3 min readUpdated: Aug 5, 2026 11:37 AM IST

A US lawmaker has flagged amendments to India’s Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment (FCRA) rules, which regulate laws governing foreign donations received by NGOs, civil society, educational institutions and religious organisations.

Republican Congressman Riley Moore said the proposed amendments to FCRA would allow the Indian government to take over “churches and religious charities”.

“Christians have been in India since St. Thomas the Apostle traveled to the Malabar Coast just decades after the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. But despite this long Christian history, India’s Parliament is considering amending Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment (FCRA) rules to permit government takeovers of churches and religious charities,” Riley Moore said in a post on X.

In the strongly worded social media post, the Congressman from West Virginia called the proposed amendments “a clear attack against Christians” and warned it would be “a point of major concern” in India-US bilateral ties.

“This is a clear attack against Christians. If this bill proceeds in this way, it would be a point of major concern in our bilateral relationship with India,” he added.

Among several proposed changes, the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 seeks to empower the government to create a “Designated Authority” to take over the management of foreign contributions and assets if the organisation’s FCRA registration is cancelled or expires.

The bill also states that in case of assets that are a place of worship, the Authority must ensure that its religious character is maintained. It also reduces the maximum penalty for violation of the Act from imprisonment of five years to one year.

According to a PTI report, 13,520 organisations in the country received foreign contribution between 2019 and 2022. The Ministry of Home Affairs portal showed that, as of July 15, 2026, there are 14,449 active FCRA certificates, 22,498 cancelled and 15,212 deemed as expired.

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