International News

Update: Indian Government Reversal: Missionaries of Charity Can Get Foreign Funds

January 10, 2022

By Catholic News Service

NEW DELHI (CNS) — The Indian government has restored the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act registration of the Missionaries of Charity, clearing the decks for the globally renowned charity to receive and utilize foreign funds, reported ucanews.com.

A sign is pictured outside Nirmala Shishu Bhawan, a home for orphaned, destitute and abandoned children run by the Missionaries of Charity in Kanpur, India. The congregation was forced to shut its orphanage in Kanpur after its lease expired. (Photo: CNS/handout via UCAN)

“I am delighted that the Indian government has restored our FCRA license,” said Sunita Kumar, spokeswoman for the order founded by St. Teresa of Kolkata.

The change of decision comes less than a fortnight after the federal ministry for home affairs declined to renew the order’s FCRA registration, citing “adverse inputs.”

“We never expected that our registration could be canceled, but it happened,” Kumar told ucanews.com Jan. 8, a day after the government restored the license of the charity organization. “We are happy that the restoration of our license happened without much delay.”

The congregation was finding it difficult to carry forward its charitable works ever since news broke on Christmas Day that its application for renewal had been refused. The ministry issued a statement Dec. 27 saying the charity did not meet “eligibility conditions” under the FCRA and cited “adverse input” for its decision, without further details.