New Delhi: Cracking down on the Ford Foundation, the Union home ministry has put the organisation in the “prior clearance” category, which means that all funds flowing from it to Indian NGOs and associations will need prior clearance by the MHA.
Official sources said the Ford Foundation was on the MHA watchlist, and all funds it provided NGOs and associations in India must be routed only after approval by the MHA due to “national security concerns”. The ministry said it wanted to ensure that funds from Ford Foundation were utilised for “bona fide welfare activities without compromising national interests and security”.
In exercise of its powers under Section 46 of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act 2010, it directed the Reserve Bank to ensure that funds coming from it was brought to the home ministry’s notice.
The move came after the Gujarat government asked the home ministry to take action against Ford Foundation as it alleged that the US-based organisation was “interfering” in the nation’s internal affairs, and also “abetting communal disharmony” through an NGO run by social activist Teesta Setalvad.
The MHA order said, “The RBI is requested to instruct all the banks and their branches to ensure that any fund flow from the above mentioned agency to any person.”
