Over the past two years, more than 100 NGOs, including Centre for Policy Research (CPR), Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust that is headed by former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and Oxfam India, have lost their foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licenses on charges of alleged misuse of foreign grants.
GOI has recently placed US advocacy organisation, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CFTK), under prior reference category (PRC) – indicating that international donations in India will have to be vetted and approved by the authorities before being utilised. The Union home ministry indicated the influence of domestic NGOs against the tobacco industry, as one of the main reasons to restrict funding for CFTK.
CFTK is being funded by American philanthropist and former mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg. It provides legal, communication& research support to governments and non-governmental organisations around the world to assist in promoting, adopting, and implementing tobacco control
It has been recently reported that one of the NGO’s associated withCFTK,The Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI),was found in violation of FCRA& their license to operate was withdrawn in March this year by the Union home ministry.
