Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Troubling bill: On the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026

Troubling bill: On the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026

The FCRA amendments (संशोधन, बदलाव) need redrafting in the JPC

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led government’s relentless zeal (उत्साह, जोश) in over-regulating civil society organisations (नागरिक समाज संगठन) is on display again in the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, which it had sought to push through (succeed in getting a law or plan accepted or passed quickly; enact, implement, ram/drive through, pass) Parliament. After strong protests, it has now been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) (संयुक्त संसदीय समिति). In 2020, the government got amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (अधिनियम, कानून), or FCRA, passed that barred (रोकना, प्रतिबंधित करना) a registered body (पंजीकृत संस्था) from passing funds to another, even one registered under the same Act, and cut the share (हिस्सा, भाग) of foreign funds that could be spent on administration (प्रशासन, प्रबंधन) from half to a fifth, among other restrictions. It now proposes to go further still by taking over the assets that the money built, even on the mere (मात्र, केवल) lapse (समाप्ति, अवधि समाप्त होना) of a certificate. Under the Bill, a donee (दान प्राप्तकर्ता, दानग्राही) organisation can lose (be deprived of or cease to have or retain something; forfeit, part with, yield, surrender) its registration (पंजीकरण, पंजीयन) not only when the government cancels it, but when renewal is refused, not applied for, or not granted (agree to give or allow something requested; permit, allow, accord, bestow) before the old certificate runs out. As soon as (immediately after or at the exact moment that something happens; the moment that, right after, promptly when, directly) this happens, the organisation’s foreign funds and what was built with them will pass to (to be transferred or given to someone else; transfer, devolve, hand over, give) a government-designated (officially appointed, state-authorized, officially nominated, government-appointed) authority (a person or organization having power or control in a particular, typically political or administrative, sphere; governing body, officialdom, agency, official) automatically. The property (a building or buildings and the land belonging to it or them; assets, real estate, holdings, premises) returns only if the organisation re-registers within a period the government has yet (still, thus far, up to now, hitherto) to specify, failing which (if the previously mentioned action does not happen or is not done; otherwise, in default of which, if not, without which) it is lost for good (permanently and definitively; forever, permanently, conclusively, irrevocably). According to (as stated by or in; as per, based on, in line with, in accordance with) the Bill, a building put up (construct or erect a building or structure; build, construct, erect, raise) only partly (to some extent; not completely; partially, somewhat, to a certain degree, incompletely) with foreign money will be taken over in full (completely and without any omissions; entirely, completely, wholly, thoroughly). The organisation must then apply to get back (regain possession or control of something; retrieve, recover, regain, reclaim) the share not paid for with foreign money. The Bill does allow for an appeal (an application to a higher court or authority for a decision to be reversed; petition, plea, request, entreaty) to a district judge (a judicial officer appointed to preside over a district court, handling civil and criminal matters within a specific territorial jurisdiction), but only against what the authority does with the property later. The refusal to renew (extend the period of validity of a license, subscription, or contract; extend, prolong, revalidate, continue) cannot be appealed against, and the organisation will not be entitled (authorized, permitted, eligible, empowered) to be heard (to have an opportunity to express one’s opinions, arguments, or defense before a decision is made; have a say, speak up, express oneself, make a representation) before the refusal is made. In essence (fundamentally or basically speaking; fundamentally, basically, essentially, primarily), because the authority acts on the Centre’s instructions, the Centre can use opaque (not transparent or hard to understand due to lack of clarity; unclear, obscure, ambiguous, non-transparent) reasons to withdraw (remove or take away something that has been granted or given; revoke, cancel, repeal, rescind) a licence, take over the property, and then direct the body now holding (have in one’s possession or ownership; possess, retain, keep, own) it.

It is not surprising that (it is expected, naturally, predictably, unsurprisingly) minority religious institutions have been the most alarmed (the most frightened, the extremely worried, the highly distressed, the deeply concerned). This is true of Christian organisations, which run (direct, manage, or operate a business or an institution; manage, operate, administer, direct) thousands of schools, colleges and hospitals built and sustained (support financially or materially to help something continue to exist; maintain, support, fund, keep alive) with money from churches and congregations (a group of people assembled for religious worship; gathering, assembly, flock, followers) abroad. Hundreds marched (walk in a public procession to express protest or support for a cause; parade, protest, walk, demonstrate) in Aizawl, Mizoram, under a newly formed council of churches; organisations in Kerala have objected to the Bill; Nagaland’s Chief Minister wrote to the Home Minister seeking a parliamentary review; (a formal examination or evaluation of proposed legislation, policies, or actions by a legislative body or its committees; legislative scrutiny, parliamentary examination, legislative evaluation) and the Tamil Nadu Assembly has also unanimously (without opposition and with the agreement of all people involved; collectively, universally, consistently, as one) resolved that the Centre should withdraw the Bill. The Home Minister has assured church leaders that the Bill will not apply retrospectively (with effect from a date in the past; retroactively, backward-looking, ex post facto, in hindsight), but the text (the exact written words of a law, book, or document; wording, language, content, phrasing) of his own Bill says otherwise. A hospital built decades (a period of ten years; ten years, ten-year period) ago can still be taken over today because a certificate has been allowed to lapse (to gradually become invalid or cease to be in effect, usually because a specified period has ended; expire, terminate, become void, come to an end). The JPC, to which the Bill has been sent, should redraft it to provide organisations with an opportunity to be heard before renewal is refused, as well as (in addition or and also; additionally, plus, alongside, along with) a right (prerogative, privilege, entitlement, authority) to appeal against (to formally request a higher authority or court to review and overturn a decision; challenge, contest, question, oppose) such a refusal, among other changes that would make the regulation (rule, directive, law, mandate) fair and transparent (open, honest, clear, candid, straightforward).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.troubling (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - चिंताजनक, परेशान करने वाला
English Meaning - worrying, concerning, disturbing, alarming.

