, for which purpose it was received and in manner in which such foreign contribution was utilised, according to a Home Ministry notification.

Out of the 10,344 NGOs, only 229 replied. There was no reply from the remaining NGOs leading to cancellation of their registration issued under FCRA, the notification issued yesterday said.

Among the registration cancelled 8,975 NGOs include 510 NGOs against whom notices were sent but returned undelivered. Government earlier had suspended the FCRA licence issued to Greenpeace India and frozen their seven bank accounts for various alleged violation of laws.

The government last week ordered that funds coming from the US-based Ford Foundation should not be released by any bank to any Indian NGOs without mandatory permission from the Home Ministry.

Source: http://www.firstpost.com/india/govt-cancels-licences-nearly-9000-ngos-receiving-foreign-funds-2215930.html

FCRA Cancellation Order_270415

Foreign funding: Govt cancels licences of nearly 9,000 NGOs

In yet another crackdown on NGOs receiving foreign funds, the government has cancelled licences of nearly 9,000 such entities for violation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

In an order, the Home Ministry said that notices were issued to 10,343 NGOs for not filing annual returns for the year 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12.

The notices were served on October 16, 2014 saying that the NGOs should file their annual returns within a month specifying amount of foreign funds received, sources of such funds, for which purpose it was received and in manner in which such foreign contribution was utilised, according to a Home Ministry notification.

Out of the 10,344 NGOs, only 229 replied.

There was no reply from the remaining NGOs leading to cancellation of their registration issued under FCRA, the notification issued yesterday said.

Among the registration cancelled 8,975 NGOs include 510 NGOs against whom notices were sent but returned undelivered.

Government earlier had suspended the FCRA licence issued to Greenpeace India and frozen their seven bank accounts for various alleged violation of laws.

The government last week ordered that funds coming from the US-based Ford Foundation should not be released by any bank to any Indian NGOs without mandatory permission from the Home Ministry.

Source: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/govt-cancels-licences-of-nearly-9000-ngos

Govt cancels licences of 8,975 NGOs for failing to file annual returns

NEW DELHI: After suspending the FCRA registration of Greenpeace India and putting foreign donor Ford Foundation on the watchlist, the government has now cancelled the licences of 8,975 NGOs for failing to file annual returns for the years 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12.

In a cancellation order issued on Sunday, the Union home ministry recalled that it had issued notices to 10,343 NGOs on October 16, 2014, stating that they should file their annual returns within a month, specifying amount of foreign funds received, sources of such funds, the purpose for which these were received and the manner in which such foreign contribution was utilized. However, only 229 NGOs reverted to the home ministry. Their replies are being examined on case to case basis.

"No reply has been received from the remaining associations numbering 8975," said the home ministry order communicated to the NGOs, district magistrates of the concerned districts where the NGOs are based and RBI.

"..in exercise of the power conferred by Section 14 of the FCRA 2010, the Central government hereby cancels, for violation of Section 18 thereof, read with Rule 17(2) of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rule, 2011, the certificate of registration of 8975 associations...which includes 510 associations to whom notices were sent but returned undelivered and 632 associations from whom no reply has been received to the notices within the stipulated period," said the order.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Govt-cancels-licences-of-8975-NGOs-for-failing-to-file-annual-returns/articleshow/47075077.cms

Govt cancels licences of nearly 9,000 NGOs

New Delhi: In yet another crackdown on NGOs receiving foreign funds, government has cancelled licences of nearly 9,000 such entities for violation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

In an order, the Home Ministry said that notices were issued to 10,343 NGOs for not filing annual returns for the year 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12.

The notices were served on October 16, 2014 saying that the NGOs should file their annual returns within a month specifying amount of foreign funds received, sources of such funds, for which purpose it was received and in manner in which such foreign contribution was utilised, according to a Home Ministry notification.

Out of the 10,344 NGOs, only 229 replied.

There was no reply from the remaining NGOs leading to cancellation of their registration issued under FCRA, the notification issued yesterday said.

