New Delhi: The home ministry has de-registered the Infosys Foundation from under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act following the foundation’s request that it no longer fell in the ambit of the act, officials said Monday.
All Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) are required to register under FCRA to receive foreign funding.
“Infosys Foundation would like to clarify that it has not violated any FCRA norms and was de-registered from FCRA following its request to the ministry,” a statement issued by the NGO said.
The foundation was registered under the FCRA Act in January 2016. In May 2016, the government amended the FCRA Act in the Finance Bill with retrospective effect from 2010 as a result of which the foundation no longer fell under the purview of the FCRA Act.
“The foundation thereafter applied for its de-registration from FCRA with an additional request to cancel the FCRA registration in June 2016, and received acknowledgement from the FCRA wing in the same month,” the statement said.
The foundation has submitted its annual returns for financial year 2016, 2017 and 2018, though it did not fall under the purview of act following its amendment, it said.
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“Additionally, the foundation has also submitted necessary paperwork to the government in July 2018, to showcase that the foundation has not received any foreign funding,” the statement said.
The foundation has not received any notice to file returns pertaining to FCRA after April 2018, it said.
Home ministry officials said a show cause notice was served to Infosys Foundation last year for alleged violation of the FCRA Act for its failure to submit annual income and expenditure statement on foreign funding for up to six years despite repeated reminders.
As per FCRA guidelines, associations registered under the act are required to submit electronically an online annual report with scanned copies of income and expenditure statement, receipts and payment account, balance sheet etc. for every financial year within nine months of the closure of the financial year.
Associations which do not receive foreign contribution during a particular year are also required to furnish a NIL return for that financial year within the aforesaid period, the guidelines say.
(This copy has been updated to include Infosys Foundation’s statement)
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