Around 2,000 NGOs yet to validate FCRA designated accounts, says govt

Around 2,000 NGOs and institutions have not validated their foreign contribution designated accounts with banks, prompting the government to ask them to do it in a fortnight.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has said that all NGOs and institutes registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) should receive donations from abroad in a single designated bank account.

According to a latest analysis by the MHA, 2,025 NGOs have not yet validated their FCRA designated accounts. "It is seen that a number of NGOs have not validated their foreign contribution designated accounts causing problems for the banks to comply with the FCRA provisions that they (banks) report to the central government within 48 hours of such receipt or utilisation of foreign contribution," a recent MHA circular said.

"These associations are required to validate their foreign designated accounts and also the utilisation accounts within 15 days and send the details, including the bank branch, code, account number, IFSC etc.," it said.

The NGOs include Bangalore Rural Educational & Development Society, Bangalore Oniyavara Seva Coota and Hemophilia Society's Bengaluru chapter. The NGOs and institutions that find a place in the list also include Indian Red Cross Society, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam and SEWA among others.

The latest circular is part of a series of measures adopted by the NDA government to streamline foreign funds received by the NGOs and institutions. Last month, the MHA had asked 5,845 NGOs to open their accounts in banks having core banking facilities and provide details to allow security agencies to monitor it on a real time basis.

The directive to the NGOs came after an examination found that many of them maintain their accounts in cooperative banks or those without core banking facilities. It was seen as an obstacle by authorities dealing with NGOs in speedily detecting any discrepancies and that is why the NGOs have been asked to open their accounts in nationalised banks or private banks which have core banking facilities.

Source: http://m.dailyhunt.in/news/india/english/deccan+herald-epaper-deccan/around+2+000+ngos+yet+to+validate+fcra+designated+accounts+says+govt-newsid-68861245

Validate your accounts or no foreign funds: Government to NGOs

According to a circular issued on June 7 2017, the NGOs have been asked to validate the accounts within 15 days.

HIGHLIGHTS

1. Government asks NGOs to submit details of their bank accounts.

2. NGOs must validate their accounts to continue receiving foreign funds.

3. Government had cancelled FCRA licences of around 20,000 in December, 2016.

The government has asked over 2000 non-government organisations or NGOs to validate their bank accounts designated to receive funds from foreign countries. Failure to do so could invite action.

Sources in the Home Ministry told India Today that the strict directive has come after several NGOs ignored previous notifications in this regard.

According to a circular issued on June 7 2017, the NGOs have been asked to validate the accounts within 15 days. The circular said all NGOs registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) should receive donations from abroad in a single designated bank account.

In December last year, the government had cancelled FCRA licences of around 20,000 of 33,000 NGOs after they were found to be allegedly violating various provisions of the FCRA.

As per FCRA, if an NGO is put under prior permission category, it is barred to receive foreign funding from abroad without taking permission from the home ministry.

Source: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/ngos-foreign-funding-home-ministry-fcra/1/973455.html

NGOs asked to validate bank accounts for foreign contributions within fortnight

NEW DELHI: The Centre today directed 2,025 NGOs to validate their foreign contribution designated accounts with banks and inform the same to the Home Ministry within the next fortnight.

In a circular, the home ministry said all NGOs which were registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) should receive donations from abroad in a single designated bank account.

However, it is seen that a number of NGOs have not validated their foreign contribution designated accounts causing problems for the banks to comply with the FCRA provisions that they (banks) report to the central government within 48 hours of such receipt or utilisation of foreign contribution.

"These associations are required to validate their foreign designated accounts and also the utilisation accounts within 15 days and send the details, including the bank branch, code, account number, IFSC etc.," joint secretary (foreigners) in the home ministry Mukesh Mittal said.

The home ministry also announced a list of 2,025 NGOs which have not yet validated their FCRA designated accounts.

The Modi government, which has tightened the rules for NGOs, has already cancelled registration of more than 10,000 organisations in the last three years for allegedly non-filing of annual returns as mandated in the FCRA.

