All NGO office-bearers must declare they are not involved in religious conversion

The Indian Express
New Delhi, Sep 18: In a move that could further complicate receipt of foreign funds for NGOs, the govt has modified foreign contribution rules in a manner that will require each office-bearer of an NGO to declare they were not involved in religious conversion. Earlier, only directors of the NGO were supposed to make such a declaration. Under the amended rules, office-bearers, key functionaries and all members of the NGO will have to declare before the govt that they were not 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 government 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 NGO 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 government within a month of such receipt, according to the amended rules.