10,000 more NGOs may lose licence

May not have filed annual returns

The Union Home Ministry is examining if the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licences of over 10,000 NGOs should be cancelled, as they have not complied with the Centre's order to file annual returns under five categories. While over 8,000 NGOs did file the returns under all the five formats, most did not comply entirely.

NGOs that receive foreign grants are required to get a FCRA licence and file five annual return forms. There are over 20,000 NGOs registered under the FCRA.

Since the NDA government came to power, the FCRA licences of more than 11,000 NGOs have been cancelled. More than 1,300 were refused renewal of their licence for violation of the FCRA.

'Deemed expired'

In May this year, the Home Ministry gave 18,523 NGOs whose licences were "deemed expired" on account of non-compliance, a one-time opportunity to give details of their income and expenses by June 14. The NGOs were asked to submit their annual returns for five years, from 2010-11 to 2014-15. However, so far only 8,267 NGOs have filed such returns, a Ministry spokesperson said.

The Home Ministry is examining what action it could take against the remaining 10,256 NGOs that have still not filed all the returns. One of the options it's considering is cancelling their registration.

Govt. warning

A Home Ministry spokesperson said that 2,239 NGOs had filed returns for four years, 2,071 for three years, 2,057 for two years, and 2,339 for one year. The Ministry had earlier warned these NGOs that they might lose their registration if they failed to give all the details.

"The last date for uploading annual returns for 2010-11 to 2014-15 is June 14, 2017. Failure to upload all annual returns will lead to cancellation of registration/renewal already granted," joint secretary (foreigners) in the home ministry Mukesh Mittal had said in an order.

The Ministry had said that starting May 15 and till June 14, NGOs could upload their missing annual returns along with the requisite documents within 30 days. No compounding fee would be imposed on them for late filing of annual returns during this period, and this exemption was a one-time measure.

As per the rules, the renewal of registration for receiving foreign aid cannot be granted unless the organisation uploads its annual returns to the FCRA websi

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/10000-more-ngos-to-lose-fcra-licence/article19110087.ece

Over 10,000 NGOs set to face Home Ministry crackdown over foreign funding

The MHA in May had given 18,523 NGOs a one-time opportunity to furnish details of their income sourced from abroad. MHA had asked these agencies to declare income and its source from abroad by June 14.

Over 10,000 Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) have come under the scanner of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for not declaring their source of funding from foreign countries and they may even lose their license required to get grants from other nations. The MHA in May had given 18,523 NGOs a one-time opportunity to furnish details of their income sourced from abroad. MHA had asked these agencies to declare income and its source from abroad by June 14.

The MHA had asked these NGOs to declare income received from abroad from the 2010-11 financial year to 2014-15 financial year – a time frame of five years. Out of the 18,523 NGOs who were asked to furnish details only 8,267 NGOs filed details with the Ministry of Home Affairs an official told the Indian Express. The 10,256 NGOs which have failed to file the details are under examination. According to the official, the ministry will decide whether to give these NGOs an extension to furnish details or to revoke the license of these NGOs.

Out of the aforementioned 10,256 NGOs, 2,239 have filed details for four years, 2,071 have filed details for three years, 2,057 have filed details for two years and 2,339 NGOs have only filed details for a single year, according to the report.

The Home Ministry had told these NGOs that they may lose their license if they do not divulge details of the funds they have received from other countries. Mukesh Mittal, Joint Secretary (Foreigners), had in an order stated "Failure to upload returns for these five years will lead to cancellation of licenses which are issued or renewed".

According to the Indian Express report, the NGOs could upload their missing returns between May 15 and June 14. There are 20,000 NGOs registered under the FCRA.

Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/over-10000-ngos-set-to-face-home-ministry-crackdown-over-foreign-funding/729225/

NGO helps financially disadvantaged students pursue higher studies

Currently, TPO funds undergraduate courses, such as Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science, among others, which require comparatively lesser fees than professional courses, like engineering.

As students prepare to join colleges soon, dreams of many remain unfulfilled due to financial constraints.
City-based Prasad Narayan's The Power of One (TPO) — a non-profit educational trust — aims to reach out to such students. Narayan, president and managing trustee of TPO, said, "TPO was started in October 2016, where people were requested to keep aside one rupee a day. The aim was to enable people to have 365 rupees each by the end of the year, This money can then by donated to children who have done well in Class XII but do have the financial support for further studies. Initially, it was only family members, friends and well wishers who supported the initiative, but gradually the network grew."

