Indian think-tanks received a whopping Rs 60,000cr from foreign benefactors

An investigation conducted by Millennium Post has revealed that Indian NGOs have received funds through Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) channel to the tune of Rs 47,000 crore during 2002 to 2012 and US topped the list with Rs 20,000 crore donations followed by UK and Germany with Rs 8,000 crore each. 

It’s worth mentioning that during the mentioned period the economy of these countries was under stress and the donor nations could have <g data-gr-id="118">utilized</g> the money on the welfare of their own citizens. The investigation further revealed that a fund of Rs 11,070 crore was received by Indian NGOs during 2013-14 and again US topped the list with Rs 4,491 crore followed by UK, which donated Rs 1,347 crore.

However, citing national security concerns, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has placed major US-based funding agencies under the scanner and directed beneficiary NGOs to get their permits renewed  every five years. 

The MHA overdrive has not gone down well with civil societies who have received donations in crores from different foreign funding agencies, including Ford Foundation, Dow Chemicals, Climate Works Foundation, Hivos International, etc. Among the major NGOs working on policy issues who have received maximum donations through FCRA route -The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), which is headed by RK Pachauri has received about Rs 156 crore via foreign donations. Apart from many US-based funding agencies such as Dow Chemicals, TERI has received funds from Climate Works Foundation, which are now under MHA scanner.

The other major civil societies who have received hefty foreign grants include Centre for Science and Environment (Rs 68 crore), which is headed by noted environmentalist Sunita Narain, Centre for Policy Research (Rs 41 crore), headed by political scientist Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Lawyers Collective (Rs 22 crore) led by former additional solicitor general Indira Jaising, Navdanya Trust (Rs 17 crore) of Vandana Shiva, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (Rs 12 crore) headed by Isher Judge Ahluwalia, Centre for Internet and Society (Rs 8 crore) led by Sunil Abraham and Centre for Civil Society (Rs 6 crore) is headed by Parth J Shah.

When Millennium Post tried getting the version of major think tanks, most of them refused to speak on the issue. The email query seeking a reply from TERI drew a blank. While Vandana Shiva of Navdanya said that the decision of MHA taken on <g data-gr-id="121">foreign</g> donations issue is certainly going to hit  public welfare campaigns of the Trust. 

“Yes, it will hit the social cause movement. The government is working in an authoritative manner. They are giving <g data-gr-id="114">free</g> hand to exploiters (FDI) and criminalising the protectors,” said Vandana Shiva.

The office of Indira Jaising refused to comment on the issue, even though the Lawyers Collective has got funds from Ford Foundation, which is under MHA scanner.

Flaying the government move, social activist Nikhil Dey said, “It is definitely going to affect NGOs functioning.”