Centre For Policy Research Faces FCRA Registration Cancellation Over Alleged Violations

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Home Affairs revoked the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2020 (FCRA registration) of the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), a prominent public policy research institution based in New Delhi. The CPR, led by Yamini Aiyar, daughter of Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, faced registration cancellation due to alleged violations of FCRA regulations, as disclosed by officials.

The think tank had already been under government scrutiny and had previously undergone an income tax survey. In September 2022, the Income Tax Department conducted a 'survey' operation against CPR, along with Oxfam India and Bengaluru-based Independent and Public-Spirited Media Foundation (IPSMF), as part of an investigation into their foreign funding activities.

In the preceding year, the government had suspended CPR's FCRA license for an initial 180 days, and later, this suspension was extended for an additional 180 days. Established in 1973, CPR has been a leading policy think tank, conducting advanced and comprehensive research on a diverse range of policy-related issues, with a particular emphasis on addressing the challenges facing India in the 21st century.