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To clear the pending requests from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) seeking registration under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=union+home+ministry&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Union home ministry</a> launched a special drive, with the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=FCRA&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">FCRA</a> division setting itself a one-month deadline to decide on the fate of 1,500 applications. 
 According to the sources in the <keyword id="6359327" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Home-Ministry">home ministry</keyword>, the <keyword id="3633661" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="FCRA-license-requests">FCRA license requests</keyword> were submitted through the manual route, date back to 2014 and 2015, before <keyword id="307144" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="FCRA">FCRA</keyword> clearances were made fully online. "The NGOs had been approaching the home ministry time and again enquiring about the status of their applications," said a home ministry officer. 
 
"Sometime around mid-August, the additional secretary of the foreigners division, which handles all FCRA dealings, asked his subordinates to ensure that the backlog of manual applications for fresh registration was cleared without further delay. They were asked to decide whether to grant or deny registration, and communicate the decision to the concerned NGOs," the officer added. 
 
Sources told that many requests had been deemed fit for rejection, and the focus is on not making the concerned applicants wait any longer for the final decision. 
 
An officer told <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=ET&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">ET</a>, "There is no point in keeping them hanging. Where the decision is a 'no', the officers have been asked to immediately convey it to the applicant NGO," 
 
The recent suspension of four officers of the foreigners division - including a joint secretary, two under-secretaries and a section officer, the staff is pushing hard to meet the deadline, though it expires in just over a week. 
 
A call for applications from retired assistant section officers for engagement as consultants has already been advertised by the home ministry on Tuesday to counter the manpower shortage. 
 
Because of the renewal of FCRA license of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=zakir+naik&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Zakir </a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=zakir+naik&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Naik</a>'s NGO Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) through the automatic route, four officers of the foreigners division, including joint secretary G K Dwivedi, were suspended last week. 
 
The online renewal came even as proceedings were under way to put IRF on the 'prior permission' list, which requires all foreign funding to the NGO to be approved by the home ministry. Also, the Union home ministry is mulling declaring IRF an 'unlawful organization' for allegedly spreading communal hatred and carrying out forced conversions. 
 
(Image Credits: BCCL)

Home Ministry sets one month deadline to decide on the fate of 1500 NGO registrations

There seems to be some gap between Modi’s ambition and his Home Ministry’s intentions. India’s home ministry is reluctant to launch BRICS Business Travel Card (BBTC), which is aimed to improve public-private partnerships among the five emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. 
 While the <keyword id="71" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Prime-Minister">Prime Minister</keyword> has been pitching for a liberalised travel regime among BRICS countries, the Home Ministry has cited security concerns to express reservations about giving long-term business visas to Chinese nationals. 
 
"The home ministry wants to hold detailed consultations with other stakeholders before giving in to the demand of the external affairs ministry," an official told the Economic Times, requesting anonymity. At present, India gives a two-month single entry visa and six-month multiple entry visas to businessmen from China. 
 During the tenure of the previous <keyword id="26374" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="UPA-government">UPA government</keyword>, a decision was taken to extend the tenure of multiple visas to one year. However, it could not be implemented. 
 
As per the memorandum of understanding on simplification of visa procedures signed between India and China, business persons from China require a letter of invitation from a recognised Indian organisation for multiple entry visa while the single entry visa is issued on production of a letter of request from an authorised Chinese organisation, according to the ET. 
 
India already provides a five-year visa to nationals of the other BRICS nations, apart from multiple entry business visas valid up to one year. 
Home ministry officials said that while there is unanimity over giving five-year business visas to people from the other nations in the bloc, excluding China from the pool will lead to further confrontation with the neighbouring country. 
 
"We also want that China should reciprocate in case a decision to grant longterm visa is taken," said an official, adding that setting up an exclusive zone for BBTC will require technological upgrade and upkeep of records. 
 
For BBTC, it has been proposed that the details of business persons from BRICS countries be in the form of a magnetic chip. This will contain all the information regarding the person including on passport and visa, thus facilitating a paperless journey and stay in India. 
 