In addition, renewals of more than 1,300 NGOs have been denied or closed in recent past for allegedly violating various provisions of the FCRA.

Recently, the home ministry has asked nearly 6,000 NGOs to open their accounts in banks having core banking facilities and furnish details for real time access to security agencies in case of any discrepancy.

The move was initiated after it was detected that many NGOs have their bank accounts in cooperative banks or state government owned apex banks or banks which do not have core banking facilities.

Last month, the home ministry had directed all FCRA registered NGOs to submit their annual income and expenditure records by June 14 failing which the registration will be cancelled.

The order came after it was found that many NGOs have not filed their annual returns for five years -- 2010-11 to 2014- 15.

In November, 2016, the government had directed more than 11,000 NGOs to file applications for renewal of registration by February 28, 2017.

Of the above, 3,500 NGOs have filed applications for renewal till February 2017. Registration of more than 7,000 NGOs were deemed expired due to non-filing of renewal applications.

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ngos-asked-to-validate-bank-accounts-for-foreign-contributions-within-fortnight/articleshow/59040957.cms

Validate foreign fund a/cs or face action, govt tells NGOs

NEW DELHI: The government on Wednesday asked over 2,000 NGOs to validate their accounts designated to receive foreign funds and inform the Union home ministry after several organisations failed to do so. Failure to validate the accounts within the stipulated time could invite action, sources in MHA said.

 
According to a circular issued on Wednesday, the NGOs have been asked to validate the accounts within 15 days. The circular said all NGOs registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) should receive donations from abroad in a single designated bank account.

 
However, it is seen that a number of NGOs have not validated their foreign contribution designated accounts causing problems for the banks to comply with the FCRA provisions that they (banks) report to the central government within 48 hours of such receipt or utilisation of foreign contribution, it said.

 
"These associations are required to validate their foreign designated accounts and also the utilisation accounts within 15 days and send the details, including the bank branch, code, account number, IFSC etc," joint secretary (foreigners) in the home ministry Mukesh Mittal said. The MHA attached a list of 2,025 NGOs which have not yet validated their FCRA designated accounts.

 
In last three years, the NDA government has tightened the rules for NGOs. It has already cancelled registration of more than 10,000 organisations for allegedly non-filing of annual returns as mandated in the FCRA. The renewal of licence more than 1,300 NGOs has also been denied or scrapped in the recent past.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/validate-foreign-fund-a/cs-or-face-action-govt-tells-ngos/articleshow/59044942.cms

Why India And Israel Must Work To Shake Off Manipulative NGOs

SNAPSHOT

Foreign-funded NGOs have been a common cause for concern for India and Israel.

The issue is expected to be accorded high priority when Modi and Netanyahu meet.

Israeli and Indian societies embody the histories and aspirations of ancient nations that were colonised, regained their independence amidst turmoil in the late 1940s, and continue to face threats of war and terror. Like India, national independence and self-determination are central to Israel's ethos. After 2,000 years of stateless exile and vulnerability, the political Zionism that began in Europe at the end of the nineteenth century galvanised Jewish populations throughout the world. Jews came to their ancestral homeland in order to restore national independence, and as a result, attacks on this sovereignty result in strong counter-reactions. This background provides the basis for cooperation between Delhi and Jerusalem, which will be celebrated during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's forthcoming visit to Israel, marking 25 years of full diplomatic relations.

In addition to these parallels, Israel and India share the distinction of being targets of political manipulation by powerful non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and their funders, which operate outside the democratic process, with no checks and balances. These activities, although often presented in altruistic and moral terms – such as peace, human rights, economic development, and humanitarian aid – are widely perceived in both countries as a form of neo-colonialism. NGO power is also enhanced by an image of altruism and morality (known as the "halo effect") that protects the organisations and their funders from critical analysis. International journalists, diplomats, and academics give NGOs automatic support, without examining details and hidden agendas, which undermine hard-won national sovereignty and independence.