Among the registration cancelled 8,975 NGOs include 510 NGOs against whom notices were sent but returned undelivered.

Government earlier had suspended the FCRA licence issued to Greenpeace India and frozen their seven bank accounts for various alleged violation of laws.

The government last week ordered that funds coming from the US-based Ford Foundation should not be released by any bank to any Indian NGOs without mandatory permission from the Home Ministry.

Source: http://zeenews.india.com/news/india/govt-cancels-licences-of-nearly-9000-ngos_1586106.html

Home ministry cancels registration of 9,000 foreign-funded NGOs

The Modi government has cancelled the registration of nearly 9,000 foreign-funded NGOs that failed to file their annual returns.

In an order, the home ministry said the registration of 8,975 NGOs that had neither filed their annual returns for three years (beginning 2009) nor given any explanation for the delay, stood cancelled with immediate effect. The ministry also directed the district magistrate concerned to “manage the assets” of these NGOs in any manner “considered necessary and in public interest”.

The order, quietly issued on April 6, came days before the Centre’s effort to tighten the grip on prominent NGOs that receive foreign funds like Greenpeace India and the Ford Foundation.

The security establishment has been advocating a hard line on foreign-funded NGOs for years. But it was only after a change of regime at the Centre that the home ministry started the groundwork for the crackdown.

As part of this exercise, the ministry had issued notices through September and October to 10,343 organisations across the country that had not filed their annual returns for 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12.

The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) requires every registered NGO to submit its returns annually, irrespective of whether it received foreign funding in that year.

Only 229 organisations had responded to home ministry’s showcause notice. These responses “are being examined on a case to case basis”, the order by the home ministry’s deputy secretary Mahendra Kumar said. A home ministry official said a decision on how to deal with them was yet to be taken.

As per rules, the ministry can levy a penalty of up to 5% of the foreign funds received, or Rs 50,000 — whichever is higher.

In the previous Manmohan Singh government too, the home ministry had issued notices to over 21,000 NGOs that hadn’t filed their returns from 2006-2009. But it eventually cancelled the registration only in 4,138 cases where letters from the Centre were returned undelivered by postal authorities.

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/home-ministry-cancels-registration-of-9-000-defaulting-ngos/article1-1341658.aspx

India Cancels Permits Of 9,000 NGOs Over Foreign Funds

The Indian government has cancelled licences of nearly 9,000 NGOs over alleged violations of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), widening its crackdown on civil society groups.

The government recently suspended the FCRA licence issued to Greenpeace India and froze its seven bank accounts for various alleged violation of laws.

Last week it ordered that funds coming from the US-based Ford Foundation should not be released by any bank to any Indian NGOs without mandatory permission from the Home Ministry.

The Home Ministry said that notices were issued to 10,343 NGOs for not filing annual returns for the year 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12.

The notices were served on October 16, 2014 saying that the NGOs should file their annual returns within a month specifying amount of foreign funds received, sources of such funds, for which purpose it was received and in manner in which such foreign contribution was utilised, according to a Home Ministry notification.

Out of the 10,344 NGOs, only 229 replied.

There was no reply from the remaining NGOs, leading to cancellation of their registration issued under FCRA, the notification issued said.

Among the registration cancelled 8,975 NGOs include 510 NGOs against whom notices were sent but returned undelivered.

In a high-profile case, India has put the Ford Foundation onto a security watchlist as it probes its funding of a local organisation run by a prominent activist and critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Home Ministry has said it would "keep watch on all the activities" funded by the Ford Foundation and instructed the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to check with the government before passing any money from the New York-based group to local organisations.

All funds distributed by the foundation should be "utilized for bonafide welfare activities without compromising on concerns for national interest and security", the ministry said in a letter to the RBI published online.

The Ford Foundation, which has worked in India since 1952, said the Indian government was "reviewing information related to their ongoing investigation of Sabrang Communications and Publishing" and highlighted its work in India.

Sabrang, which is run by activist Teesta Setalvad with a mission to strengthen conflict resolution and peace building in Gujarat and Maharashtra, was given $250,000 by the Ford Foundation in 2009, the foundation's website said.

