NEW DELHI: The home ministry has suspended the registration of prominent public policy think tank Centre for Policy Research (CPR) under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA), alleging “prime facie violations of provisions” of the law. The six-month suspension of the licence makes CPR ineligible to receive or utilise foreign funds, unless specifically authorised by the government.
Set up 50 years ago, CPR has listed several agencies as its partners and donors, including Namati that counts Open Society Foundation, founded by billionaire George Soros, as one of its “supporters”. Soros had recently linked PM Narendra Modi to the Adani controversy, only to be slammed by BJP as well as external affairs minister S Jaishankar.
CPR, which has had former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Chief Justice of India Y V Chandrachud on its governing board, has been under the scrutiny of the income-tax department for suspected violations. Last September, along with Oxfam and Independent Public Spirited Media Foundation, it was one of the three entities that faced an income-tax survey, which was followed by further queries from the authorities.
In a statement posted on its website, the think tank said it had received notices from the tax department following the survey and had responded to them.
“CPR has and continues to cooperate fully with the authorities. We are in complete compliance with the law and are routinely scrutinised and audited by government authorities, including the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. We have annual statutory audits and all our annual audited balance sheets are in the public domain. There is no question of having undertaken any activity that is beyond our objects of association and compliance mandated by law,” it said.
According to its annual report, during 2021-22, CPR had received over Rs 3.2 crore from Namati for an environmental justice project. Similarly, it had received Rs 2.5 crore from the entity during 2019-20.
In addition, CPR has listed World Bank, UN agencies, international universities, Indian Council for Social Science Research, ICMR, NITI Aayog, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and William & Flora Hewlett Foundation as prominent donors.
While the government has not stated the reason for its suspension, officials alleged violation of legal provisions related to FCRA.
CPR said it will “explore all avenue and recourse” and added: “We are confident that the matter will be resolved speedily, in fairness and in the spirit of constitutional values.”