As many as 10 students will be financially supported this academic year. Among them, three are from night colleges — Amar Shinde (scored 80 per cent); Vitthal Deshmukh (scored 79 per cent) and Santosh Padnekar (scored 78 per cent). The trust has paid their fees for the first year of college and will also be sponsoring their education for the remaining two years. Currently, TPO funds undergraduate courses, such as Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science, among others, which require comparatively lesser fees than professional courses, like engineering.

"TPO aims at educating more people and helping them gain a degree, so they don't drop out of school after finishing Class XII," said Narayan.

Narayan had worked in the IT sector for 20 years. He is now a visiting faculty with educational institutes, such as Tata Institute of Social Science, Sri Balaji Society, Maharashtra Institute of Technology and Academy of Engineering.
Unlike other non-governmental organisations, TPO has no minimum donation value, he said.

He added: though initially, the plan was to fund only Class XII passouts, when I read about a child who had passed his SSC with good scores after studying under the streetlights, the trust decided to fund for his education too.

Source: http://indianexpress.com/article/education/ngo-helps-financially-disadvantaged-students-pursue-higher-studies-4716181/

IED Coordinator

Organisation:  Govt of Odisha

Apply By:  27 Jun . 2017

Location:  (Odisha)

Application are invited from eligible candidates for filling up of various post as mentioned below under RTE-SSA, Deogarh district on contract basis with a consolidated remuneration mentioned against the post.

Post:  IED Coordinator

Qualification: Must be a Graduate with 1st. Division from any recognized university with Diploma or professional degree in special Education.

Monthly Remuneration: Rs. 9300 + Rs. 4200 + DA & Other allowances

For more information please check the Link : http://ordistportalcontent.nic.in/storeddata/results/ORIDBRH_RESULTS_2017_7095.pdf

EOI from Reputed Voluntary Organization/ NGO For The Scheme Of NGO Scheme Under “National Programme For Control Of Blindness (NPCB)

Organisation:  Govt of West Bengal

Apply By:  26 Jun. 2017

The District Health & Family Welfare Samity, Diamond Harbour Health District is inviting "Expression of Interest" from reputed voluntary Organization/ NGO for the scheme of NGO scheme under "National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB)" at Diamond Harbour Health District for one year as a Recurring Grant in Aid.

Eligibility Criteria:

Registered Under The Indian Societies Registration Act 1860
Having Well Trained Staff, Infrastructure And The Required Managerial Expertise To Organize And Carry Out Various Activities Under The Scheme; And Having Own Base Hospital As Requisite Of NPCB.
The Base Hospital Must Have In Patient Department & Updated Clinical Establishment License.
Track Record Of Having Experience In Providing Health Service In Eye Care Services Over A Period Of 3 Years.
Properly Constituted Managing Body With Its Powers Duties And Responsibilities Clearly Defined And Laid Down In A Written Constitution.
Must Have Unique ID In NGO Darpan Of NITI Aayog
Willingness To Follow RTI Act 2005

The interested VO/NGO are requested to submit their EOI along with self attested hard copies of all the relevant documents through speed post only to the office of the CMOH Diamond Harbour Health District PO & PS Diamond Harbour Pin 743331 within 26/06/17

For more information please check the Link : https://www.wbhealth.gov.in/uploaded_files/tender/27741.pdf

NGO empowers 17 lakh families in 17 years

Bandhan-Konnagar, a not-for-profit organisation which has been working in the fields of education, health andwomen empowerment, today celebrated "Development Day" on completion of 17 years of its existence. Since 2001, the organisation has transformed the lives of 1.7 million families spread across 11 states of India -- West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Assam, Tripura, Jharkhand, Chhattishgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. So far, its various development programmes have benefited at least 8.5 million people. The organisation has 735 branches spread across 10,356 villages. Its 2,100 employees are actively involved in welfare of the poor as well as in the fields of education, health and women empowerment. The Development Day event was attended by Mr. Bruce Bucknell, British Deputy High Commissioner, Kolkata and Mr Jawhar Sircar, IAS & Ex CEO of Prasar Bharati.In the key note address at the event, Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, Founder & Mentor, Bandhan-Konnagar, said: "I am proud to share with you that in past 17 years we have touched lives of around 17 lakh families, in 11 Indian states. The journey of 17 years is dotted with many milestones and a few setbacks. Setbacks motivated us, and success gave us inspiration. Serving the underprivileged is an integral part of our plans to achieve inclusive growth."Bandhan-Konnagar is registered under the West Bengal Societies Act, 1961. The main objective of the organization is to empower poor people and alleviate poverty. To achieve that, it offers a suite of development programmess in the fields of education, health, livelihood promotion, skills development and financial literacy. The organisation constantly strives to widen its scope of services and minimize areas of income leakage in poor families.UNI PL RN 1529

Source: http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20170618/3127915.html

FCRA Registration

FCRA

Applicability

WHO CAN RECEIVE FORIGN CONTRIBUTION?