The Indian concern regarding NGOs prior to Israel's recognition of the issue

Responding to these concerns, in 2010, India passed legislation known as the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA), which prohibits the use of overseas funds for "activities detrimental to the national interest." Criticism was directed at groups such as the Ford Foundation, which, according to the claim, were using the cover of economic development to manipulate Indian culture. Christian aid groups were also suspected of proselytising activities. For example, in March 2017, US-based Compassion International, which funds child development projects in India, was accused of missionary-like activities by the Indian government and has been blocked in its ability to fund projects and placed on the list of organisations requiring "prior permission to bring in funds from overseas" (Mohan, 2017). Similarly, in 2016, the FCRA refused the registration renewal of the Indian Social Action Forum (Insaf), which is funded in part by "Brotfuer die Welt" (a major Protestant aid group) and by a French government "solidarity" organisation.

Israel's experience with foreign-funded NGOs began with obsessive attacks from groups such as Human Rights Watch (based in New York) and Amnesty International (based in London), as well as hundreds of other groups in the NGO "human rights" network. These NGOs lead campaigns of political warfare based on false allegations of "apartheid" and "war crimes," often erasing the terror that is ever present in the Arab-Israeli conflict. When the Israel Defense Forces responds to deadly attacks, the NGO soft-power army labels Israeli soldiers as "war criminals," promotes boycotts, and lobbies for prosecution by the International Criminal Court.

To add credibility, numerous Israel-based NGOs were created over the years, led by fringe political ideologues and activists who work closely with the global groups, repeating the allegations of war crimes and violations of international law. They publish and distribute "reports," write articles in newspapers and social media, and produce videos portraying Israel as the aggressor, and of Palestinian terrorists as innocent victims. Although Israeli in name, these NGOs' receive most of their funds from European government frameworks (including the European Union) amounting to tens of millions of euros annually, as well as private from donors, such as George Soros.

In Israel, as the power of the externally supported NGOs increased, the criticism and demand for funding transparency also grew. Leaked protocols of secret EU meetings to decide on NGO funding to Israeli groups highlighted the goal of political manipulation. These EU documents refer to funding NGOs for the specific objective of convincing Israelis to change their political views to match the preferences and interests of European officials.

This behaviour has led to growing criticism and efforts to offset the damaging influence of the Israeli political organisations that are supported outside the democratic process. The NGO recipients of these European funds are described as "foreign agents," promoting the interests of outsiders, and polarising the society. The artificial power given to the organisations on the far left of the ideological spectrum leads organisations on the right to increase their demands, and dilutes the influence of the majority of Israelis who support more complex and less ideological positions.

As a result, Members of the Knesset (the Israeli parliament) and ministers have advocated for measures to increase transparency regarding external interference (adopted in 2011), and to limit, tax, or prohibit foreign government funding. Legislation adopted in July 2016 requires NGOs receiving more than 50 per cent of their budgets from foreign governments to disclose these details in their publications, letters to government officials, and in Knesset statements (NGO Transparency Law, 2016). Highlighting the anger over European money for radical Israeli NGOs, some MKs proposed that the Israeli government retaliate by supporting opposition NGOs in Europe. For example, an MK declared cynically that Spain "would undoubtedly appreciate funding for groups promoting Basque or Catalan independence; in the same spirit, the government of the UK would appreciate Israeli support for organisations monitoring the British army's day to day contact with civilians in areas it controls in Iraq and Afghanistan" (Eldad, 2012).

The efforts by foreign governments to block this legislation add to the backlash. In August 2015, the EU gave €250,000 to a small group of dissidents known as Breaking the Silence, which campaigns against IDF soldiers. In addition, the European Endowment for Democracy, which is funded by the EU and Member States, provided a parallel group, B'Tselem, with €30,000 for "combating anti-democratic laws aiming to silence opposition."

