Overview
- The Union Home Ministry formally notified the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Rules, 2026 on June 22, 2026, creating five activity categories and a dedicated religious schedule that excludes proselytisation.
- The rules force NGOs to declare activities, geographic scope, websites, social media and publications, require separate registration and fees by category and state, and expand the definition of 'key functionary' for personal accountability.
- New financial and compliance limits include a 20% cap on administrative spending with fines of at least Rs 1 lakh or 5% of the excess, a Rs 10 lakh utilisation threshold tied to 'reasonable activity', and powers that could lead to licence cancellation and vesting of assets.
- Religious bodies and opposition parties have moved politically and legally: Congress and CPI(M) leaders wrote to the prime minister and home minister seeking withdrawal, church collectives announced prayer and protest days and said they will file court challenges.
- The government has said it will not roll back the rules and frames them as measures to strengthen accountability; critics counter that the changes shift regulation from foreign funds to the operations, speech and administration of voluntary groups, risking arbitrary enforcement and harm to services.