A 'person', As Defined In Section 2(1) (m) With The Exclusion Of Those Mentioned In Section 3 Of FCRA, 2010, Having A Definite Cultural, Economic, Educational, Religious Or Social Program Can Receive Foreign Contribution After It Obtains The Prior Permission Of The Central Government, Or Gets Itself Registered With The Central Government.

Explanation 3 Of Section 2(h) Of FCRA, 2010, The Following Is Not Covered In The Definition Of Foreign Contribution:

"Any Amount Received, By Any Person From Any Foreign Source In India, By Way Of Fee (including Fees Charged By An Educational Institution In India From Foreign Student) Or Towards The Cost In Lieu Of Goods Or Services Rendered By Such Person In The Ordinary Course Of His Business, Trade Or Commerce Whether Within India Or Outside India Or Any Contribution Received From An Agent Of A Foreign Source Towards Such Fee Or Cost Shall Be Excluded From The Definition Of Foreign Contribution Within The Meaning Of This Clause."


WHO CANNOT RECEIVE FOREIGN CONTRIBUTION?

As Defined In Section 3(1) Of FCRA, 2010, Foreign Contribution Cannot Be Accepted By Any:

a Candidate For Election;
correspondent, Columnist, Cartoonist, Editor, Owner, Printer Or Publisher Of A Registered Newspaper;
Judge, Government Servant Or Employee Of Any Corporation Or Any Other Body Controlled On Owned By The Government;
member Of Any Legislature;
political Party Or Office Bearer Thereof;
Organization Of A Political Nature As May Be Specified Under Sub- Section (1) Of Section 5 By The Central Government.
association Or Company Engaged In The Production Or Broadcast Of Audio News Or Audio Visuals Or Current Affairs Programs Through Any Electronic Mode, Or Any Other Electronic Form As Defined In Clause (r) Of Sub-section (i) Of Section 2 Of The Information Technology Act, 2000 Or Any Other Mode Of Mass Communication;
Correspondent Or Communist, Cartoonist, Editor, Owner Of The Association Or Company Referred To In Clause (g).

Explanation - In Clause (c) And Section 6, The Expression "corporation' Means A Corporation Owned Or Controlled By The Government And Includes A Government Company As Defined In Section 617 Of The Companies Act, 1956. (i) Individuals Or Associations Who Have Been Prohibited From Receiving Foreign Contribution.

 
FCRA Registration

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR REGISTRATION

For Grant Of Registration, The Association Should:

be Registered Under The Societies Registration Act, 1860 Or The Indian Trusts Act, 1882 Or Section 25 Of The Companies Act, 1956;
Normally Be In Existence For At Least Three Years And Has Undertaken Reasonable Activity In Its Chosen Field For The Benefit Of The Society For Which The Foreign Contribution Is Proposed To Be Utilized. For This Purpose, The Association Should Have Spent At Least Rs. 6, 00, 000 Over Last Three Years On Its Activities, Excluding Administrative Expenditure. Statement Of Income & Expenditure Duly Audited By Chartered Accountant For Last Three Years May Be Enclosed To Substantiate That It Meets The Financial Parameter.
meet The Following Conditions:-

The Person Making An Application For Registration Or Grant Of Prior Permission Under Sub-section (1),- Sec.12 (4) (a):-

is Not Fictitious Or Benami;
has Not Been Prosecuted Or Convicted For Indulging In Activities Aimed At Conversion Through Inducement Or Force, Either Directly Or Indirectly, From One Religious Faith To Another;
has Not Been Prosecuted Or Convicted For Creating Communal Tension Or Disharmony In Any Specified District Or Any Other Part Of The Country;
has Not Been Found Guilty Of Diversion Or Mis-utilisation Of Its Funds;
is Not Engaged Or Likely To Engage In Propagation Of Sedition Or Advocate Violent Methods To Achieve Its Ends;
is Not Likely To Use The Foreign Contribution For Personal Gains Or Divert It For Undesirable Purposes;
has Not Contravened Any Of The Provisions Of This Act;
has Not Been Prohibited From Accepting Foreign Contribution:
The Person And/or Any Of Its Directors Or Office Bearers Have Neither Been Convicted Under Any Law For The Time Being In Force Nor Is Any Prosecution For Any Offence Pending Against Him.