European diplomats and political figures also criticise the Knesset for debating laws designed to deal with this problem, and go out of their way to meet with the heads of these Israeli NGOs, putting them on the same level (or above) Israel's elected officials. In April, when the German Foreign Minister flagrantly embraced these groups, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled the official meetings, declaring "My policy is clear: not to meet with diplomats who visit Israel and meet with organisations that defame IDF soldiers and try to prosecute our soldiers as war criminals…"

Furthermore, based on the NGO campaigns, Israel, like India, is then singled out for attacks by UN bodies, increasing the erosion of sovereign equality. In 2015, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association, appointed by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, amplified the standard NGO allegations. According to the Rapporteur, India's FCRA regulations "are not in conformity with international law, principles and standards." In the Israeli case, UN criticism focuses on the allegedly "anti-democratic" legislation which is said to result in a "narrowing the space for civil society organisations." The corrosive and manipulation by the externally linked NGOs is ignored.

For these reasons, the role of foreign funding for powerful NGOs in both India and Israel, the use of this process in attempts to manipulate the societies and cultures, and the impact on national sovereignty provide important areas for cooperation. Given these shared concerns, discussions on how to reduce the disproportionate power of externally-directed NGOs is expected to be on the agenda when Prime Ministers Modi and Netanyahu meet.

The writer works for the Political Science Department, Bar Ilan University and President, NGO Monitor Research Institute, Jerusalem, Israel

This piece is a part of our special series on Israel.

Source: https://swarajyamag.com/politics/why-india-and-israel-must-work-to-shake-off-manipulative-ngos

Highlights of initiatives under NITI Aayog

NITI Ayog, The National Institution for Transforming India, was formed via a resolution of the Union Cabinet on January 1, 2015. NITI Ayog has emerged as the premier policy 'Think Tank' of the Government of India fostering the spirit of cooperative federalism under the dynamic leadership of  Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Ever since its inception the institution has taken a series of initiatives aimed at giving a push to the economy and transforming the lives of millions across the country.

Following are the highlights of the initiatives taken by NITI Ayog:

       I.            Vision Document, Strategy & Action Agenda beyond 12th Five Year Plan: Replacing the Five Year Plans beyond 31st March, 2017, NITI Aayog is in the process of preparing the 15-year vision document keeping in view the social goals set and/ or proposed for a period of 15 years; A 7-year strategy document spanning 2017-18 to 2023-24 to convert the longer-term vision into implementable policy and action as a part of a "National Development Agenda" is also being worked upon. The 3-year Action Agenda for 2017-18 to 2019-20, aligned to the predictability of financial resources during the 14th Finance Commission Award period, has been completed and will be submitted before the Hon'ble PM on April 23rd at the 3rd Governing Council Meeting

    II.            Reforms in Agriculture:

 a. Model Land Leasing Law

Taking note of increasing incidents of leasing in and out of land and suboptimal use of land with lesser number of cultivators, NITI Aayog has formulated a Model Agricultural Land Leasing Act, 2016 to both recognize the rights of the tenant and safeguard interest of landowners. A dedicated cell for land reforms was also set up in NITI. Based on the model act, Madhya Pradesh has enacted separate land leasing law and Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have modified their land leasing laws. Some States, including Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, are already at an advance stage of formulating legislations to enact their land leasing laws for agriculture.

b. Reforms of the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Act

NITI Aayog consulted with the States on 21 October 2016 on three critical reforms –

(i)                 Agricultural marketing reforms

(ii)               Felling and transit laws for tree produce grown at private land

(iii)             Agricultural land leasing

 

Subsequently, Model APMC Act version 2 prepared. States are being consulted to adopt APMC Act version 2.

c. Agricultural Marketing and Farmer Friendly Reforms Index

NITI Aayog has developed the first ever 'Agriculture Marketing and Farmer Friendly Reforms Index' to sensitise states about the need to undertake reforms in the three key areas of Agriculture Market Reforms, Land Lease Reforms and Forestry on Private Land (Felling and Transit of Trees). The index carries a score with a minimum value "0" implying no reforms and maximum value "100" implying complete reforms in the selected areas.

