The HRD ministry, on Friday, said that institutions created through an Act of Parliament do not need an FCRA licence to receive foreign funds.
The Home Ministry has cancelled the FCRA licences of several hundred organisations, including DU, JNU and IIT Delhi, for failing to file annual returns for five consecutive years.
"Institutions created through an Act of Parliament are exempted from filing returns as they are covered under the annual government audit," a senior HRD Ministry official said.
They are required to have their accounts compulsorily audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, he added.
"IIT-Delhi was filing returns even after the completion of audit," he said.
IIT-Delhi had yesterday claimed that there were “procedural lapses” in the cancellation of its licence.
The HRD official said there was no information or notice about "non-filing of returns or any other compliance pending". The organisations whose FCRA licences have been cancelled are mostly societies, NGOs and trusts, he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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