The Acceptance Of Foreign Contribution By The Association / Person Is Not Likely To Affect Pre Judicially -

the Sovereignty And Integrity Of India; Or
the Security, Strategic, Scientific Or Economic Interest Of The State; Or
the Public Interest; Or
freedom Or Fairness Of Election To Any Legislature; Or
friendly Relation With Any Foreign State; Or
harmony Between Religious, Racial, Social, Linguistic, Regional Groups, Castes Or Communities.

The Acceptance Of Foreign Contribution-

shall Not Lead To Incitement Of An Offence;
shall Not Endanger The Life Or Physical Safety Of Any Person.

APPLICABILITY OF SECRETARIAL AUDIT:-

An Application For Registration Of An Organization For Acceptance Of Foreign Contribution Shall Be Made Electronically On-line In Form FC-3, And Shall Be Followed By Forwarding The Hard Copy Of The On-line Application Duly Signed By The Chief Functionary Of The Association Together With The Required Documents:

1. Form FC-3

2. Audited Statement Of Accounts Of Past Three Years.

3. Annual Report Specifying Activities Of Past Three Years.

4. If The Association Is A Registered Trust Or Society A Certified Copy Of The Registration Certificate.

5. Copy Of The Memorandum Of Association And/or The Articles Of Association As Applicable.

6. List Of Main Objects And Definite Programmes For Which The Contribution Is To Be Accepted / Utilized.

7. Details Of Names And Addresses Of The Members Of The Executive Committee/Governing Council Etc. Of The Association.

8. Copy Of Any Prior Permission Granted To The Organization.

9. Copy Of Resolution Of Governing Body Of The Organization, Authorizing The Registration Under FCRA.

10. Copy Of Power Of Attorney Or The Resolution Of Governing Body By Which The Chief Functionary Is Authorized To Submit FC-3.

11. List Of Present Members Of The Governing Body Of The Organization And The Office Bearers.

12. Copy Of Permanent Account Number (PAN) Issued By The Income Tax Department

FCRA Return

ANNUAL RETURN

An Association Permitted To Accept Foreign Contribution Is Required Under Law To Maintain Separate Set Of Accounts And Records Exclusively For The Foreign Contribution Received And Utilized;
Submit An Annual Return, Duly Certified By A Chartered Accountant;
Giving Details Of The Receipt And Purpose- Wise Utilization Of The Foreign Contribution.

TIME PERIOD OF FILING ANNUAL RETURN

The Return Is To Be Filed For Every Financial Year (1st April To 31st March) Within A Period Of Nine Months From The Closure Of The Year I.e. By 31st December Each Year.
Submission Of A 'Nil' Return, Even If There Is No Receipt/utilization Of Foreign Contribution During The Year, Is Mandatory.
The Return Is To Be Submitted, In Prescribed Form FC - 6, Duly Accompanied With:

balance Sheet And
statement Of Receipt And Payment,


Which Is Certified By A Chartered Accountant

FCRA Registration

An NGO can receive donations just after initial registration under trust act. Section 8 of Companies Act 2013. The next milestone is to avail registration for tax exemption on the income of an NGO; it is required to obtain approval from Income tax department under section 12 A, further to attract donor, NGO prefers to get a 80 G Certificate so that contributors can avail tax benefits on the donation made to the NGO.

FCRA registration is required to receive donations outside India; The NGO is required to be registered under the provisions of the foreign contribution regulation act, 1976.

For FCNRO registration an NGO must have completed three years of operations. FCRA Registration is granted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. Of India.


Documents Required For FCRA Registration

·         Copy of PAN of the NGO.

·         Past 3 years Audited Balance Sheet, Income & Expenditure Account.

·         Certified copy of Trust Deed/MOA.

·         Detail about the current and past management of the trust.

·         A Copy of certificate issued by the Income Tax Authority under 80G & 12A of the Income Tax Act.

·         Annual report of the NGO and details of work done in past 3 year.

·         True copy of resolution passed by the Governing Body of the NGO.

·         True copy of Undertaking from the Chief Functionary of the NGO.