Tamil Nadu Social Service Society, Tamil Nadu-based Christian social service organisation, loses FCRA registration

Tamil Nadu Social Service Society is an official organisation of the Tamil Nadu Catholic Bishops Conference

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has cancelled the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration of a Christian organisation — Tamil Nadu Social Service Society (TASOSS).

The non-governmental organisation (NGO) is the second Tamil Nadu-based Christian association whose FCRA registration has been cancelled 2024.

According to its website, which is under construction, TASOSS is an official organisation of the Tamil Nadu Catholic Bishops Conference.

According to MHA’s order, the NGO is no longer eligible to receive foreign donations and the registration has been cancelled on account of “violation”.

The NGO is registered as a “social” organisation. Registered associations can receive foreign contributions for social, educational, religious, economic and cultural programmes. FCRA registration is mandatory to receive foreign donations.

The cancellation comes days after MHA revoked the FCRA registration of World Vision India (WVI). Its parent arm, the U.S.-based World Vision, is one of the largest Christian voluntary groups with a presence in over 100 countries. WVI has been operational in India for the past 70 years.

Through FCRA, the ministry regulates foreign donations to ensure that such funds do not adversely affect the country’s internal security.

Since 2015, the FCRA registration of more than 16,000 NGOs has been cancelled on account of “violation”. As of February 3, there were 17,019 FCRA-registered NGOs active in the country. The FCRA registration of nearly 6,000 NGOs ceased to operate from January 1, 2022, as the MHA either refused to renew their application or the NGOs did not apply.