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After almost a decade of cracking down on & decimating NGOs, now the Govt of #India is relying on NGOs for relief operations and supply food in relief camps. A recent history + implications for #COVID relief below. 1/n
The vague wording of the 2010 amendment to the 1976 Foreign Contribution Regulatory Act (FCRA) allowed the govt to crack down on any NGOs receiving foreign funding that were "of a political nature" 2/n
https://fcraonline.nic.in/home/PDF_Doc/FC-RegulationAct-2010-C.pdf
https://fcraonline.nic.in/home/PDF_Doc/FC-RegulationAct-2010-C.pdf
In 2014, a leaked report from India’s Intelligence Bureau accused NGOs of reducing India's GDP by 2-3%, legitimizing the smear campaign against them. 3/n https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2016/sep/07/the-indian-government-has-shut-the-door-on-ngos
Between 2015 and 2018, foreign contributions to NGOs declined by 40%. This is imp. because like many other countries, domestic contributions alone can't sustain NGOs + domestic philanthropists may be deterred from giving due to threats of retaliation. 4/n
https://www.bain.com/contentassets/069bf9cf144e4b8bbdda8a85386a5611/bain_brief_india_philanthropy_report_2019.pdf
https://www.bain.com/contentassets/069bf9cf144e4b8bbdda8a85386a5611/bain_brief_india_philanthropy_report_2019.pdf
It's not just "contentious" or "confrontational" NGOs who're adversely affected. Even the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), a top public health NGO was barred from receiving foreign funds including from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 5/n https://indianexpress.com/article/india/govt-cancels-fcra-licence-of-phfi-top-public-health-ngo-foreign-funds-4620326/
While rooting out corruption and ensuring transparency & accountability in the nonprofit sector is important, these vague laws concerning 'political activities' & stopping foreign funding don't do that. 6/n
Rather, this crackdown will hurt during #COVID when NGOs can play a critical role in addressing food insecurity, spreading accurate public health information, support capacity-building of primary healthcare workers, support victims of domestic violence during lockdown etc. 7/n
