BJP Lok Sabha MP from Bettiah, Bihar, Sanjay Jaiswal has been appointed chairperson of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) set up to examine the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026.
The JPC, which includes members from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, was constituted to conduct a detailed review of the proposed legislation, according to a notification issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
A total of 21 Lok Sabha members have been nominated to the committee. They include Sanjay Jaiswal, Bhartruhari Mahtab, Tejasvi Surya, Kamlesh Jangde, Mukeshkumar Chandrakaant Dalal, Nishikant Dubey, Vishnu Dayal Ram, Ananta Nayak, Arvind Dharmapuri, Anto Antony, Captain Viriato Fernandes, Muhammed Hamdullah Sayeed, Kali Charan Munda, Zia Ur Rehman, Kalyan Banerjee, A. Raja, Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, Naresh Ganpat Mhaske, Kaushalendra Kumar, Supriya Sule and E. T. Mohammed Basheer.
From the Rajya Sabha, C. Sadanandan Master, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Ujjwal Deorao Nikam and Alka Gurjar have been nominated to the committee.
The FCRA Amendment Bill was referred to the JPC during the recently concluded Monsoon Session following strong Opposition objections.
Congress, Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress leaders had demanded that the Bill be withdrawn, alleging that the proposed changes could increase government control over NGOs, minority institutions and organisations receiving foreign contributions.
Opposition parties have also raised concerns that the amendments could be selectively used against organisations that disagree with the government’s position. They have called for stronger safeguards for civil society groups and institutions receiving foreign funds.
The government, however, has defended the proposed amendments, saying they are aimed at strengthening oversight and preventing foreign contributions from being misused or diverted in ways that could harm the national interest.
With the Bill now before the JPC, members and stakeholders will get an opportunity to examine its provisions and submit their views before the legislation returns to Parliament. The committee is expected to submit its report ahead of the Winter Session, when the Bill is likely to come up for further consideration.
The FCRA framework regulates the receipt and use of foreign contributions by individuals, associations and organisations, with the aim of ensuring that such funds are used only for their declared and permitted purposes.
The JPC’s examination comes amid a wider political debate over the government’s push for tighter scrutiny of foreign funding and the Opposition’s demand for greater protection for civil society and minority institutions.
