A significant step forward is that the Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan has gotten a licence under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) and will now be able to accept foreign funding. Historically, the temple was a privately held property belonging to a family of priests and is one of two reasons the mother religion is not practised at the Serampore. However, the court committee is now managing the temple, though something has come in the way.
The temple had been receiving foreign currency donations, and the temple management committee was applying for the FCRA license, indicating their plan to receive international donations. Once the court approved the application, the home ministry processed the application after subjecting it to a thorough evaluation of the request and, indeed, confirmed the license, according to the sources.
The FCRA license permits the temple to legally accept donations from any foreign sources, which is a step that would have a huge impact on the temple’s resources, primarily in the areas of its spiritual and developmental activities. Lord Banke Bihari temple is one of Vrindavan’s most revered religious sites and is visited by lakhs of domestic and international visitors.
Further, the changes brought in by the Foreign Contribution Regulation (Amendment) Rules 2022 have had a significant bearing on the governance of foreign donations. The amendment reduces the limit on administrative expenses that NGOs accepting foreign funding must spend on such objectives from 50 to 20%. The aim of this change is to bring more transparency and efficiency in the use of overseas donations to make sure more proportion is toward a supported charitable or religious purpose.
The temple’s new FCRA status is a landmark for the temple catching up with India’s overall regulation on foreign donations and might give a new impetus for support and growth.
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