Established in 2013 and operating as a nonprofit under the Companies Act, Meer Foundation focuses primarily on supporting women who are survivors of acid attacks.
The Union
home ministry has issued a license under the Foreign Contribution Regulation
Act (FCRA) to the Meer Foundation, an NGO founded by actor Shah Rukh Khan,
enabling it to accept donations from international sources, as per individuals
familiar with the situation. Established in 2013, Meer Foundation primarily
serves women affected by acid attacks and holds registrations as a
not-for-profit entity under the Companies Act and as a charitable institution
under the Income Tax Act.
While the
precise date of the license grant remains undisclosed, sources indicate it
occurred several months ago. This year, 175 organizations, including MC Mary
Kom's NGO Mary Kom Regional Boxing Foundation, have received FCRA licenses.
However, some NGOs, such as the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF), Rajiv Gandhi
Charitable Trust (RGCT), and Centre for Policy Research (CPR), had their
licenses revoked by the government due to suspected law breaches.
The FCRA
unit of the Union home ministry has conducted audits or inspections of
approximately 335 NGOs and associations between 2019 and 2022 to ensure
compliance with funding regulations. Notably, in September 2020, amendments to
the FCRA Act were introduced, prohibiting public servants from receiving
foreign contributions and mandating Aadhaar for all NGO office-bearers.
Additionally, the amended law reduced the permissible administrative expenses
from foreign funds to under 20%, down from the previous limit of 50%.