The Home Affairs Ministry has barred 1,736 NGOs from receiving foreign funds after they failed to renew their licence under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. These NGOs, including Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Mata Amritnandmayi Math, Leprosy Mission Hospital and Church of South India Diocese of Madras, did not submit the required documents to renew their registration by November 8.

However, a Home Ministry official said the government may consider applications from NGOs if they submit the necessary documents. “If they give us a representation, we will consider them on merit,” the official told Hindustan Times.

Initially, these organisations were given till June 30 to submit the necessary papers for their FCRA licence renewal. After 1,736 of them failed make the submissions, the Centre extended the deadline to November 8. A fortnight ago, more than 11,000 NGOs had lost their registration to receive foreign funding because they had not applied to renew their licence by the June-end deadline.

Moreover, the Centre had also refused to renew the FCRA licence of 25 NGOs. A Home Ministry official had said that the operations of these organisations did not comply with FCRA provisions, as a result of which they were branded “anti-national”.

Currently, fewer than 19,000 NGOs are permitted to receive foreign funds. Two years ago, there were around 42,500 FCRA-registered NGO.