Rubio’s Missionaries of Charity visit puts Modi govt’s FCRA regime under spotlight

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to the Missionaries of Charity headquarters in Kolkata on Saturday (23rd May 2026) has reignited international scrutiny of the Modi government’s Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) regime and its impact on foreign-funded religious and humanitarian organisations operating in India.

Rubio’s scheduled stop at the headquarters founded by Mother Teresa has drawn particular attention in Washington, where concerns are growing over proposed amendments to the FCRA that critics say could significantly expand the Indian government’s powers over NGOs and charitable institutions receiving foreign funding.

Just days ahead of Rubio’s India visit, US Representative Chris Smith, who chairs the House Global Human Rights Subcommittee, published an opinion piece in The Washington Examiner urging the US State Department to raise concerns with New Delhi over the proposed changes.

The Wire reported that Smith warned that the amendments could allow authorities to permanently seize properties, schools, hospitals and other assets belonging to foreign-funded organisations if their FCRA licences lapse or are cancelled, even for procedural or administrative reasons.

Highlighting the Missionaries of Charity as a key example, Smith pointed to the controversy that erupted in December 2021 when the Ministry of Home Affairs declined to renew the organisation’s FCRA licence, citing unspecified “adverse inputs”.

The decision temporarily froze the charity’s foreign funding accounts, disrupting the functioning of hundreds of shelter homes and healthcare facilities across India. Following widespread criticism both internationally and within India, the Modi government restored the organisation’s FCRA registration in January 2022.

Smith argued that under the proposed amendments, organisations in similar situations could risk permanently losing control of their infrastructure and assets to the government.

Rubio’s visit to the Missionaries of Charity is now being viewed diplomatically as a symbolic gesture concerning religious freedom, humanitarian work and the operational independence of global charities in India.

The visit is also expected to keep the issue of civil society freedoms and foreign-funded organisations firmly on the agenda during diplomatic engagements between the Modi government and the Trump administration.

Critics of the FCRA framework argue that the law is increasingly being used as a bureaucratic instrument to monitor, restrict and pressure international organisations working in India, particularly those involved in religious, humanitarian and rights-based activities.

Concerns in Washington reportedly centre on fears that even minor procedural lapses or delayed renewals could expose NGOs to punitive action and potential government takeover of their assets.

The Modi government, however, has consistently defended the FCRA as an essential national security mechanism aimed at preventing foreign funds from being used for activities considered harmful to India’s interests.

Officials have repeatedly maintained that the law is necessary to ensure transparency and accountability in the functioning of organisations receiving overseas funding.