The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has suspended the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licence of a leading research institution – Centre for Policy Research (CPR), based in New Delhi, on the grounds of “violation”. The violations include the institution’s reports on “current affairs programmes.”
On February 27, 2022, the MHA had suspended the registration of CPR for 180 days, preventing the institute from receiving foreign donations and using the foreign donations that they have already received without the home ministry’s clearance. The suspension was subsequently extended for another 180 days.
On February 27, 2022, the MHA had suspended the registration of CPR for 180 days, preventing the institute from receiving foreign donations and using the foreign donations that they have already received without the home ministry’s clearance. The suspension was subsequently extended for another 180 days
According to reports, the decision to cancel the licence was taken last week and the think tank was informed about it on January 10. Speaking to the media, Yamini Aiyar, President of CPR, said the organisation would look at all options against the order. “The institution had been functioning within the framework of the law. The cancellation of our FCRA is distressing as it is disproportionate and without adequate opportunities to be heard. We will remain committed to our core goals and remain steadfast in our belief that this matter will be resolved in line with constitutional values and guarantees,” she added.
When the CPR had challenged the suspension of its FCRA licence in the Delhi court, the union government had argued that the funding needed to be stopped as the organisation was using it for “undesirable purposes” and that it would affect the country’s interest. The centre further alleged that CPR transferred the funds to different entities and deposited it in a non-designated account, which was a violation of FCRA.
According to PTI, CPR’s FCRA licence was last renewed in 2016 and was due for renewal in 2021. CPR's website says that it has been one of India's leading public policy think tanks since 1973. As per media reports, the donors of CPR included the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the University of Pennsylvania, the World Resources Institute and Duke University. CPR had also received grants from the Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR) and is a recognised institution of the Department of Science and Technology. The institution was raided by the Income Tax department in September, 2022 along with the searches on Oxfam India, and Bengaluru-based Independent and Public-Spirited Media Foundation (IPSMF).