As per NITI Aayog's index, Maharashtra ranks highest in implementation of various agricultural reforms. The State has implemented most of the marketing reforms and offers the best environment for undertaking agri-business among all the States and UTs.  Gujarat ranks second with a score of 71.50 out of 100, closely followed by Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Almost two third States have not been able to reach even the halfway mark of reforms score, in the year 2016-17. The index aims to induce a healthy competition between States and percolate best practices in implementing farmer-friendly reforms.

 III.            Reforming Medical Education

 A committee chaired by Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog recommended scrapping of the Medical Council of Indi and suggested a new body for regulating medical education. The draft legislation for the proposed National Medical Commission has been submitted to the Government for further necessary action.

  IV.            Digital Payments Movement:

a.       An action plan on advocacy, awareness and co-ordination of handholding efforts among general public, micro enterprises and other stakeholders was prepared. Appropriate literature in print and multimedia was prepared on the subject for widespread dissemination. Presentations/ interactions were organized by NITI Aayog for training and capacity building of various Ministries/Departments of Government of India, representatives of State/UTs, Trade and Industry Bodies as well as all other stakeholders.    

b.      NITI Aayog also constituted a Committee of Chief Ministers on Digital Payments on 30th November 2016 with Hon'ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu, as the Convener to promote transparency, financial inclusion and a healthy financial ecosystem nationwide.  The Committee submitted its interim report to Hon'ble Prime Minister in January 2017.

c.       To incentivize the States/UTs for promotion of digital transactions, Central assistance of Rs. 50 crore would be provided to the districts for undertaking Information, Education and Communication activities to bring 5 crore Jan Dhan accounts to digital platform.

d.      Cashback and referral bonus schemes were launched by Hon'ble Prime Minister on 14.4.2017 to promote the use of digital payments through the BHIM App.

e.       Niti Aayog also launched two incentive schemes to to promote digital payments across all sections of society - the Lucky Grahak Yojana and the Digi Dhan Vyapar Yojana  –Over 16 lakh consumers and merchants have won Rs. 256 crore under these two schemes .

f.       Digi Dhan Melas were also held for 100 days in 100 cities, from December 25th to April 14th.  

     V.            Atal Innovation Mission: The Government has set up Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) in NITI Aayog with a view to strengthen the country's innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem by creating institutions and programs that spur innovation in schools, colleges, and entrepreneurs in general. In 2016-17, the following major schemes were rolled out:

a.       Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs): To foster creativity and scientific temper in students, AIM is helping to establish 500 ATLs in schools across India, where students can design and make small prototypes to solve challenges they see around them, using rapid prototyping technologies that have emerged in recent years.

b.      Atal Incubation Centres (AICs): AIM will provide financial support of  Rs.10 crore and capacity buidling for setting AICs across India, which will help startups expand quicker and enable innovation-entrepreneurship, in core sectors such as manufacturing, transport, energy, education, agriculture, water and sanitation, etc.

 VI.            Indices Measuring States' Performance in Health, Education and Water Management: As part of the Prime Minister's Focus on outcomes, NITI has come out with indices to measure incremental annual outcomes in critical social sectors like health, education and water with a view to nudge the states into competing with each other for better outcomes, while at the same time sharing best practices & innovations to help each other - an example of competitive and cooperative federalism..


VII.            Sub-Group of Chief Ministers on Rationalization of Centrally Sponsored Schemes: Based on the recommendations of this Sub-Group, a Cabinet note was prepared by NITI Aayog which was approved by the Cabinet on 3rd August, 2016. Among several key decision, the sub-group led to the rationalization of the existing CSSs into 28 umbrella schemes.

 

VIII.            Sub-Group of Chief Ministers on Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: Constituted by NITI Aayog on 9th March, 2015, the Sub-Group has submitted its report to the Hon'ble Prime Minister in October, 2015 and most of its recommendations have been accepted.