This is not the first time the Indian government has blocked foreign money to a local non-government organisation this year with funding to the local branch of Greenpeace blocked.

The move came after several months of Greenpeace activists accusing Modi's government of watering down environmental rules after it let industries operate closer to protected green zones.

Some have criticised the crackdown as undemocratic, describing it as a move to quash dissent in the country.

Source: http://www.businessworld.in/news/economy/india-cancels-permits-of-9-000-ngos-over-foreign-funds/1829994/page-1.html

Up-gradation of Professional Education & Ford Foundation in India

As India gained freedom from British colonial rule in 1947, the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharal Nehru was looking for some ideas to push socio-economic development in rural India. He learnt about the Etawah experiments on ‘community development’ (supported by an initial grant by the Ford Foundation from its New York office). At the time of the launch of the First Five Year Plan in 1952, ‘community development’ became the flagship programme of the Government of India. The Second Five Year Plan launched the Community Development Programme (CDP) throughout the country. Nehru had invited the Ford Foundation to open its office in India in 1952.

When the late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri realised the need for increasing food production in the country in 1965, and reduce both hunger and external dependence on imported food grain, he launched the modernising of Indian agriculture, which came to be known as ‘green revolution’. Prof. M. S. Swminathan, one of the pioneers of that green revolution and India’s most globally recognised agricultural scientist, had credited the Ford Foundation with its liberal support to agricultural research through a number of Indian agricultural universities in this endeavour.

It was support from the Ford Foundation in mid 1960s that brought modern management education to India. Dr Ravi Mathai (of IIM Ahmedabad) and Dr Kamla Choudhary (Program Officer in the Ford Foundation) were instrumental in faculty up-gradation at IIMs nearly half a century ago. Shortly thereafter, with invitation from Dr Kurien (of AMUL fame), Dr Choudhary (and the Foundation) supported the establishment of Institute of Rural Management (IRMA) in Anand (Gujarat).

During the 1980s, several streams of professional education gained substantive excellence in Indian academic institutions through support from the Ford Foundation. Institute of Economic Growth (IEG) in Delhi improved its economic research competence through such support. Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai was able to establish its rural training development field with regular support from the Foundation. The discipline of nutrition as a subject for scientific research and education of professionals was established first in MS University Baroda through the Foundation’s support from 1960s onwards.

It was in the mid 1980s that the government of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi launched a nationwide programme on wasteland development and community forestry. The success of that programme is reflected thirty years later in increased green cover in several parts of the country. Nehru Foundation for Development (Ahmedabad), Wildlife Institute of India (Dehradun) and Indian Council of Forestry Research are some of the institutions that have received support from the Foundation to promote research and education in community forestry since then.

As Government of India began to develop policies and programmes for women’s empowerment in the early 1980s, support from the Foundation helped build teaching and research capacity in several universities like SNDT Mumbai. Likewise, many centres for urban planning and development gained support from the Foundation in the 1990s to develop programmes of research (most prominent amongst them are National Institute of Urban Affairs and School of Planning and Architecture).

New curriculum development, new forms of teaching and new formats for education of law in the country began to spread with the establishment of National Law School of India in Bangalore in the early 1990s. Today, the innovative teaching of law in the country is preparing a new generation of legal professionals commensurate with the changing demands of the Indian economy. Encouragement and support from the Foundation to these initiatives since those early days has been much appreciated by the legal education fraternity.

Many of these streams of professional education have continued to benefit from ongoing support from the Ford Foundation. Support from the Foundation provided opportunities for scholarly exchange and participation in international conferences and thus gave research and teaching of Indian academics greater recognition and depth in a wide variety of fields. Most significantly, a large number of new fields for professional education and research developed in the country with active support from the Ford Foundation, when the policies of the Government of India so required.

It is important that the long-term contributions of an international institution like the Ford Foundation to the development of professionals in the country is not lost sight of in the present contestation about certain projects and activities that it funded recently. The Ford Foundation can be seen as a model for other philanthropic initiatives in the country which focus on timely support to the development of new domains of knowledge and fields of professional education as India marches ahead on its own trajectory.

