India’s Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) last week suspended the registration of the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), established in 1973 by George Soros. But the think tank’s officials said its donors include more than 30 organizations in India and abroad, including the Indian Government.
According to The Hindu, the suspension of CPR’s FCRA registration means this leading public policy advocacy group will not be allowed to receive foreign donations. India’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on February 27 suspended the think tank’s registration for 180 days.
CPR is in partnership with Namati, an international legal empowerment group supported by financier George Soros. Namati Inc. is a partner of the Soros-led and funded Open Society Foundation (OSF).
According to The Hindu, OSF was placed under a watchlist by the MHA in 2016, restricting it from sending donations to NGOs. The OSF petitioned the Delhi High Court in 2020, challenging the MHA’s decision. The case is still pending.
The MHA said that CPR had been “receiving and utilizing foreign contributions for purposes other than that for which it is registered, and the association is utilizing foreign contributions for undesirable purposes” – a violation of Indian law. The law restricts foreign contributions to administrative purposes.
A December 2022 government notice to CPR alleged that the association had made payments to persons who never filed their tax returns for said payments.
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