JPC on FCRA Amendment Bill to hold first meeting on September 18

To constitute the 31-member panel headed by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Sanjay Jaiswal, the government moved a motion on August 12, during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which is yet to be prorogued. File | Photo Credit: PTI The first meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), constituted earlier this month to examine the contentious Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, is scheduled for September 18, a notice circulated by the Lok Sabha Secretariat on Friday (September 11, 2026) said.To constitute the 31-member panel headed by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Sanjay Jaiswal, the government moved a motion on August 12, during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which is yet to be prorogued. The Opposition had, however, demanded that the Bill be withdrawn completely, accusing the government of intentionally targeting minority-run institutions through the legislation.In the first meeting of the JPC, officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs will brief members on the provisions of the Amendment Bill.The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25 and proposes tighter government oversight of non-governmental organisations and foreign funding in the country.Opposition’s concernsThe Opposition’s criticism is specifically regarding the provisions relating to the “designated authority”, which will have a wide ambit of powers. If an organisation’s Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) certificate is cancelled, surrendered, or lapses automatically, foreign contributions and all assets created from them would vest in a government-appointed “designated authority”, without a prior hearing or judicial determination.If a fresh certificate is not obtained within a prescribed period, the assets could be sold or transferred to a government department, with the proceeds going to the Consolidated Fund of India. The existing right to reclaim assets upon re-registration would be removed, and the founding institution would be permanently barred from reacquiring them. The Opposition has argued that the Bill allows for governmental overreach without adequate safeguards.The panelThe JPC comprises 14 members from the BJP and five from the Congress. It also has two members each from the Janata Dal (United), the Trinamool Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam; and one member each from the Samajwadi Party, Indian Union Muslim League, Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party, Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar and Telugu Desam Party.The committee has been asked to submit its report to the Lok Sabha by the last day of the first week of the Winter Session of Parliament. Published - September 11, 2026 08:08 pm IST