Dr Rajesh Tandon April 23, 2015

UNESCO Chair on Community-based Research & Social Responsibility in Higher Education,

Founder-President, PRIA, New Delhi

Source: http://pria.org/blogs.php?action=view&blog_id=2929

NGOs: Some fly by night, many stay on stubbornly

Several NGOs in India have become a bane. While the government is pushing hard with action against several NGOs which have worked contrary to the image of India, the real challenge lies while dealing with those fly by night NGOs. An order of the Home Ministry shows that there are 510 NGOs in India whose are not traceable. Notices were sent repeatedly to these NGOs but the same was returned which meant none were present at the address.

The fly by night NGOs

Intelligence Bureau officials who have put out a detailed report on the anti India NGOs have also noted that there are several such organizations which have cropped up overnight and closed down immediately.

These are fly by night NGOs who operate only for a stipulated period of time and once they get the job done, they shut shop. Several such NGOs have been reported for forcible conversions and terrorism related activity. Such fly by night NGOs have cropped up in several states and once they bring in the funds, they shut shop. The NGO is opened only with an intent of making a valid fund transfer. However they are unable to explain the expenditure which is mandatory as per the rules and hence they close shop, an IB official informed.

The murky NGOs

The very fact that NGOs are unable to explain their expenditure is murky. The Home Ministry has been seeking details from NGOs about their funds and with no response coming in, the licences of 8,975 NGOs have been cancelled. A home ministry official told OneIndia that if they had nothing to hide, they would have responded to our notices asking for details on their expenditure and funding. The very fact that they chose not to respond goes on to show they have something to hide. All these NGOs have found to be in violation of Section 14 of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act of 2010. Out of the 8,975 licences of NGOs that stand cancelled, it was also found that 510 of them were not traceable any longer.

What are they hiding?

The modus operandi of these fly by night NGOs is a simple. They apply for a licence claiming to be doing some good work. The licences are granted by the state or the district authorities. To put up a show they go about doing some charitable work. After a couple of months when the entire operation looks bonafide they get in their first share of funds. The funds are collected for a period of one to two years and used for various activities such as conversion, sponsoring communal violence and terror related activities. When they feel that the law could get up to them, they close shop. The question is do they permanently shut shop? They wait for a year or so and then register a new NGO. This is an ongoing racket and the same persons with the same sources from abroad are known to have opened up more than NGO year after year with the agenda remaining the same.

Some NGOs just stick

While the fly by night NGOs work on short term goals, the bigger ones who chose to defame the government and question the policy stick on forever. They are the rich lot who have resources to fight out battles in court. More importantly they have a ton of cash to manage both the parliamentarians and more importantly the media. These NGOs are funded not by individuals, but foreign governments and spy agencies. The funding is huge and they are asked to operate in India only with an intent of blocking developmental work and defaming the government with an intention of scaring away the investors. They indulge in economic and cultural terrorism and the recent BBC documentary was one such instance. NGOs which have been funded by the Ford Foundation have also played a major role in cultural terrorism. We saw the NGOs funded by them becoming active in Gujarat. In the case of Greenpeace they led a campaign against the Mahan Coal Project. Home Ministry officials say that the big NGOs will continue to linger on for as long as possible. They are part of a foreign policy of other governments and they will fight tooth and nail and do everything they can to stay on in India for as long as possible.

Source: http://www.oneindia.com/feature/ngo-s-some-fly-by-night-many-stay-on-stubbornly-1730142.html

Govt's move triggers fear among NGOs

The Narendra Modi government's move to cancel the licences of about 9,000 non-governmental organisations (NGOs), receiving foreign funding, for violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) has sent shock waves among the voluntary sector.

The move assumes significance, especially in the wake of the National Democratic Alliance government’s decision to put US aid agency Ford Foundation on a watchlist, and freezing the accounts of Greenpeace.

In an order, the home ministry said notices were issued to 10,343 NGOs for not filing annual returns for financial years 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12.

