(Video) Rajya Sabha TV (RSTV) The Big Picture: NGOs Foreign Funding & Risks

Topic: NGOs Foreign Funding & Risks

Guest:

Satya Prakash, (Legal Editor, The Tribune)
J Sai Deepak, (Advocate, Supreme Court)
Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Dhruv C. Katoch, (Director India Foundation)

Topic Description:

The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the Centre cannot deprive NGOs of their right to receive foreign money by declaring them as political organisations if they use legitimate means of dissent to support public causes. Section 5 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 gives the Union government “unchecked and unbridled powers” to declare an organisation as being one of political nature and deny it access to funds from sources abroad. The Apex Court observed - “It is clear from the provision itself that bandhs, hartals, rasta rokos, etc. are treated as common methods of political action.” Any organisation that supports the cause of a group of citizens agitating for their rights without a political goal or objective cannot be penalised by being declared an organisation of political nature,” the court observed. The court also made it clear that organisations used for channeling foreign funds by political parties cannot escape the rigour of FCRA.