Centre cancels FCRA registration of NGO named Centre for Financial Accountability
New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has cancelled the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration of the Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA), an NGO that monitors and critically analyses the role of financial institutions and their impact on development, human rights, and the environment.
In a recent report, CFA highlighted the environmental hazards and increased health risks associated with additional projects sanctioned in a Special Economic Zone operated by the Adani Group in the Kutch region of Gujarat. The report warned of further environmental pollution and ecological degradation in the area.
Joe Athialy, Executive Director of CFA, told The Hindu that they had not yet received official orders cancelling the FCRA registration of CACIM (India Institute for Critical Action Centre in Movement), CFA's parent entity, but were informed online. Athialy suggested that the stated reason for the cancellation—incorrect financial filings for 2018 and 2019—was a pretext to suppress their critical work.
“We have been told that the cancellation is due to incorrect filings [of returns] for financial years 2018 and 2019. This may be just an excuse, as they had all the years to ask us to rectify the mistakes. We certainly believe that the work we did has contributed to this action,” Athialy said.
Athialy added that the government appears intent on silencing organizations critical of its actions but emphasized that CFA would continue its work through innovative methods, including domestic donations.
Earlier in January, the MHA cancelled the FCRA registration of the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), a prominent public policy research institution in New Delhi. Since 2015, more than 16,000 NGOs have had their FCRA registrations cancelled for various violations. As of Wednesday, there were 15,946 active FCRA-registered NGOs in India. The registrations of nearly 6,000 NGOs ceased to operate from January 1, 2022, due to non-renewal or refusal by the MHA.
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Former minister C M Ibrahim announces to launch new regional party for Karnataka
Kalaburagi: Two years after being expelled from the Janata Dal (Secular), former minister C.M. Ibrahim has announced that he will launch a new regional political party in Karnataka on January 24, reported Deccan Herald.
Speaking at a meeting organised by the Nava Karnataka Nirmana Andolana in Kalaburagi on Sunday, Ibrahim confirmed the birth of the new party.
The 77-year-old politician stated he would soon be meeting with other like-minded individuals to choose a symbol for the party.
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Ibrahim emphasised that the organisation would be guided by the principles of 12th-century social reformer Basavanna and the architect of the Indian Constitution, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.
A veteran politician, Ibrahim served as Union Civil Aviation Minister during the tenure of H.D. Deve Gowda as Prime Minister and later headed the Karnataka unit of the Janata Dal (Secular). He was expelled from the JD(S) in 2023 on charges of anti-party activities.
His exit from the party followed sharp differences over the JD(S) decision to ally with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). As the then state president of the JD(S), Ibrahim had publicly criticised the alliance, claiming it was finalised without his knowledge. He had also reportedly convened meetings of his supporters and expressed support for the INDIA bloc.