(Image: Reuters)

Despite doing business worth billions of dollars with China, Indian Home Ministry jittery in granting long-term visas to Chinese businessmen

After decades of being inflicted by terrorism and no employment generation, leading to the Jammu and Kashmir youth migrating to other states to find employment, the <keyword id="6387077" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi-government">Narendra Modi government</keyword> has finally come to their rescue. The government has begun a vigorous push to the corporate jobs scheme in J&amp;K this month, coinciding with the <keyword id="2736975" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="PDP-BJP-Government">PDP-BJP government</keyword>'s take over. As many as eight mega recruitment rallies are being held all over J&amp;K. 
 According to a report filed by the Economic Times, the scheme named 'Udaan', originally conceived and operationalised during the UPA regime, has already helped provide jobs to 1,785 youths from J&amp;K in top Indian companies such as Accenture, Tata Consultancy Services and <keyword id="10862" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Wipro">Wipro</keyword> and nearly 5300 J&amp;K youth are being trained by various other prominent corporates. 
 From March 9, the report says, the <keyword id="6359327" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Home-Ministry">Home Ministry</keyword> started what an <keyword id="6354852" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="official">official</keyword> described was a "major step-up" in efforts to push the job scheme all over the state. "We started a mega recruitment drive from March 9 by taking corporates to the District Employment Exchange and Counseling Centres in various districts. Corporates have visited these exchanges in Budgam on March 9-10, Anantnag on March 12-13, Ganderbal on March 14-15, Baramullah on March 16-17, are visiting Doda on March 19-20 and are next headed to Kisthwar on March 21, Reasi on March 23 and Kathua on March 25-26. We are in full drive mode now," a <keyword id="1735963" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="senior-home-ministry-official">senior home ministry official</keyword> said. 
 Many corporates earlier visited J&amp;K after issuance of advertisements to set up camps every two months or so "as per their convenience", the official said. "It is now a much more sustained effort...the corporates are visiting the district employment exchanges after due tie-ups as many unemployed youth in J&amp;K may miss recruitment camps but remain in <keyword id="30450" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="Touch">touch</keyword> with employment exchanges. These exchanges also have a ready database," the <keyword id="151049" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="ministry-official">ministry official</keyword> told ET. 
 
More than 54 companies have till now committed to train nearly 68738 graduates and post-graduates in J&amp;K over the next four-five years and later offer them jobs as well, if they fit the bill. The cost of the training, boarding and lodging, is borne by the central government. If a candidate is selected for a job after completing training, the government reimburses the training cost to the company. 
 
(Image Courtesy: www.rushlane.com)

Finally ‘Udaan’ takes wings in J&K. 8 Mega
recruitment rallies in the foray for the state’s youth

The terrorists who waged war on Punjab are reckoned to have sneaked in from Pakistan through the border between <keyword id="2971285" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Jammu-and-Pathankot">Jammu and Pathankot</keyword> or <keyword id="2971286" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Chak-Hira">Chak Hira</keyword> in Jammu district to launch the assault. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Union+Home+Ministry">Union Home Ministry</a> sources said the terrorists may have entered into India at around midnight and hit the highway using Paharpur road, around 15 kms from the border to indulge in a killing spree that left six dead including an officer of the Punjab police. 
 
The terrorists involved in today's attacks wore <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Army">Army</a> uniforms and reached Parmanand village on the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Jammu+and+Kashmir+">Jammu and Kashmir </a>border and attempted to hijack a tempo at 5.30 AM. The tempo driver managed to flee. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

Gurdaspur
strike - Militants may have sneaked in from Pakistan

India, the largest democracy in the world unfortunately possesses a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/NarendraModi-forced-to-speak-on-farmer-suicide-opposition-cont-their-onslaught-on-Govt/articleshow/47026171.cms">government</a> that leaves a lot to be desired. Leaving no stone unturned to disappoint the very people it was elected to protect, the <keyword id="44734" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Indian-Government">Indian government</keyword> has time and again come up with laws and policies that make little or no sense. 
 The latest in line is Union Home Minister <keyword id="6355121" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Rajnath-Singh">Rajnath Singh</keyword>’s <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Independence-Day-Special-Rise-and-shine-of-the-Birla-empire-since-1857/articleshow/48401170.cms">Independence Day</a> announcement that a list of <keyword id="78804" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="sex-offenders">sex offenders</keyword> would be made publicly available on a national portal, to be launched soon, in order to keep the public alert. Additionally, the thinking is that these offenders can and will repeat their <keyword id="6380831" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Crimes">crimes</keyword> and hence need to be monitored. However, there’s a catch- this proposed list would also include names of offenders who are in the chargesheet stage, i.e., one does not have to be convicted of their crime to be proclaimed as a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/7-Surprising-Things-That-Could-Make-You-A-Sex-Offender/articleshow/23844883.cms">‘sex offender’</a> to the world. 
 The citizens’ portal on which the registry of sex offenders will be published is to be launched under the <keyword id="6359327" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Home-Ministry">home ministry</keyword>’s crime and criminals tracking network and systems project. 
 
