When contacted, a senior functionary at CPR said it had received the cancellation order. In a written response, CPR president Yamini Aiyar told ET: “CPR firmly reiterated that it has been functioning within the framework of the law. Its work has been built over decades to provide globally recognised high quality research on issues that matter deeply to Indian public life and policy. The cancellation of our FCRA is distressing, for it is a cancellation that is disproportionate and without adequate opportunity to be heard. We will weigh our options to seek justice. We remain committed to our core goals and remain steadfast in our belief that this matter will be resolved in line with constitutional values and guarantees.”
ET was first to report in its March 1, 2023, edition that CPR’s FCRA licence was suspended on February 27, 2023, for six months. It was later extended for another six months. Established in 1973, CPR is among India’s leading and oldest think tank and research centres. It first came under the scanner of Income Tax authorities in September 2022.
In a related development, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of the NGO’s plea for tax exemption to Thursday. CPR moved HC after the I-T department sought to cancel its registration under Section 12A with retrospective effect, taking away its tax exemption status.
During the hearing earlier, CPR had said that its activities were halted, and 83 scientists and other employees had left the organisation after its FCRA licence was suspended. The organisation received 60% donations from foreign contributions. In October, HC permitted CPR to use 25% of unutilised funds in fixed deposits for paying salaries to employees.
In the past year, more than 100s NGOs, including the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust, headed by former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, respectively, Oxfam India, and Care India had their FCRA licences cancelled, suspended, denied renewal or deemed to have expired. Recently, the home ministry suspended FCRA registration of activist-author Harsh Mander’s Centre for Equity Studies too.
