MHA advises NGOs on switch to new FCRA regime

NEW DELHI: The home ministry, in a bid to ease the transition of NGOs and associations to the new FCRA regime flowing from recent amendments to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) and rules thereunder, has put out an advisory for compliance depending on whether these NGOs have already applied for FCRA registration, prior permission or renewal or are yet to submit these applications.

As per the advisory issued on Friday, the three basic compliances that the NGOs and associations must meet following the latest changes in FCRA, 2010 and Foreign Contribution Regulation Rules, 2011, (FCRR) relate to obtaining a DARPAN ID from NITI Aayog portal; opening the main FCRA account in SBI Parliament Street branch, New Delhi; and seeding aadhaar details of all office bearers or key functionaries.

In a table put on the FCRA website on Friday, the home ministry spelt out the requirements needed to be fulfilled under the amended Act and rules for four different categories of NGOs and associations; ones that have already submitted renewal application; ones who have already submitted application for FCRA registration or prior permission; which are yet to submit application for renewal of FCRA registration; and ones that are yet to submit application for FCRA registration or prior permission.

On getting a Darpan ID from NITI Aayog portal, the home ministry said NGOs that have already applied for registration/prior permission/renewal, are being given access to their applications to seed the Darpan ID from NITI Aayog Darpan portal. The Darpan ID should be entered in Form 3C/3A/3B at specified place in FCRA portal.

Associations that are yet to submit application for FCRA registration or renewal will be automatically prompted to first obtain Darpan ID during online registration/renewal.

As regards opening of FCRA account in SBI New Delhi main branch, associations that have already applied for FCRA registration/renewal are being given access to their applications to seed FCRA account in SBI main Branch at Parliament Street. For ones that have not yet applied, they must open FCRA account in SBI Main branch before they initiate online application process for FCRA registration/renewal.

The NGOs must also enter Aadhaar numbers of all office bearers & key functionaries in specified form on FCRA portal if they have already applied for registration or renewal. NGOs who are yet to apply for registration or renewal of FCRA licence, need to enter aadhaar number of office bearers while filling up online forms on FCRA portal.

“Every person/association is, therefore, requested to carefully peruse and familiarise itself with all the amendments in the Act and the Rules and related contents….to ensure thorough compliance. NGO’s proactive response would facilitate a quick and smooth transition to the amended legal regime,” the home ministry said in the advisory issued on Friday.