NEW DELHI, Mar 1:
The Ministry of Home Affairs has suspended the FCRA licence of prominent public think-tank Centre for Policy Research (CPR) for six months over alleged violation of laws, officials said today.
CPR, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), in a statement, said it continues to cooperate fully with authorities, is in complete compliance with the law and is routinely scrutinised and audited by Government authorities, including the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
CPR was under scrutiny after Income Tax surveys on it and Oxfam India in September last year.
The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licence of CPR has been suspended over alleged violation of laws, the officials said.
Oxfam’s FCRA licence was suspended in January last year, after which the NGO had filed a revision petition with the Home Ministry.
With the suspension of its licence, given under the FCRA, the Centre for Policy Research will not be able to receive any funds from abroad.
The donors of CPR included the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the University of Pennsylvania, the World Resources Institute and the Duke University, the officials said.
According to CPR’s website, its founder is Pai Panindiker and former members of the Governing board include former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Chief Justice of India Y V Chandrachud.
The think-tank has been asked to give clarification and documents regarding FCRA funds received by it, the officials said. The FCRA licence of CPR was last renewed in 2016 and was due for renewal in 2021.
In its statement, CPR said the Ministry of Home Affairs has intimated that its registration under the FCRA has been suspended for a period of 180 days.
In September 2022, the Income Tax Department conducted a survey at CPR’s premises, and as part of the survey follow-up process, CPR received several notices from the department, it said.
Following due process, detailed and exhaustive responses have been submitted to the department, the NGO said. (PTI)
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