  IX.            Sub-Group of Chief Ministers on Skill Development: Constituted on 9th March, 2015, the report of the Sub-Group of Chief Ministers on Skill Development was presented before the Hon'ble Prime Minister on 31/12/2015. The recommendation and actionable points emerging from the Report were approved by the Hon'ble Prime Minister and are in implementation by the Ministry of Skill Development

     X.            Task Force on Elimination of Poverty in India: Constituted on 16th March, 2015 under the Chairmanship of Dr. Arvind Panagariya, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, the report of the Task Force was finalized and submitted to Hon'ble Prime Minister on 11th July, 2016. The report of the Task Force primarily focusses on issues of measurement of poverty and strategies to combat poverty. Regarding estimation of poverty, the report of the Task Force states that "a consensus in favour of either the Tendulkar or a higher poverty line did not emerge. Therefore, the Task Force has concluded that the matter be considered in greater depth by the country's top experts on poverty before a final decision is made. Accordingly, it is recommended that an expert committee be set up to arrive at an informed decision on the level at which the poverty line should be set." With respect to strategies to combat poverty, the Task Force has made recommendations on faster poverty reduction through employment intensive sustained rapid growth and effective implementation of anti-poverty programs.

 
 XI.            Task Force on Agriculture Development: The Task Force on Agricultural development was constituted on 16th March, 2015 under the Chairmanship of Dr. Arvind Panagariya, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog. The Task Force based on its works prepared an occasional paper entitled "Raising Agricultural Productivity and Making Farming Remunerative for Farmers" focusing on 5 critical areas of Indian Agriculture. These are (i) Raising Productivity, (ii) Remunerative  Prices to Farmers, (iii) Land Leasing, Land Records  & Land Titles; (iv) Second Green Revolution-Focus on Eastern States; and (v) Responding to Farmers' Distress. After taking inputs of all the States on occasional paper and through their reports, the Task Force submitted the final report to Prime Minister on 31st May, 2016. It has suggested  important policy measures to bring in reforms in agriculture for the welfare of the farmers as well as enhancing their income.

 
XII.            Transforming India Lecture Series:  As the government's premier think-tank, NITI Aayog views knowledge building & transfer as the enabler of real transformation in States. To build knowledge systems for States and the Centre, NITI Aayog launched the 'NITI Lectures: Transforming India' series, with full support of the Prime Minister on 26th August 2016. The lecture series is aimed at addressing the top policy making team of the Government of India, including members of the cabinet and several top layers of the bureaucracy. It aims is to bring cutting edge ideas in development policy to Indian policy makers and public, so as to promote the cause of transformation of India into a prosperous modern economy. The Hon'ble Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore, Shri Tharman Shanmugaratnam, delivered the first lecture on the topic: India and the Global Economy. On November 16th, 2016, Bill Gates, Co-Founder, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, delivered the second lecture in the series under the theme: 'Technology and Transformation'.

Source: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=163340

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: Information for All

It has come to the notice of Ministry of Women & Child Development (MWCD), Government of India that certain unauthorized sites/organizations/ NGOs/individuals are distributing illegal forms in the name of cash incentive under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme. The scheme has no provision for individual CASH TRANSFER COMPONENT by Government of India. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme focuses on challenging mindsets and deep rooted patriarchy in the societal system, strict enforcement of PC&PNDT Act, advancing education of the girl child: focus is on issues of women empowerment on a life cycle continuum. It is not a DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) scheme.

The Ministry of Women & Child Development has taken up this matter with the State Government Authorities where this illegal activity has taken place namely, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal. The warning has been broadcast several times by this Ministry on print media as well as electronic media to this effect. The Ministry had advised that no personal details should be shared in this regard and no one should subscribe to such fraudulent scheme.However, still some people are falling prey to such frauds and paying money or disclose personal details in name of such non-existent benefit being falsely offered in the name of BBBP scheme. The general public is therefore, once again advised not to fall prey into this fake and fraudulent information.

Source: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=163309