MHA Recommends CBI Inquiry Against Harsh Mander's NGO Aman Biradari

Home Ministry recommends CBI inquiry against NGO Aman Biradari, founded by writer and human rights activist Harsh Mander.

Author and human rights campaigner Harsh Mander.

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The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has recommended that the CBI conduct an investigation into Aman Biradari, an Organization founded by author and human rights campaigner Harsh Mander, for suspected violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, according to the officials, news agency PTI reported.

Aman Biradari, "a people's movement for a secular, peaceful, just, and compassionate society," was founded by Harsh Mander, a former member of the National Advisory Council under Sonia Gandhi's leadership during the previous UPA administration.

Home Ministry recommends CBI inquiry against NGO Aman Biradari, founded by writer and human rights activist Harsh Mander: Sources

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 20, 2023

According to them, Aman Biradari has been recommended for a CBI investigation due to violations of a number of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act clauses.

All NGOs that receive foreign funds are required by law to register with the Home Ministry in accordance with the FCRA.

What Is FCRA?

The FCRA was passed in 1976 during the Emergency as a result of fears that foreign governments were funding independent organisations to meddle in India's internal affairs. As early as 1969, these issues were raised in Parliament.

To ensure that organisations and people operated "in a way compatible with the principles of a sovereign democratic republic," the legislation intended to restrict foreign donations to them.

In order to "consolidate the legislation" on the use of foreign money and "to ban" their use for "any activity damaging to national interest," the FCRA was revised during the UPA administration in 2010.

The legislation was once again revised by the current administration in 2020, providing it greater oversight and control over how foreign contributions are received and used by NGOs.

Generally speaking, the FCRA mandates that any individual or non-profit organisation seeking to receive foreign donations I register under the Act, (ii) open a bank account at State Bank of India in Delhi for the purpose of receiving the foreign funds, and (iii) use those funds only for the purposes for which they have been received and as prescribed by the Act.