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Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla constituted a 31-member Joint Committee of Parliament on the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 on 3 September 2026.
BJP Lok Sabha MP from Bettiah in Bihar, Sanjay Jaiswal, was named its chairperson.
The panel has 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha.
Both Houses had adopted motions on 12 August 2026 referring the Bill to a joint committee.
The committee must report by the last day of the first week of the Winter Session.
An ad hoc committee of both Houses, set up by a motion for one specific bill or matter. Its strength reflects party numbers in Parliament, it takes evidence from stakeholders, and it dissolves once it submits its report. Its recommendations are not binding.
Simple Analogy: A special jury drawn from both Houses, disbanded the day it delivers its verdict.
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 is introduced in the Lok Sabha by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Both Houses adopt motions referring the Bill to a Joint Committee of Parliament.
Speaker Om Birla constitutes the 31-member committee and names Sanjay Jaiswal chairperson.
Committee's report is due to the Lok Sabha by the last day of that week.
The parent Act. It regulates the acceptance and utilisation of foreign contribution by individuals, associations and companies, and is administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The previous overhaul: it required all foreign contribution to be received into a designated FCRA account at the State Bank of India's New Delhi Main Branch, barred the transfer of foreign contribution to other FCRA holders, and capped administrative expenditure at 20 per cent of receipts.
Creates a Designated Authority in which the foreign contribution and assets of an organisation vest for supervision, management and disposal when its certificate is cancelled, surrendered, denied renewal or allowed to lapse.
Where such an asset is a place of worship, the Authority must ensure its religious character is maintained.
Assets created partly with foreign funds vest fully in the Authority; the organisation may seek the return of a distinct or ascertainable domestically funded portion.
Maximum imprisonment for violations is cut from five years to one year, while directors, trustees and other key functionaries are presumed liable for an organisation's offences unless due diligence is shown.
Notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs; they define 'reasonable activity' as utilisation of at least Rs 10 lakh of foreign contribution over the previous two financial years.
Chaired by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal; the same route of referral by motion, evidence from stakeholders and a report deadline tied to a session.
Chaired by BJP MP P. P. Chaudhary; another contested constitutional bill sent to a joint panel rather than a departmentally related standing committee.
Permanent, reconstituted annually and covering a ministry's whole remit; a JPC by contrast is temporary and single-purpose, which is why politically contested bills are routed to one.
GS Paper 2 > Parliament and State legislatures - structure, functioning, conduct of business; role of parliamentary committees
General Awareness > Indian Polity - Parliament and committees
An ad hoc committee of members from both Houses, constituted by motion for a specific bill or matter, which ceases to exist once it submits its report; its recommendations are recommendatory, not binding.
Donation, delivery or transfer of currency, articles or securities from a foreign source, regulated under the FCRA, 2010 and administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The body proposed in the 2026 Bill in which foreign contribution and assets vest for supervision, management and disposal when an organisation's FCRA certificate ceases.