Though legal experts have expressed doubts to the Home Ministry’s intention of ‘publicly naming and shaming’ offenders who aren’t convicted on the contention that it would cause irreversible harm to their reputation in the society and employment prospects once they are acquitted of all charges, the government has however responded with a weak reasoning of ‘their names would be removed once they are acquitted.’ This is because the home ministry does not feel that there exists a need to wait for due legal process. (Of course why would it need to?) 
 
Overruling the suggestion to only list names of offenders who are convicted is not just frightening but also an utter violation of privacy on the part of the government. 
 
Scorned lovers out to settle a score or a false accusation, a person can be wrongly implicated in so many ways. The government, however seems to completely overlook how its proposed system could be abused turning an innocent person’s life into hell, in front of the watchful eyes of the public, who would be pricy to all personal details. 
 
What the government also seems to be forgetting is that ‘removing the name of an accused once he/she has been acquitted of all charges’ doesn’t work in a country like India where no one forgets, even if the person in question is wrongly implicated. The jury is the people, not the courts. It is they who have the last word. 
 
There will be stares, stones thrown at their houses, unrelentless whispers and humiliation. We’re a nation famous for its public humiliation, wrongly implicated or not. Thus, how could we let this golden opportunity pass by? Like hungry vultures, we’ll make sure the individual in question has time for no other job other than hiding his/her faces in the deepest corner available. We’ll also make sure we bring up their caste and religion in the equation. 
 
Moreover, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Despite-doing-business-worth-billions-of-dollars-with-China-Indian-Home-Ministry-jittery-in-granting-long-term-visas-to-Chinese-businessmen/articleshow/46781836.cms">home ministry’s</a> proposal of ‘naming and shaming’ those accused of sexual offences in the public domain is a stark contrast, if not an insult to the very principle on which our justice system is based upon- ‘innocent until proven guilty.’ Tarnishing the reputation of an individual between the period of him being chargesheeted and acquitted of all charges is inexcusable, even if it is for a short while. 
 
Thus, it goes without saying that the need of the hour is for the government to rethink its stance on including names of individuals who haven’t been convicted yet. Reason? If implemented, India will be the sole country with such a law. A handful of countries, including the United States of America, United Kingdom and Australia where such portals exist, list names of only convicted offenders. They are also known to classify these offenders in separate categories depending on the seriousness of the crime. But, again, these apply to convicted offenders only. 
 
No doubt, the government cracking down on offenders and toughening its stance is a step which needs to be welcomed and applauded, but it should remember that the tag of a ‘sex-offender’ has far-reaching consequences and thus use it judiciously. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

Why it is wrong on the part of the government to
propose ‘naming and shaming’ offenders who haven’t been convicted

