New Delhi: The Union Government on Wednesday moved a motion in the Lok Sabha to refer the Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment Bill, 2026, to a Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament following widespread concerns raised by opposition parties and civil society groups. The proposed joint panel will comprise 31 members—21 from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha—and is scheduled to submit its report by the end of the first week of the Winter Session of Parliament.
The decision to refer the proposed legislation to a joint committee comes amid persistent demands from opposition parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress, and DMK, for the complete withdrawal of the Bill. Objections have also been raised by political leaders from the Northeast, including Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, alongside major religious representative bodies such as the Catholic Bishops Conference of India.
First introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25, 2026, the draft legislation seeks to enhance government oversight on non-governmental organisations receiving international donations. Key provisions of the Bill include empowering a government-appointed designated authority to take over the management and assets of NGOs whose registration is revoked, establishing a minimum threshold requirement of ₹10 lakh in foreign funding over two preceding financial years for registration renewal, and introducing explicit restrictions prohibiting the utilization of foreign funds for religious conversions.
Government sources indicated that referring the Bill to a parliamentary committee facilitates broader stakeholder consultations while addressing legislative resistance in the House. Analysts suggest that the step resembles the legislative process followed during the Waqf Amendment Bill, which was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee in August 2024 before being passed in April 2025.
