Nagaland Chief Minister Urges Review of FCRA Amendments

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah requesting a sensitive review of proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). Rio warned that stricter regulatory and compliance requirements could harm education, healthcare, and social-service programs, especially for small grassroots institutions in remote areas.

Rio emphasized that churches in Nagaland, where more than 90 percent of the population is Christian, have historically provided essential humanitarian services through legitimate foreign contributions. He specifically raised concerns about the denial of FCRA renewal applications for certain church organizations based on allegations of using funds for religious conversion, urging the central government to examine these cases individually and objectively.

To ensure proper oversight, Rio called for wider stakeholder consultations and requested that the central government refer the proposed legislation to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for a detailed examination.