Overview

• The Home Ministry issued a public notice directing FCRA-registered NGOs to submit renewal applications no later than four months before their certificates lapse.
• Section 16(1) requires renewals to be sought within the six months preceding expiry, and the government ordinarily has 90 days from receipt to decide.
• Officials cited frequent late filings—often within 90 days of expiry—which can lead to certificates being deemed ceased while renewals are pending.
• As of Tuesday, 16,192 associations hold active FCRA registrations, which are typically valid for five years before renewal is required.
• The notice comes with continued enforcement context, including at least 335 audits from 2019–2022 and 2020 amendments that capped administrative use at 20%, barred public servants from foreign funding, and mandated Aadhaar for office-bearers.