FCRA Amendment Bill Sent To Joint Panel Amid Parliament Chaos | What Happens Next?

Parliament witnessed another day of chaos as the Monsoon Session entered its 18th straight day of near washout. While Home Minister Amit Shah offered to make a statement, Opposition protests continued. Amid the uproar, the FCRA Amendment Bill was not passed. Instead, the legislation was referred to a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee through a voice vote. The JPC will include 21 Lok Sabha and 10 Rajya Sabha members and is expected to submit its report by the first week of the Winter Session. The bill seeks to tighten rules governing foreign contributions received by NGOs, trusts and associations, with greater transparency, oversight and compliance requirements. Here's what the FCRA Bill means and why it has triggered a political showdown.