<ul><li>The Automated Facial Recognition technology by <keyword id="91016" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Crime-Records-Bureau">National Crime Records Bureau</keyword> (NCRB) will be rolled out next year to aid law enforcement agencies. </li><li>The technology will be used only to trace identities of people featuring in Crime &amp; Criminal Tracking Network Systems(CCTNS) — the national database of crime and criminals. </li><li>India has over 700,000 missing cases filed — including 98,000 children.</li></ul>The Ministry of Home Affairs, on Thursday, clarified that the Automated Facial Recognition technology will only be used to <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/facial-recognition-tech-to-be-used-only-for-those-figuring-in-cctns-database-mha/articleshow/70184092.cms">trace identities</a> of people featuring in Crime &amp; Criminal Tracking Network Systems (CCTNS) — the national database of crime and criminals. This technique of identifying a person via digital image by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) is aimed to aid law enforcement agencies with a tool to track missing identities, criminals and unidentified victims. The process of mapping photos of <keyword id="590448" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="missing-people">missing people</keyword> is still done at police stations in India — but manually. As of now, the country has over <a href="https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/new-facial-recognition-system-to-help-identify-criminals-missing-children/800560.html">700,000 missing cases</a> — including 98,000 children. The Automated <keyword id="406799" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="20" keywordseo="facial-recognition-system">Facial Recognition System</keyword> (AFRS) project, formulated under CCTNS, is planned to be operational next year, the Ministry noted. Presently, the database has nearly 15,000 police stations linked to it for e-governance. Threat to privacy The proposed AFRS has stirred a debate over the privacy of citizens. The system will be capable of capturing faces via CCTV feeds, and will raise alerts on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/facial-recognition-system-will-not-violate-privacy/article28391953.ece">blacklisted identities</a>. Keeping in mind the potential chances of violation of privacy, the Ministry official said, “This software will be used only in respect of such persons who figure on the CCTNS database — accused persons, prisoners, missing persons, unidentified people including children and dead bodies — and will not be used for any other database.” Data associated with the facial recognition system will only be accessible to the law enforcement agencies, <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/automated-facial-recognition-system-to-help-identify-criminals-missing-children/articleshow/70177696.cms">Times of India reported</a>. The move will help speed up police and other investigations. For instance, fingerprint matching is widely used at crime spots to identify criminals. Now, the ministry roped in the imaging feature to help them with video footage and images of suspects. This will keep suspects and criminals from fleeing, thereby helping the investigation teams to trace a culprit faster. Global adoption China deployed the technology in smarter ways to safeguard the streets by introducing facial recognition to CCTV cameras on roads. Food chain KFC too adopted the technology to predict customer demands. While other consumer-focussed platforms use <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/india-mulls-facial-recognition-5-nations-already-using-the-technology/leaders-of-facial-recognition-tech/slideshow/70156829.cms">Automatic Facial Recognition</a> to ease the paying process by bringing in ‘smile to pay’ system that recognises facial expressions of customers. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-launches-national-cyber-forensic-lab-in-delhi/articleshow/68081465.cms">One year after one of the largest government data breaches, India finally has a national cyber forensic lab</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-armed-forces-are-setting-up-a-dedicated-agency-to-fight-cyber-attacks/articleshow/67542126.cms">India's armed forces are setting up a dedicated agency to fight cyber attacks</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/fake-call-centres-in-india-tricked-over-50000-people-across-15-countries-fbi-joins-investigation/articleshow/66949461.cms">Fake call centers in India tricked over 50,000 people across 15 countries, FBI joins investigation</a>

Facial recognition will be used to spot history sheeters and missing people only, assures Home Ministry

New Delhi, Mar 25 () Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla held a detailed meeting on Wednesday with DPIIT, traders and e-commerce firms on smooth supply of essential goods in the country, an official said. The meeting was attended by DPIIT Secretary Guru Prasad Mohpatra and other officials. The meeting assumed significance as concerns were raised over police beating up delivery boys in different states, while they were doing their duty, the official said. Traders' body CAIT, whose representatives attended the deliberations, in a statement said smooth supply of essential commodities across the country is important at the time of the nationwide lockdown. "We have raised various important issues regarding regular movement of at least essential commodities so that the citizens may not suffer in the troubled times. We have also raised the issue of supply of raw materials for production," it said. Safety of essential commodity traders and prevention against any possible harassment was also figured in the meeting, it added. "We have also requested for the transport sector as it is important in maintaining logistical support," it said. Quoting the home secretary and other officials, CAIT said the government is very keen to work closely and cooperate with traders to ensure that there should not be any problem. "The officials have assured that all small glitches and problems being faced by the people will be resolved at the earliest," it added. RR HRS

Home ministry, DPIIT hold meeting with traders, e-tailers on smooth supply of essential goods

