Then there is the problem of clearance. Under the old law, in case a civil society didn’t hear from the government in 90-120 days, it was considered as “no-objection.” The Bill now puts no time limit.

“FCRA 1976 was an enabling legislation. The Bill is an inhibiting legislation, civil society groups can be waiting for months, awaiting their registration, and eventually finding out that they have not been given one,” says P C Pandey, formerly, CEO of Voluntary Action Network India (VANI), a forum of 2500 civil society groups.

The All-Powerful Babu

To clear foreign funding, officers in Home Ministry will decide:

• Which organization is engaged in "meaningful work"

• Which organization has done enough work and which has not

• What is administrative expenditure since NGOs can't allocate more than 50% of foreign funds towards this head

• Which NGO should be debarred in the name of "sovereignty and integrity of India, public interest, freedom or fairness to any legislature, friendly relations with any foreign state, or harmony between religious, racial, social, linguistic or regional groups, castes or communities."

• What kind of foreign hospitality, if accepted by a legislator, government servant, media person or judge, is of "purely casual nature" and thereby exempt from the prohibitory laws.