May 28, 2025: Following an amendment to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), non-governmental organizations (NGOs) involved in publication-related activities and receiving foreign contributions will no longer be permitted to publish newsletters and will need to obtain a certificate from the Registrar of Newspapers for India certifying that they do not disseminate any news content.
The ministry said in a statement late Monday night that NGOs requesting authorization to receive foreign financing must promise to follow the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) Good Practice Guidelines under the revised regulations.
It stated that financial statements and audit reports covering the previous three years, including the statement of assets and liabilities, receipts and payments account, and income and expenditure account, must be enclosed by such groups or NGOs that are applying for registration.
"A chartered accountant's certificate stating the activity-wise amount spent by the association, duly reconciled with the income and expenditure account and the receipt and payment account, must be submitted if the audit reports and financial statements do not contain activity-wise expenditure for the last three financial years," it continued.
"An undertaking from the principal functionary about compliance with the FCRA, 2010 must be submitted if the association or NGO is engaged in publication-related activities or if publication activities are among its goals as indicated in the Memorandum of Association or trust deed," the statement read.