<ul><li>The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an advisory in April 2020 calling Zoom unsafe.</li><li>Zoom India Head, <keyword id="9465901" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="sameer-raje">Sameer Raje</keyword>, tells Business Insider that the MHA’s advisory is factually incorrect.</li><li>He explains that Zoom is currently in conversation with the MHA and is hoping for a positive outcome soon.</li></ul>The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) released an advisory note on the video-conferencing application Zoom not being safe. Sameer Raje, Head of India at Zoom, told Business Insider that the discussions are progressing quite well. “We expect the MHA to give some positive feedback very soon. We’re at advanced stages of discussion so it should change,” said Raje, explaining that 9-year-old company is sharing any and all prerequisite information that the ministry may need. US-based Zoom has been heavily scrutinised since its popularity boomed in a matter of three weeks from just 10 million participants a day to over 300 million from March to April when news of the coronavirus pandemic broke. The advisory is factually incorrect, says Zoom The <a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1615008">MHA</a> asserted that Zoom should not be used by government officers for official use based on an earlier advisory from Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In). “Zoom is a not a safe platform and advisory of CERT-In on the same dated 6 February 2020 30 and March 2020 may kindly be referred,” said the ministry in its note. However, Raje points out that CERT-In never actually said that Zoom isn’t safe — it pointed out that Zoom has certain vulnerabilities, as is its responsibility for all applications that are currently in use in India. “Unfortunately, due to the misinformation out there, the MHA released its advisory which is factually incorrect. It is based on the CERT-In advisory citing that Zoom is unsafe to use, but CERT-In never said that,” he explained. India's nodal cybersecurity agency may not have said that Zoom is unsafe but it did point out that there are <a href="https://www.cert-in.org.in/s2cMainServlet?pageid=PUBVLNOTES02&amp;VLCODE=CIAD-2020-0011">multiple vulnerabilities on the platform</a>, which could allow an attacker to gain elevated privileges or obtain sensitive information on the targeted system. “If you look at their advisory, nowhere does it say that Zoom is not safe for users. It says that please be secure, upgrade your applications, these are the vulnerabilities reported and these are the fixes,” said Raje. Zoom is working with MHA to change the narrative To Zoom’s credit — since the MHA’s advisory and the multiple incidents of ‘Zoom Bombing’ — it has introduced a number of measures to make the platform more secure like hiding meeting IDs and making it mandatory for schools to set meeting passwords. Earlier this month, Zoom announced that it will begin beta testing free end-to-end encryption for both free and paid users in July. However, there is a catch. End-to-end encryption only works if a person connects to a call using the Zoom client. As a communications platform, Zoom also allows the audio conferring lines to come in — and that’s where the encryption pattern changes, according to Raje. This means that since the call is no longer restricted to the Zoom platform, encryption at that end is not during the app’s purview. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/us-based-zoom-left-stunned-to-see-itself-in-list-of-flagged-chinese-apps/articleshow/76469726.cms">US-based Zoom app left stunned to see itself in list of flagged Chinese apps</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/made-in-india-app-say-namaste-video-conferencing-app-to-take-on-zoom/articleshow/76277547.cms">Say Namaste⁠ — a Mumbai startup is pitching itself as a challenger to Zoom</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/how-to/how-to-ensure-privacy-and-security-while-using-zoom/articleshow/75192771.cms">How to ensure privacy and security while using Zoom</a>

INTERVIEW: Zoom's India head believes he will able to convince the Home Ministry that the app is safe

India sure is feeling a little unsettled with <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="China">China</keyword> having just doled out $46bn to Pakistan. No wonder this and <keyword id="71" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Prime-Minister">Prime Minister</keyword> <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>'s visit to China next month, is compelling the government not only to consider extending e-tourist <keyword id="6359421" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Visa">visa</keyword> facility to China, but also discussing its removal from the list of 'prior reference category' countries for conference visa and doing away with restriction of two-month interval between visits by Chinese nationals on tourist visa. 
 
Incidentally, though intelligence agencies maintain their reservations over easing of tourist visa norms for Chinese nationals, there is a realization within the home ministry that keeping China out of the list of 150 countries that will be granted e-tourist visa facility this fiscal would send a wrong signal. 
 
MHA frowns over 'visa on arrival' for Chinese tourists, brushes aside tourism ministry plan 
 
The home ministry, which reviewed the matter on Monday but failed to firm up its stand in the wake of stiff opposition from RAW and IB, will hold a final discussion with the foreign ministry later this week and place its comments "for final clearance at the highest level," government sources told TOI. 
 
According to intelligence agencies, allowing e-tourist visa, easing of the two-month restriction on consecutive visits made on tourist visas and doing away with the norm requiring home ministry's clearance for each conference visa application by a Chinese national was fraught with risks. The agencies cited overstay by Chinese citizens in India as well as past instances of some taking to spying. 
 