According to reports, the notices were served on October 16, 2014, saying that the NGOs should file their annual returns within a month specifying the amount of foreign funds received, sources of such funds, for which purpose it was received and the manner in which such foreign contribution was utilised, according to a home ministry notification.

Of the 10,343 NGOs, only 229 replied.

There was no reply from the remaining NGOs, leading to cancellation of the registration issued under FCRA to about 9,000 NGOs, the notification issued on Monday said a PTIreport.

Welcoming the efforts of the ministry to streamline the voluntary sector, Harsh Jaitli, chief executive, Voluntary Action Network India, an umbrella organisation of NGOs, said many of these organisations might have become defunct and closed down and it was important to weed them out. “But in this exercise, the genuine NGOs are also being targeted. The FCRA department under the home ministry also doesn’t have exact data on the NGOs and is not working in a transparent manner. Even if an NGO might have submitted returns, the department won’t acknowledge or respond. So you are kept in the dark always. This hostile approach is bad for the society and country,” he added.

Many civil society activists expressed anger over the government’s decision to target the voluntary sector. “There is an effort to stifle dissent. This is not good for the democracy,” said an NGO activist, who didn’t want to be quoted.

On March 3, Kiren Rijiju, minister of state for home affairs, told the Lok Sabha that the government had prohibited 69 NGOs from receiving foreign funds. A total of 14 NGOs from Andhra Pradesh, eight from Tamil Nadu, five from Gujarat and four from Kerala figured in the list.

In January this year, the home ministry placed 10 foreign donor agencies under “prior permission category”, under Section 46 of the FCRA. In a letter to the Reserve Bank of India, the ministry asked banks “to ensure that any fund flows from these donor agencies (see list) to any individual/NGO/organisation, should be brought to the notice of the ministry of home affairs

so that funds are allowed to be credited to the accounts of the recipient individual/ NGOs/association only after clearance from the Foreigners’ Division, FCRA wing”. A majority of these organisations are evangelical organisations, funding NGOs mostly in south India.

During 2011-12, a total of 22,702 associations reported receipt of foreign contributions amounting to Rs 11,546.29 crore. Among the associations that reported the receipt of foreign contribution, the World Vision of India, Chennai, received the highest amount (Rs 233.38 crore), followed by the Believers Church India Pathanamthitta, Kerala (Rs 190 crore), the Rural Development Trust, Ananthapur, Andhra Pradesh (Rs 144.39 crore), the Indian Society Of Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints, Delhi (Rs 130.77 crore), and the Public Health Foundation of India, Delhi (Rs 130.31 crore).

Foreign Donor Agencies placed in Prior Permission Category

1. Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA)

2. Danish Institute of Human Rights (DIHR)

3. Catholic Organization for Relied and Development Aid (CORDAID)

4. Dan Church Aid (DCA)

5. Mercy Corps, USA

6. Inter Church Peace Council _ Pax Christi (IKV- PC) , Netherlands

7. HIVOS, Netherlands

8. ICCO Stretegische Samenwerking (ICCO), Netherlands

9. Green Peace International
10. Climate Work Foundation (CWF), US

Source: Home Ministry

Source: http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/govt-s-move-triggers-fear-among-ngos-115042800365_1.html

NGOs and the media management

Media strategy probably is the most important wing of any NGO which is planning on carrying out a smear campaign against a country.

Apart from stage managing protests against developmental activities, the funds that pour in from the NGOs for media strategy is normally very high.

After Greenpeace, the Home Ministry of India placed under watch Ford Foundation which has made some very generous donations in India including a major one to the Sabrang Communication and Publishing Private Ltd. [Why was this Greenpeace activist "offloaded"?]

In fact it has been alleged that that the Ford Foundation had made two grants of 5.4 lakh dollars to Sabrang Trust and 2.9 lakh dollars to Sabrang Communication and Publishing Private Ltd respectively.

Under the scanner of the Home Ministry following a complaint from the Gujarat government is how these funds were used.

