Government Cancels FCRA Registration of Centre for Policy Research for Alleged Law Violations

The Union Home Ministry (MHA) has cancelled the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration of the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), a prominent public policy think tank, citing alleged violations of the law. This follows a year-long suspension of CPR's FCRA license, initially imposed in February 2023, and subsequently extended for another six months.

The think-tank was under scrutiny after surveys carried out by the Income Tax department. The MHA has cancelled the FCRA registration of the NGO for alleged violations of the provisions of the foreign funding law.The FCRA licence was suspended in February 2023 for 180 days and then the suspension was extended for another 180 days.

According to its website, the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) has been one of India's leading public policy think-tanks since 1973. The Centre for Policy Research, which describes itself as a non-profit, non-partisan, independent institution committed to conducting research that contributes to high-quality scholarship, improved policies, and a more robust public discourse on issues affecting life in India, had its FCRA registration canceled by the government for alleged violations of laws. CPR's donors reportedly included the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, World Bank, Ford Foundation, Brown University, among others, according to officials.

 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. When the CPR challenged its suspension in the Delhi High Court, the MHA had argued that the CPR's foreign funding needed to be stopped as it was receiving its foreign contributions for "undesirable purposes" likely to affect the country's economic interest.