The Union Home Ministry has cancelled the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration of the Centre for Policy Research, a leading think tank based in the national Capital which is involved in public policy research, for alleged violation of laws, official sources said on Wednesday.
About a year ago, the Home Ministry had suspended the institution’s registration under the FCRA. The prominent think-tank came under the lens of the authorities after surveys conducted by the Income Tax department.
Last February the FCRA licence was suspended for 180 days and it was extended by another 180 days.
The CPR has been one of India’s leading public policy think-tanks since 1973. According to information on its site, it is a non-profit, non-partisan, independent institution dedicated to conducting research that contributes to high quality scholarship, better policies, and a more robust public discourse about issues that impact life in India.
The donors of the CPR have included the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, World Bank, Ford Foundation, Brown University besides others, officials said.
The former members of the CPR governing body include former prime minister Manmohan Singh, former chief justice of India late Y V Chandrachud, veteran journalist late B G Verghese.
The Home Ministry had argued in the Delhi High Court while responding to the challenge filed by the CPR that the institution’s foreign funding needed to be stopped as it was receiving its foreign contributions for “undesirable purposes” which were likely to affect the country’s economic interest.
The Home Ministry had alleged that the CPR transferred foreign contributions to other entities and deposited the contributions in non-designated accounts in violation of FCRA.
CPR president and Chief Executive Yamini Aiyar said the NGO will soon issue
a statement.