Shillong, Aug 4: The United Democratic Party (UDP) has urged the Centre to ensure the proposed FCRA Amendment Act, 2026 and Rules, 2026 do not undermine humanitarian, educational, health and social service work carried out by institutions in the state.
In a detailed submission, UDP secretary Titosstar Well Chyne said the party endorses concerns raised by church leaders and the Chief Minister on the potential impact of the changes. “While we support transparency and accountability, regulation must not become strangulation,” Chyne said.
The UDP has submitted several suggestions to the Government of India. It said automatic provisional vesting should be replaced with a court-supervised and reasoned process, and that no permanent vesting should take effect until all judicial appeals are exhausted. The provisions should apply only to foreign contributions received on or after the commencement of the 2026 Act, with assets created prior to this date exempted. The party added that retroactive application is unjust and would disrupt long-standing community services.
The UDP also sought exemption for assets administered by minority educational and religious institutions, church properties and ministries under their auspices to protect constitutional guarantees under Articles 25-30. It said provisions allowing sale or transfer of vested immovable property must not apply to Sixth Schedule Areas and states covered under Article 371A to 371H, and that any transfer must be in accordance with state land laws and with prior consent of the autonomous district council or state government.
On compliance, the party suggested disqualification should be based on conviction by final judgment for serious offences directly related to foreign contribution, and not on mere FIRs or pending prosecution. During suspension, organisations must be permitted to use existing funds for salaries, rent, utilities, statutory dues and committed obligations to prevent closure of schools and hospitals. Criminal liability should be limited to functionaries who knowingly authorised or were negligent, as broad vicarious liability will deter qualified persons from serving on NGO boards.
The UDP further proposed exemption for non-executive, honorary foreign trustees and advisors of minority and educational institutions and Church ministries who have served for decades. It said institutions should be allowed to select “Umbrella” operational categories instead of 105 rigid micro-categories to prevent harassment and protect faith-based outreach under Article 25. Field inquiry for 75 per cent utilisation must be completed within 30 days, and if not, the next instalment should be deemed approved to avoid disruption of humanitarian projects. For grassroots and minority institutions, domestic expenditure for the same charitable objectives should also be considered when determining “reasonable activity” instead of the rigid Rs 10 lakh foreign fund benchmark.
The UDP said India’s strength lies in its diversity and in the service rendered by faith-based and voluntary institutions. It urged the Centre to undertake wider consultations with state governments, church bodies, ADCs and civil society before finalising the amendments.
“The UDP stands firmly with our Church leaders and the Hon’ble Chief Minister in seeking a balanced, people-centric FCRA framework that protects both national integrity and the institutions that serve the poorest of the poor in Meghalaya and the North East,” the party added.