The probe by the Gujarat government had observed that the trust has used 80 per cent of its funds for office expenses and some objectives that are unclear.
Managing the media

For any NGO the media management was key. Several NGOs have used funds extensively for media conferences, the material attached to it. [Ford Foundation under watch, has a lot to answer]

The intention was to convey the propaganda through the media.

For instance NGOs that staged stage managed protests in areas were projects were being undertaken regularly had people to interact with the media through which they carried forward their propaganda.

The material passed on to several media houses included putting up false human interest stories and also defaming the government. In journalistic banter, this stories are termed as "plants."

There have also been several instances where NGOs have called many journalists and awarded them in gala functions.

All this was part of the propaganda that was used by the NGOs.

Fancy parties, gifts, trips abroad, facilitation and expensive gifts are all part of the modus operandi which the NGOs used to get journalists onboard.

The lure of these luxuries attracted many journalists to write these NGO propagated stories and in the bargain boasted of winning awards for the same which ironically was given out by the same NGO.

Everything under probe

The Intelligence Bureau says that each and every aspect is under probe. The modus operandi was a big one.

Like journalists, several NGOs even roped in politicians and the police.

Politicians and police officials were sent invites to speak at conventions and they went ahead without realizing that this was the bait.

It was important for NGOs to be in the good books of powerful and influential people.

The general idea was to make it look that there was a voice of consent from powerful quarters for their propaganda.

All these press clips, the speeches by politicians were part of a docket which these NGOs would prepare and circulate it.

Such clippings were even taken by the volunteers of these NGOs on their trips abroad.

Over there these clippings and material would be presented before Parliamentary panels and also circulated among the business class so as to show India in very poor light.

Oneindia News

Source: http://www.oneindia.com/feature/ngos-and-the-media-management-1729254.html

42,273 NGOs Under FIU Scanner

NEW DELHI: The government has shared a list of over 42,000 NGOs with Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) to check suspicious foreign funding amid the crackdown on some top international donors for flouting the law of the land.

These 42,273 NGOs were put under watch after intelligence reports claimed that several charity organisations are diverting funds for purposes other than the permitted use of foreign contribution. Besides, foreign funds to government organisations, including IITs and IIMs, will also be strictly monitored and antecedents of donors will be thoroughly probed before the foreign funds are transferred into their respective Foreign Contribution (FC) accounts.

Each transaction related to foreign funding has to be cleared by the Department of Economic Affairs under the Ministry of Finance.

The list handed over to FIU includes NGOs operating in religious, cultural, economic, social and educational fields. For the first time, the government has clearly defined the sectors in which it has listed Christian missionaries, Hindu, Sikh and Muslim religious groups receiving foreign contribution, besides other activities of NGOs in which funds are claimed to be utilised. There is also suspicion that money launderers could use the legitimate route to wire illicit money.

“Huge amounts of foreign contributions received for public policy, seminars and people’s agitation will be closely monitored. The government is not against foreign funding but it should be for tangible efforts like building schools, houses, rural development, etc instead of movement and agitation. India is a democratic country and any policy related to governance is cleared by Parliament. Where is the need for foreign donors to interfere in that process?” a senior government official pointed out, clarifying that over Rs 2,000 crore as foreign contribution was received in 2012 for the activities which were not clearly defined by the NGOs.

The crackdown on unchecked foreign funding, which started after the NDA II Government came to power in May last year, will also include government entities where foreign donors are suspected to have deep penetration. On Friday, a billboard of Community Radio Facilitation Centre (CRFC) under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was removed by the officials from its Shastri Bhawan office, as it had Ford Foundation logo printed on it. The international donor, which is supporting the programme, was put under the Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) watch list on Thursday in the national interest and security of the country.

When asked about the Ford Foundation’s role, an official requesting anonymity said the CRFC was launched with support of Ford Foundation during the UPA regime to facilitate radio applicants through various stages of licensing and it liaises with different ministries to expedite the necessary clearances.

