Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Shillong: The Lok Sabha Secretariat tapped Meghalaya Rajya Sabha member James Pangsang Kongkal Sangma as a special invitee for the Joint Parliamentary Committee. The panel is currently reviewing the Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment Bill, 2026. Sangma, a leader with the National People's Party, started his current Rajya Sabha term on June 22, 2026.
BJP MP Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal leads the committee. He took the chair effective September 2. The group includes 21 Lok Sabha members and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. They must finish their work and submit a report to the Lok Sabha by the final day of the first week of the 2026 Winter Session.
The committee meets September 18 at 2.30 pm in New Delhi. They will gather at Committee Room No. 2 of EPHA. Officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs will brief the panel on the proposed law. The Ministry manages the rules for foreign funding in India. Regarding the task ahead, official communication confirmed the committee's scope: "The committee has been tasked with examining the proposed legislation and submitting its report to the Lok Sabha." Sangma will join the deliberations as an invitee to help shape the final policy.
Updated at 17th September 2026 at 10:31am
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma confirmed the appointment on Wednesday, noting that the MP will push to protect the work of communities in Meghalaya and the wider Northeast. The region had been left off the 31 member panel, sparking concerns that local interests would be ignored.
The legislation faces heat for its reach. The proposed law would allow authorities to seize an NGO's property and assets if its FCRA certificate expires. A new designated authority would take control of any holdings bought or built with foreign money once an organization loses its license.
Updated at 17th September 2026 at 9:47pm
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also tapped Rajya Sabha MP Javed Ali Khan as a special invitee to the committee. While these invitees can sit alongside officials during hearings, former Lok Sabha secretary general PDT Achari confirmed they cannot sit with committee members or address the panel directly.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said the appointment ensures the Christian community has a voice during deliberations, particularly regarding institutions like hospitals and schools. The bill, introduced on March 25, 2026, reportedly excludes proselytization from permitted religious activities and ties registration to specific geographic areas.
James Sangma previously led a delegation of Christian leaders to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah on July 5, 2026. The group targeted Section 16A(5) of the amendment, which gives the designated authority power to seize land and buildings built with foreign funds. To manage these regulatory hurdles, the Meghalaya government plans to open a dedicated FCRA cell in Shillong to assist local organizations with paperwork.
Updated at 18th September 2026 at 1:49pm
The Meghalaya-based United Democratic Party (UDP) joined the fray, sending a list of recommendations to James Sangma. The party wants to scrap the current plan for automatic vesting of assets. Instead, they demand a court-supervised process and a freeze on any permanent seizures until legal appeals play out. They also argue that the new rules should not apply retroactively, insisting that assets built before the 2026 Act passes remain off-limits to government takeovers.
The UDP is pushing for specific legal firewalls to shield minority institutions, citing constitutional protections under Articles 25 to 30. For areas under the Sixth Schedule and states with special constitutional provisions, the party wants the law to require prior approval from Autonomous District Councils or state governments before any property transfer occurs. They also want to narrow criminal liability to focus only on office-bearers who knowingly break the law, rather than casting a wider net over all institutional staff.
Beyond asset protection, the UDP proposed a massive streamlining of the administrative process. They asked for a shift away from the current 105 classification categories, faster 30-day fund clearances, and exemptions for honorary foreign advisers working with minority groups. The party is also calling for a mandatory, broader consultation process involving state governments and church bodies before the committee stamps the final bill.
NPP general secretary Mmhonlumo Kikon backed the move, noting that the inclusion of James Sangma at the table turns the initial protests into a formal push for change.
Updated at 19th September 2026 at 1:48am
Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan briefed the panel during its first session, laying out the government's case for tightening the leash on foreign money flowing into NGOs, schools, and think tanks. Government data presented to the committee shows the number of active FCRA-registered organizations has plummeted from 29,022 in 2015 to 14,466 today. Despite the shrinking roster, the total cash inflow has swelled, jumping from 17,832 crore to 22,974 crore in the same period.
The Ministry of Home Affairs highlighted a significant pile of stagnant cash, noting that 21,140 crore of 35,968 crore in unutilized foreign contributions currently sits in fixed deposits. Official records show the United States remains the top donor, followed by the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, and Singapore. Among religious groups, Christian organizations reported receiving 1,345 crore in 2024-25, compared to 328 crore for Hindu-affiliated groups. Government officials linked the high rate of registration cancellations, totaling 21,983, primarily to failures in filing mandatory returns.
Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai defended the bill, claiming the regulations only threaten those using foreign cash for personal gain or forced conversions. While some Opposition MPs slammed the government's power to seize assets during the hearing, Committee Chairperson Sanjay Jaiswal dismissed the friction, calling the first meeting cordial and reaffirming that the panel remains on track to meet its deadline.
Comments