FCRA Amendment Bill: 31-member JPC formed, Sanjay Jaiswal to lead scrutiny

FCRA Bill 2026 enters detailed parliamentary scrutiny as a 31-member JPC led by Sanjay Jaiswal examines proposed changes to foreign funding rules

PGurus Newsdesk

September 4, 2026

Sanjay Jaiswal will chair the 31-member JPC examining the FCRA Amendment Bill, amid opposition concerns over proposed changes affecting NGOs and foreign-funded assets

The Bill proposes changes to foreign-funded assets, registration, investigations and penalties

The government has constituted a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to examine the controversial Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, with BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal appointed as its chairperson.

The panel, constituted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, has 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. The BJP has 14 members, while Congress has five. JD(U), TMC and DMK have two members each, with the remaining seats distributed among other parties.

Among the prominent members are BJP MPs Bhartruhari Mahtab, Tejasvi Surya and Nishikant Dubey, along with Congress MPs Anto Antony, Captain Viriato Fernandes and Md Hamdullah Sayeed. Rajya Sabha members include former foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Praful Patel, Sanjay Kumar Jha and Menaka Guruswamy.

Bill enters detailed parliamentary scrutiny

The FCRA Amendment Bill was referred to a JPC on August 12, after opposition parties and several stakeholders raised objections to its provisions. The government has maintained that the proposed changes are aimed at strengthening transparency and accountability in the use of foreign contributions.

One of the key provisions under scrutiny concerns assets created using foreign contributions. The proposed framework provides for provisional vesting of such assets with a designated authority when an organisation’s FCRA registration ends. If registration is restored within the prescribed period, the assets are to be returned; otherwise, permanent vesting and lawful disposal could follow.

The Bill also proposes changes relating to investigations, penalties and the status of organisations whose FCRA registration expires or is cancelled. The government says the amendments are intended to close administrative gaps and create a clearer enforcement framework.

Opposition raises concerns

The legislation has faced strong opposition, with critics arguing that some of its provisions could give the government excessive control over NGOs and institutions receiving foreign funding. Opposition parties have also raised concerns about its potential impact on minority-run organisations. The government has rejected the allegation that the legislation targets any particular community.

The JPC will now examine the provisions, hear stakeholders and consider recommendations before submitting its report to the Lok Sabha. The committee has been asked to submit its report by the last day of the first week of the Winter Session.

The constitution of the panel marks the next major step in the legislative process, putting the contentious FCRA amendments under detailed cross-party parliamentary scrutiny.

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