Union Home Minister Amit Shah launches FCRA 2.0 portal, e-OCI card to streamline services

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday launched the FCRA 2.0 Portal and the e-OCI card in New Delhi, introducing two digital initiatives aimed at improving public services and strengthening the monitoring of foreign contributions.

The government said the e-OCI card will benefit more than 50 lakh Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders, while the upgraded FCRA portal will simplify application processes and enhance transparency.

Launching the initiatives, Shah said the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been working on the principle of "Minimum Government, Maximum Governance." He said governance becomes easier for honest citizens and tougher on those who violate the law when policies are clear, intentions are honest and technology is effectively used.

FCRA 2.0 to cut paperwork, boost monitoring

The government said the FCRA 2.0 Portal has been developed to reduce paperwork, enable faster processing of applications and provide real-time monitoring of foreign contributions. It also removes the requirement for the physical submission of documents, making the application process fully digital.

According to the government, reforms to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) framework were undertaken after 2014 to improve oversight and simplify procedures. It said the earlier system relied heavily on paperwork and lacked effective monitoring.

The government said the need for stronger monitoring has increased because of the growing number of applications and the rise in foreign contributions received in the country. It added that reducing paperwork while ensuring effective oversight is important for national security.

The government also said the strengthened FCRA framework will improve monitoring of foreign contributions received for unlawful or improper purposes.

The e-OCI card is another citizen-centric initiative aimed at enhancing convenience for Overseas Citizen of India cardholders by digitising services and improving accessibility. According to the government, the initiative is expected to benefit over 50 lakh OCI cardholders.