The Indian government has proposed tighter restrictions on nonprofits that will require them to declare how they raise funds from abroad and what they use the funding for.
Activists described the latest move to rein in the activity of non-governmental organizations in India as “discomforting” and “worrying.”
The proposed amendments to rules attached to the Foreign Currency Regulation Act would require banks to inform the Ministry of Home Affairs within 48 hours if international money transfers are made to an organization.
Within a week of receiving foreign funding, the nonprofit would have to publish details of the transaction on their website, under the new draft rules.
Some 30,000 organizations, which are registered with the government to receive money from overseas, will also have to disclose details about their social media accounts including Twitter and Facebook profiles.
Organizations when seeking to renew their license with the home ministry will also have to list their activities over three years, according to a statement on the ministry’s website posted Wednesday.
The ministry’s statement said organizations would not be permitted to use funds for activities that may be “detrimental to national interest, likely to affect prejudicially public interest, likely to affect prejudicially the security, strategic, scientific or economic interest of the state and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.” It did not elaborate on what such activities might be.
Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2015/06/19/india-mulls-tighter-rules-for-ngos/
Activists described the latest move to rein in the activity of non-governmental organizations in India as “discomforting” and “worrying.”
The proposed amendments to rules attached to the Foreign Currency Regulation Act would require banks to inform the Ministry of Home Affairs within 48 hours if international money transfers are made to an organization.
Within a week of receiving foreign funding, the nonprofit would have to publish details of the transaction on their website, under the new draft rules.
Some 30,000 organizations, which are registered with the government to receive money from overseas, will also have to disclose details about their social media accounts including Twitter and Facebook profiles.
Organizations when seeking to renew their license with the home ministry will also have to list their activities over three years, according to a statement on the ministry’s website posted Wednesday.
The ministry’s statement said organizations would not be permitted to use funds for activities that may be “detrimental to national interest, likely to affect prejudicially public interest, likely to affect prejudicially the security, strategic, scientific or economic interest of the state and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.” It did not elaborate on what such activities might be.
Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2015/06/19/india-mulls-tighter-rules-for-ngos/
