Any NGO critical of the government is unlikely to receive a green signal. The new amendment will leave NGOs vulnerable to harassment. It was the NGO sector that helped provide compassion and food to millions of people during the lockdown. The new Bill will render such cooperation and camaraderie impossible in future, observes Rashme Sehgal.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the CBI and the Gujarat government as to why they want to send social activist Teesta Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand back in jail after they have been out for over seven years on anticipatory bail.
Reversing the burden of evidence means that the principle of innocent until proven guilty does not apply. It is exactly the opposite: Guilty as charged, until you can convince the judges of the contrary, points out Shekhar Gupta.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked a special court in Ghaziabad, which has summoned journalist Rana Ayyub in a money laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), to adjourn the proceedings scheduled for January 27 to a date after January 31.
The Dabangg star, who has been providing assistance to those in need amid the ongoing pandemic through his charitable trust, on Monday posted a statement on his social media handles.
'It is especially discouraging for young people in the development sector. I've noticed that many of them are actively considering other career options to escape this atmosphere.' Geetanjali Krishna reports.
Justice M S Sonak in an interim order on Monday restrained the Charity Commissioner from attaching the assets and accounts of the NGO. The HC also ordered defreezing of the domestic and non-FCRA bank accounts of the NGO.
A US Congress-constituted quasi-judicial body on Wednesday asked the Joe Biden Administration to designate four nations, including India, as "countries of particular concern", alleging that religious freedom conditions there in 2020 continued their negative trajectory.
The Union home ministry said it has cancelled registration of 11,319 organisations that had not applied for renewal of registration under the Foreign Contribution Regulations Act by the June 30 deadline this year.
It should stop what it is deliberately doing to the NGO sector and let it operate as freely as the rest of the private sector, asserts Aakar Patel.
The retrospective amendment will help BJP and Congress escape the fallout of a 2014 Delhi high court judgment that held both guilty of violating the FCRA.
To the disappointment of the Forward Markets Commission, the commodity markets regulator, the standing committee of Parliament examining the Bill seeking to amend the Forward Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1952, has invited suggestions from the public and stakeholders, including consumer bodies.
Special Judge Santosh Snehi Mann passed the order on a petition filed by the CBI seeking revision of the order passed on Thursday by a magisterial court which also asked the agency to apologise to Patel.
In a circular, the ministry said all NGOs registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act should receive foreign donations in a single designated bank account.
The searches are in connection with alleged violation of foreign direct investment norms that is linked to an earlier case of revocation of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act licence of the NGO by the Union home ministry in 2010, the ED said.
The Delhi high court on Friday declined to stay the proceedings with regard to confirming the provisional attachment of bank accounts of NGO Amnesty International, but said that any final order passed in the matter would not be implemented without leave of the court.
Two non-government organisations run by social activist Teesta Setalvad and her husband have been served notice by the home ministry for alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act and asked to reply within 15 days.
'Amendments in the past have created fear. This will take it further.'
The order said the NGO has transferred an amount of Rs 2.46 lakh from its foreign contribution designated account to Sabrang Trust domestic account, thus mixing of domestic and foreign funds and violating the rules.
The chargesheet also said they did not maintain exclusive books of account for receipt of foreign contribution and Sabrang could not produce segregated books of accounts for checking.
In a circular, the ministry said all NGOs which were registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act should receive donations from abroad in a single designated bank account.
Asked about the report, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, "The political judgements of Freedom House are as inaccurate and distorted as their maps."
The home ministry said exercising the powers conferred under Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, the registration of Sabrang Trust has been suspended for a period of 180 days with effect from September 10, 2015.
Licence of NGO run by Indira Jaising--'Lawyers' Collective'--was suspended by the government for 6 months.
'A political party taking the law into its hands is objectionable, especially in the context of the 2002 incidents in Gujarat.'
A case has been registered against Anand Joshi by the investigating agency in connection with Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, notices to non-governmental organisations.
Special CBI Judge Vinod Kumar allowed the probe agency to quiz Anand Joshi, who was arrested on Sunday from west Delhi, in its custody till May 20.
'Today, the State is permanently going after politicians, but also civil society, academics and all those it is threatened by or irritated with.'
Greenpeace on Friday termed as part of "relentless onslaught" by the government cancellation of its FCRA registration that barred the environmental organisation from receiving foreign funds and said those in power cannot "muzzle" dissent in a democracy.
The CBI on Wednesday registered a case against social activist Teesta Setalvad and her organisation for alleged violation of FCRA in recieving funds from abroad without taking prior permission from the home ministry.
They said the notice was issued, after completion of the probe, under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
'Prime Minister Modi stated several times that we shall not let this challenge go away without converting it into an opportunity to undertake systemic reforms.' 'And hasn't that been reiterated in action?'
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday carried out searches at premises of social activist Teesta Setalvad and her organisation in connection with a case of alleged violation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act in receiving funds from abroad without taking prior permission from the home ministry.
The Delhi High Court Tuesday restrained the Enforcement Directorate from taking any further action pursuant to the attachment of Amnesty International India's funds in connection with a money laundering case.
'The government is using the Intelligence Bureau to go after NGOs.' 'It is not only the NDA, the UPA also didn't like NGOs.' 'NGOs predominantly work with the poor. So, when you cancel an NGO, the affected are the poor, the Dalits, the tribals, the street children and the marginalised.'
The action was taken after the home ministry found that Naik's NGO Islamic Research Foundation's FCRA licence was renewed recently despite several ongoing probes, including one by it.
The MHA said all the "glossy statements" about humanitarian work and speaking truth to power are nothing but a "ploy to divert attention" from their activities which were in clear contravention of laid down Indian laws.
The NGO had given donations to an allied entity of RGF in 2011 which engages in promoting girl education and providing money to needy for meeting hospital expenses.
'If you talk about any kind of equality, you are under attack.'
Money, apparently, doesn't matter in a place where service is not a dogma but a way of life.
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