IGNOU, 5,900 other NGOs could lose FCRA licence

NEW DELHI: Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, IGNOU, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur and Mayo College Central Council Society are among the nearly 6,000 NGOs and associations that could lose their licence to receive foreign funding for failing to file annual returns for five consecutive years.

The home ministry's Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) division has issued showcause notices to 5,922 NGOs asking them whey their registration under FCRA should not be cancelled for not filing of mandatory annual income and expenditure records from 2010-11 to 2014-15, despite repeated notices.

Among the other prominent associations in the list are Ramakrishna Mission Ashram, Delhi College of Engineering, Punjabi University (Patiala), Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Khadi Gramodyog Samiti and Oxfam Trust.

These associations were earlier told to submit their annual returns for five years — 2010-11 to 2014-15.

The home ministry said in a circular that as a one-time measure, all NGOs were being given one month to file their missing annual returns by June 14 without paying any penalty. Email and text message alerts were also sent to them regularly for one month beginning mid-May.

"However, in spite of sufficient and adequate notice, it has been observed that 5,922 associations have not uploaded their annual returns for three or more than three years within the stipulated time given in the notice," the circular said.

In May, 18,523 NGOs were given a one-time opportunity to give details of their income and expenses. The associations have now been asked to furnish their replies, if any, by July 23, failing which it will be presumed that they have nothing to say and action as proposed will be taken by the home ministry as per FCRA, the circular said.