IN A move that could further complicate receipt of foreign funds for Non Governmental Organization (NGO)s, the govt has modified foreign contribution rules in a manner that will require each office-bearer of an Non Governmental Organization (NGO) to declare they weren't involved in religious conversion. Earlier, only directors of the Non Governmental Organization(NGO) were supposed to make such a declaration.

Under the amended rules, office-bearers, key functionaries & all members of the Non Governmental Organization (NGO) will have to declare before the govt that they weren't prosecuted or convicted in a religious conversion case.

In a notification issued on Monday, the ministry also announced the changes in the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules, 2011, which includes that individuals receiving personal gift valued up to Rs 1 lakh need not inform the govt about it anymore. Earlier, the threshold value was Rs 25,000, as per the market value of the gift item in India.

In addition, every member of an Non Governmental Organization  must also now, under oath, through an affidavit, certify that they have never been involved in “diverting” foreign funds or propagating “sedition” or “advocating violent means”. In case of emergent medical aid needed during a visit abroad, the acceptance of foreign hospitality has to be intimated to the govt within a month of such receipt, according to the amended rules.

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