2.bill (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विधेयक, प्रस्तावित कानून
English Meaning - a draft of a proposed law presented to parliament for discussion; draft law, proposed legislation, legislative proposal.

3.amendment (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संशोधन, बदलाव
English Meaning - modification, alteration, revision, change.

4.Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संयुक्त संसदीय समिति
English Meaning - an ad-hoc or standing committee constituted by the Indian Parliament, comprising members from both houses, set up to investigate specific issues or examine proposed legislation.

5.zeal (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उत्साह, जोश
English Meaning - great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective; passion, enthusiasm, eagerness, fervour.

6.civil society organisation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - नागरिक समाज संगठन
English Meaning - a non-governmental entity formed by citizens to pursue shared interests, purposes, or values; NGO, non-profit organization, voluntary group, advocacy group.

7.bar (verb)

Hindi Meaning - रोकना, प्रतिबंधित करना
English Meaning - prevent or prohibit someone from doing something; prohibit, forbid, restrict, ban.

8.registered body (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पंजीकृत संस्था
English Meaning - an organization or entity that is officially recognized and recorded by a government or regulatory authority; official organization, recognized entity, incorporated group, certified institution.

9.Act (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अधिनियम, कानून
English Meaning - a formal decision, law, or statute made by a legislature; law, statute, decree, legislation.

10.share (noun)

Hindi Meaning - हिस्सा, भाग
English Meaning - portion, allocation, quota, part.

11.administration (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रशासन, प्रबंधन
English Meaning - the process or activity of running a business or an organization; management, operation, running, governance.

12.mere (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - मात्र, केवल
English Meaning - simple, trivial.

13.lapse (noun)

Hindi Meaning - समाप्ति, अवधि समाप्त होना
English Meaning - expiry, expiration, termination, end.

14.donee (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दान प्राप्तकर्ता, दानग्राही
English Meaning - a person or organization that receives a gift or a donation; recipient, beneficiary, receiver, grantee.

15.registration (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पंजीकरण, पंजीयन
English Meaning - enrollment, certification.

16.relentless (adjective)

English Meaning - persistent, unyielding, unceasing, unabated.

17.on display (phrase)

English Meaning - visible, apparent, evident, observable.

18.seek (verb)

English Meaning - try or attempt to find or achieve something; attempt, aim, strive, endeavor.

19.take over (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - assume control, possession, or management of something; seize, appropriate, acquire, capture.

20.among other things (phrase)

English Meaning - used to indicate that there are several other things in addition to those already mentioned; besides, in addition to, as well as, along with others.

21.Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 (noun)

English Meaning - a proposed legislation seeking to amend the rules governing the receipt and usage of foreign funds by civil society organizations, mandating strict compliance and authorizing asset takeover upon certificate lapse.

22.redraft (verb)

English Meaning - draft a document, such as a bill or law, again in order to make changes; rewrite, revise, reword, rework.

23.over-regulate (verb)

English Meaning - to impose too many rules or restrictions on a process, business, or organization; micromanage, over-control, over-manage, over-supervise.

24.push through (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - succeed in getting a law or plan accepted or passed quickly; enact, implement, ram/drive through, pass.

25.refer to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to formally send or direct something to a person, authority, or committee for consideration or action; submit to, send to, direct to, pass on to.

26.Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FRCA) (noun)

English Meaning - an Indian law that regulates the acceptance and utilisation of foreign contributions and foreign hospitality by individuals, associations and companies, and prohibits their use for activities detrimental to the national interest. The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (Act No. 42 of 2010) received Presidential assent on 26 September 2010 and came into force on 1 May 2011. It is administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

27.grant (verb)

English Meaning - agree to give or allow something requested; permit, allow, accord, bestow.

28.as soon as (phrase)

English Meaning - immediately after or at the exact moment that something happens; the moment that, right after, promptly when, directly.