China excited about India's visa-on-arrival plan 
 However, there were counter-arguments as well at the meeting chaired by <keyword id="6447470" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="home-secretary">home secretary</keyword> L C Goyal. "There are bound to be protests from China if it is kept out of the list of countries eligible for e-tourist visa. Given that the list is set to include Algeria and Nigeria, both of which have a significant presence of terrorist elements, India will have to explain why China should be denied e-tourist visa on security grounds," a home ministry official said. 
 
China keeps India out of visa-free transit policy 
 
As for the fear of overstay, the official said Nigerians were a far bigger threat, as 1,589 of them were found to be overstaying in 2013 compared to 357 Chinese nationals. Sources said there was a strong likelihood of the intelligence agencies' reservations being overruled at the highest level, paving the way for an easier visa regime with China ahead of Modi's visit. This would include streamlining of normal visa regime with China based on reciprocity.

A nervous India to relax visa rules for Chinese soon

The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Central+Bureau+of+Investigation+%28CBI%29+">Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)</a> is likely to probe the case of alleged violation of various sections of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) by the Indian arm of global NGO <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Greenpeace">Greenpeace</a>. The <keyword id="6359327" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Home-Ministry">Home Ministry</keyword> has approached CBI to set an inquiry against the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=NGO">NGO</a>. 
 
There may be divergent views within the ministry on the nature of probe to be ordered as even financial investigative agencies can carry out such probes. 
 However, it is reportedly said that the CBI probe is being justified on the ground that there is a need to investigate the proceeds of bank accounts used by <keyword id="6356502" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Greenpeace-India">Greenpeace India</keyword>. There is also a need to probe about the circulation of money across various accounts and then allegedly parking them in fixed deposits. 
 
The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Home+Ministry+">Home Ministry</a> on September 2 had cancelled Greenpeace's FCRA registration citing alleged violations. "We have taken steps against Greenpeace India for FCRA violations, but during inspections we also came across other loopholes, which can be probed further only by a competent investigative agency. Also, there is an alternate opinion that the NGO could be given another chance and asked to rectify them," said an official familiar with the matter. 
 
Moreover, in its licence cancellation order, the ministry recorded that a Greenpeace representative was called personally "to explain the details of entries and transaction pertaining to source of FDRs (fixed deposit receipts) on August 19. However, instead of clarifying, the representative preferred to reply that they have already answered the queries at different forum". 
 
On Wednesday, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Madras+High+Court+">Madras High Court</a> granted an interim stay for eight weeks on the cancellation of the NGO's registration under FCRA. "We are confident that we have a strong legal case to demonstrate that the MHA is acting without any justification," said Vinuta Gopal, co-executive director of Greenpeace India. 
 
The home ministry said it will study the order and appeal against the same. 
 
If a CBI inquiry is instituted against Greenpeace, it will be the second such case of alleged FCRA violation entrusted to the probe agency. 
 Earlier, the Home Ministry had ordered an inquiry into the affairs of Gujarat-based activist <keyword id="124413" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Teesta-Setalvad">Teesta Setalvad</keyword>'s NGO Sabrang Communications. CBI later registered an FIR against Setalvad and her husband and carried out raids. 
 
 Greenpeace India has been charged with transfer of funds from its designated FCRA accounts to other accounts and underreporting of receipts of overseas funding. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

You Searched For "home ministry" and got 10 results

Home Ministry sets one month deadline to decide on the fate of 1500 NGO registrations

BI India Bureau

Despite doing business worth billions of dollars with China, Indian Home Ministry jittery in granting long-term visas to Chinese businessmen

BI India Bureau

Finally ‘Udaan’ takes wings in J&K. 8 Mega recruitment rallies in the foray for the state’s youth

BI India Bureau

Gurdaspur strike - Militants may have sneaked in from Pakistan

BI India Bureau

Why it is wrong on the part of the government to propose ‘naming and shaming’ offenders who haven’t been convicted

Poulomi Das

Facial recognition will be used to spot history sheeters and missing people only, assures Home Ministry

Prerna Sindwani

Home ministry, DPIIT hold meeting with traders, e-tailers on smooth supply of essential goods

PTI

INTERVIEW: Zoom's India head believes he will able to convince the Home Ministry that the app is safe

Prabhjote Gill

A nervous India to relax visa rules for Chinese soon

BI India Bureau

Greenpeace is getting into further trouble! An investigation by the CBI can’t be easy

BI India Bureau

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