“OneWorld, an international NGO, manages the CRFC,” the officer said. Tax returns filed by Ford Foundation in the US for 2013 reveal the foundation had granted $137,390 to Oneworld International Foundation UK for CRFC’s capacity building and promoting awareness of community radio in India. After the MHA’s crackdown, the funds for the programme will now be cleared through Department of Economic Affairs.

According to the MHA’s latest data, the NGOs operating in the country had received a staggering Rs 11,070 crore during 2013-14, with the US topping the list of donors by contributing over Rs 4,491 crore, followed by the UK which contributed Rs 1,347 Crore.

Intelligence reports have indicated that many NGOs registered under Foreign Contribution regulation Act (FCRA) may go missing due to the crackdown started by the government. In March 2015, the MHA had reported that around 510 NGOs from Andhra Pradesh went missing and show cause notices issued by the ministry’s foreigners division returned undelivered.

Source: http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/42273-NGOs-Under-FIU-Scanner/2015/04/26/article2783606.ece1

North-Eastern Hill University: National Seminar on Poverty, Inequality and Health in North-East India

Deadline: 30 May 2015

The North-Eastern Hill University’s (NEHU) Department of Economics Shillong, in collaboration with the Indian Statistical Institute Kolkata, is currently seeking applications from the eligible individuals for the national Seminar on ‘Poverty, Inequality and Health in North-East India’ in Shillong in the month of October. The duration of the seminar will be of two days.

It is necessary to address the issues like hunger, malnutrition and starvation death and in order to arrive at a consensus to each of these problems there is a need to go beyond the Millennium Development Goals. Thus, the seminar will be interdisciplinary in nature, focussing on the following themes-

• The rural and urban poverty and its different dimensions
• 
  
• Income inequality, Gender inequality and other dimensions of inequality
• 
  
• Health, health care services and development
• 
  
• Empowerment of women
• 
  
• Growth and sustainable development
• 
  
• Agriculture and environmental sustainability
• 
  
• Entrepreneurship, employment and development
• 
  
• International Institutions, initiatives and poverty eradication mechanism
• 
  
• Social and political factors behind poverty, inequality and other issues

The other relevant themes can also be included.

Date and Venue

The seminar will be held between 8-10 October, 2015 in Shillong, Meghalaya.

Eligibility Criteria

The applicants can be students, researchers and scholars from India.

How to Apply?

The applicants must submit their applications in a prescribed format via email.

For more information, please visit NEHU. : http://www.nehu.ac.in/Schools/Economics%20&%20Management/Economics/EcoSeminar2015_030315.pdf

.ngo Domain is available for NGOs

Integrity Infotech Private Limited

Gandhi Nagar - 2nd Lane

Berhampur, Odisha-760 001

Phone:+91-680-6543-111 / 909-0528-111

www.integrityinfotech.in

https://www.facebook.com/integrityinfotech

Canada, India fund 5 innovations to improve health in India, with focus on mothers and children

April 15th, 2015

Grand Challenges Canada, funded by the Government of Canada, and the Grand Challenges India initiative of the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, today announced an investment of $2.5 million (CAD) in five health innovations in India. Many of these novel projects aim to improve maternal, newborn and child health (known as 'MNCH'), which is Canada's flagship development priority, and a tremendous challenge for the Government of India.

The announcement includes a $1.3 million investment in a Transition to Scale project providing 'crèches' (daycare centers) for children of migrant construction workers in India; and three proof-of-concept grants (totalling $795,000) of which two are co-funded by India's Department of Biotechnology (DBT).

India and Canada have also agreed to accelerate ongoing efforts towards the elimination of visceral leishmaniasis in India by jointly supporting an existing Grand Challenges Canada project in Bihar state.

The new funding package was announced during an official visit to Canada of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It underlines and strengthens the strong ties between Canada and India on global health innovation.

To date, Grand Challenges Canada has supported over 100 innovations in India, for a total investment of more than $22.7 million. Grand Challenges Canada has also partnered with the National Council of Indo-Canadians to ensure engagement of Canada's vibrant Indian community in the Grand Challenges partnership.