29.run out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - be exhausted, be depleted, be used up, be finished.

30.pass to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to be transferred or given to someone else; transfer, devolve, hand over, give.

31.government-designated (adjective)

English Meaning - officially appointed, state-authorized, officially nominated, government-appointed.

32.authority (noun)

English Meaning - a person or organization having power or control in a particular, typically political or administrative, sphere; governing body, officialdom, agency, official.

33.property (noun)

English Meaning - a building or buildings and the land belonging to it or them; assets, real estate, holdings, premises.

34.yet (adverb)

English Meaning - still, thus far, up to now, hitherto.

35.failing which (phrase)

English Meaning - if the previously mentioned action does not happen or is not done; otherwise, in default of which, if not, without which.

36.lose (verb)

English Meaning - be deprived of or cease to have or retain something; forfeit, part with, yield, surrender.

37.for good (phrase)

English Meaning - permanently and definitively; forever, permanently, conclusively, irrevocably.

38.according to (phrase)

English Meaning - as stated by or in; as per, based on, in line with, in accordance with.

39.put up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - construct or erect a building or structure; build, construct, erect, raise.

40.partly (adverb)

English Meaning - to some extent; not completely; partially, somewhat, to a certain degree, incompletely.

41.in full (phrase)

English Meaning - completely and without any omissions; entirely, completely, wholly, thoroughly.

42.get back (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - regain possession or control of something; retrieve, recover, regain, reclaim.

43.appeal (noun)

English Meaning - an application to a higher court or authority for a decision to be reversed; petition, plea, request, entreaty.

44.district judge (noun)

English Meaning - a judicial officer appointed to preside over a district court, handling civil and criminal matters within a specific territorial jurisdiction.

45.renew (verb)

English Meaning - extend the period of validity of a license, subscription, or contract; extend, prolong, revalidate, continue.

46.entitled (adjective)

English Meaning - authorized, permitted, eligible, empowered.

47.be heard (phrase)

English Meaning - to have an opportunity to express one’s opinions, arguments, or defense before a decision is made; have a say, speak up, express oneself, make a representation.

48.in essence (phrase)

English Meaning - fundamentally or basically speaking; fundamentally, basically, essentially, primarily.

49.act on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - take action according to or in the light of given information or instructions; follow, comply with, obey, heed.

50.opaque (adjective)

English Meaning - not transparent or hard to understand due to lack of clarity; unclear, obscure, ambiguous, non-transparent.

51.withdraw (verb)

English Meaning - remove or take away something that has been granted or given; revoke, cancel, repeal, rescind.

52.hold (verb)

English Meaning - have in one’s possession or ownership; possess, retain, keep, own.

53.it is not surprising that (phrase)

English Meaning - it is expected, naturally, predictably, unsurprisingly.

54.the most alarmed (phrase)

English Meaning - the most frightened, the extremely worried, the highly distressed, the deeply concerned.

55.run (verb)

English Meaning - direct, manage, or operate a business or an institution; manage, operate, administer, direct.

56.sustain (verb)

English Meaning - support financially or materially to help something continue to exist; maintain, support, fund, keep alive.

57.congregation (noun)

English Meaning - a group of people assembled for religious worship; gathering, assembly, flock, followers.

58.march (verb)

English Meaning - walk in a public procession to express protest or support for a cause; parade, protest, walk, demonstrate.

59.object to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - express or feel disapproval or opposition towards something; oppose, protest against, resist, dispute.

60.parliamentary review (noun)

English Meaning - a formal examination or evaluation of proposed legislation, policies, or actions by a legislative body or its committees; legislative scrutiny, parliamentary examination, legislative evaluation.

61.Legislative Assembly (noun)

English Meaning - a law-making body at the State or regional level responsible for making and passing laws; state legislature, legislative body, law-making assembly.

62.unanimously (adverb)

English Meaning - without opposition and with the agreement of all people involved; collectively, universally, consistently, as one.

63.retrospectively (adverb)

English Meaning - with effect from a date in the past; retroactively, backward-looking, ex post facto, in hindsight.

64.text (noun)

English Meaning - the exact written words of a law, book, or document; wording, language, content, phrasing.

65.decade (noun)

English Meaning - a period of ten years; ten years, ten-year period.

66.lapse (verb)

English Meaning - to gradually become invalid or cease to be in effect, usually because a specified period has ended; expire, terminate, become void, come to an end.

67.as well as (phrase)

English Meaning - in addition or and also; additionally, plus, alongside, along with.

68.right (noun)

English Meaning - prerogative, privilege, entitlement, authority.

69.appeal against (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to formally request a higher authority or court to review and overturn a decision; challenge, contest, question, oppose.

70.regulation (noun)

English Meaning - rule, directive, law, mandate.

71.fair (adjective)

English Meaning - just, equitable, impartial, unbiased.

72.transparent (adjective)

English Meaning - open, honest, clear, candid, straightforward.