EFI Welcomes Parliamentary Scrutiny of FCRA Amendment Bill, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EFI Welcomes Parliamentary Scrutiny of FCRA Amendment Bill, 2026

New Delhi, 12 August 2026

The Evangelical Fellowship of India welcomes the Lok Sabha’s decision to refer the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 to a Joint Committee of Parliament. Legislation with consequences of this nature deserves careful examination, meaningful consultation and the fullest parliamentary scrutiny.

EFI recognises the responsibility of the State to ensure transparency and accountability in the receipt and use of foreign contributions and to safeguard the national interest. For us, accountability, transparency and integrity are not merely regulatory obligations; they are convictions rooted in our faith. Effective regulation, however, must also be accompanied by fair process, safeguards and proportionate consequences.

The referral is an important step. It is the beginning of scrutiny, not the resolution of concerns about the Bill in its present form.

Schools, hospitals, hostels and community institutions across the country have been built over decades through a combination of domestic donations, local community support and, in many cases, foreign grants. Any vesting of assets must adequately protect what has been lawfully created from Indian sources. Where refusal of renewal can trigger consequences as serious as the permanent vesting of assets, there must be a meaningful opportunity to be heard and an effective right of appeal. These are not merely questions of compliance; they concern the continuity of institutions and the communities they serve. The Committee should also consider how the Bill will operate alongside the FCRA Amendment Rules, 2026, since the two will apply together in practice.

EFI speaks from the experience of Churches and Christian institutions, many of them small, that have served through education, healthcare and community care for generations. The questions raised by the Bill, however, are not theirs alone.

EFI will place its concerns and recommendations before the Joint Committee and seek an opportunity to be heard. We do so in the hope that Parliament will arrive at a framework that secures accountability and the national interest, safeguards due process and constitutional freedoms, and enables lawful institutions serving this country to continue their work.

Rev. Vijayesh Lal
General Secretary
Evangelical Fellowship of India