This announcement builds on the Programme of Cooperation that was signed in February 2014 between Grand Challenges Canada and the Government of India's Department of Biotechnology, which was signed during the state visit to India of His Excellency Governor General David Johnston and Mrs. Sharon Johnston.

That agreement promotes the development of long-term cooperation between Canada and India in the fields of global health, early child development, women and children's health and mental health.

Transition to scale project: Mobile daycare centres for kids of migrant construction workers

Grand Challenges Canada is investing $650,000 in the organization Mobile Crèches, an amount that is matched by other corporations and construction companies. The investment ($1.3 million in total) will enable Mobile Crèches to scale their approach to improving child development by training non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to deliver the well-established, free, holistic childcare program for young children of migrant construction workers, a program Mobile Crèches has been running for 45 years.

The Indian construction industry is the second largest employer after agriculture and employs 30 million workers. Three million young children of these migrant construction workers end up on construction sites, in unsafe and unhygienic surroundings, without physical, educational and emotional care, and exposed to health risks.

Mobile Crèches will work with construction companies and NGOs to create the infrastructure and employment conditions to establish crèches that provide a safe, nurturing environment, nutritious meals, opportunities to play and learn, and access to health services, including immunization and growth monitoring.

Being an innovative tripartite engagement of construction companies, NGOs and Mobile Crèches, the primary focus of the project will be on building an entire management framework to run these crèches, in partnership with current and new builder partners and service-providing NGOs, and then transferring the business operations. URL:http://bit.ly/1csl24M

Proof-of-concept projects

Three proof-of-concept projects will each receive a $265,000 grant. The first two of these three novel projects are co-funded by DBT.

· A community-based model of Kangaroo Mother Care for improving child survival and brain development in low-birth-weight newbornsSociety for Applied Studies (http://bit.ly/19yjep8)

· Implementation of the International Guide for Monitoring Child Development (IGMCD): An individualized, technology-aided approach to promoting early childhood development in a low-income setting in MumbaiUmmeed Child Development Center (http://bit.ly/1BIQBMF)

· Scaling early childhood development at Anganwadi Centres in IndiaDatta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed University) (http://bit.ly/1Dn9r1h)

Elimination of Visceral Leishmaniasis (Kala Azar) in Bihar

Grand Challenges Canada and the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology (India), have agreed to accelerate efforts to eliminate visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Bihar, India.

In 2011, Grand Challenges Canada supported a novel project to train village Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) to identify and refer individuals with VL for point-of-care diagnostics and treatment at primary health centres. The approach was able to achieve significant results: it saved the lives of 110 people and has contributed to a major reduction of VL in four Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to date.

DBT and Grand Challenges Canada will jointly invest $465,000 in ASHA training in 25 highly endemic PHCs and case tracking in 5 PHCs. (http://bit.ly/1CUVh2B)

Dr. Krishnaswamy VijayRaghavan, Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology. Government of India, said: "India has historic and close links with Canada in science and technology. Disease and poor nutrition affect early growth, including the development of brains. Using our shared strengths to collaborate and address these problems will directly help the lives of many, and also demonstrate ways of scaling such interventions to populations that need it most."

Dr. VijayRaghavan also notes: "The Department of Biotechnology, Government of India congratulates Grand Challenges Canada on partnering in the development of Grand Challenges Israel. DBT, India, is delighted to extend all cooperation to develop partnerships so that Canada, Israel and India can work together to address challenges even more effectively. Israel's thought leadership in technology innovation and implementation will be particularly valuable in this new partnership."

Dr. Peter A. Singer, Chief Executive Officer of Grand Challenges Canada, said: "Through Grand Challenges Canada, the Government of Canada is supporting innovative solutions to challenges of children's health. The enhanced partnership between India and Canada will help solve these challenges."

Mr. Sudhir Handa, Chair, National Council of Indo Canadians, said: "The longstanding relationship between India and Canada has grown to include collaboration in many fields, including global health. I am proud to see that this partnership will improve the lives of so many children in India, equipping a whole generation for a better future."

Provided by Grand Challenges Canada

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