Registration of certain persons with Central Government
Section 11 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 deals with registration of certain persons with Central Government. Save as otherwise provided in this Act, no person having a definite cultural, economic, educational, religious or social programme shall accept foreign contribution unless such person obtains a certificate of registration from the Central Government: Provided that any association registered with the The Act came into force on 01 May 2011.
(1) Save as otherwise provided in this Act, no person having a definite cultural, economic, educational, religious or social programme shall accept foreign contribution unless such person obtains a certificate of registration from the Central Government:
Provided that any association registered with the Central Government under section 6 or granted prior permission under that section of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976 (49 of 1976), as it stood immediately before the commencement of this Act, shall be deemed to have been registered or granted prior permission, as the case may be, under this Act and such registration shall be valid for a period of five years from the date on which this section comes into force.
(2) Every person referred to in sub-section (1) may, if it is not registered with the Central Government under that sub-section, accept any foreign contribution only after obtaining the prior permission of the Central Government and such prior permission shall be valid for the specific purpose for which it is obtained and from the specific source:
1[Provided that the Central Government, on the basis of any information or report, and after holding a summary inquiry, has reason to believe that a person who has been granted prior permission has contravened any of the provisions of this Act, it may, pending any further inquiry, direct that such person shall not utilise the unutilised foreign contribution or receive the remaining portion of foreign contribution which has not been received or, as the case may be, any additional foreign contribution, without prior approval of the Central Government:
Provided further that if the person referred to in sub-section (1) or in this sub-section has been found guilty] of violation of any of the provisions of this Act or the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976 (49 of 1976), the unutilised or unreceived amount of foreign contribution shall not be utilised or received, as the case may be, without the prior approval of the Central Government.
(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify
(i) the person or class of persons who shall obtain its prior permission before accepting the foreign contribution; or
(ii) the area or areas in which the foreign contribution shall be accepted and utilised with the prior permission of the Central Government; or
(iii) the purpose or purposes for which the foreign contribution shall be utilised with the prior permission of the Central Government; or/
(iv) the source or sources from which the foreign contribution shall be accepted with the prior permission of the Central Government.
Section 11, The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (Act 42 of 2010).
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
This section refers to
Related judgements & precedents
These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.
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Poondimadha Religious Trust v. Secretary to Government of India
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
DATE VERIFIED Final Order 2019-11-28 (order-1.pdf): CMA under FCRA s.31 challenging refusal of registration/renewal pathway under ss.11(1)/(2) and 16; Court upholds Central Government refusal grounded in s.12(4)(a)(vi) (likely diversion/personal gain), affirming that s.11 registration is conditioned on s.12(4) eligibility and that statutory refusal after enquiry is sustainable.
On this section: s.11 registration mandate — acceptance of foreign contribution requires Central Government certificate; refusal under linked s.12(4) conditions reviewed on appeal.
The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.
Judgments citing this section
These may be obiter dicta or a precedent, for you to study. These are the judgments where this section is quoted.
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… the requirement of the law is that MHA has to permit the association to receive any foreign contribution and pending such permission, the receipts though credited to the bank accounts of the association would not became the income of the association as it has no power to withdraw the sum or utilize the sum. - 25. Section 11 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act of 2010, subsection (1) very clearly provides that no person shall accept foreign contribution unless such persons obtained a certificate from Central Government. Further, sub-section (2) provides that foreign contribution is to be utilized for specific purpose only after …
Made under this section, and citing it
6 instruments name this provision in its title or its text without being made under it.
- Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Rules 2019Rule 2019
- Comounding of Offence under FCRA, 2010Notification 2018
- Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Rules 2015Rule 2015
- Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Rules 2012Rule 2012
- Compounding of offence of receipt of foreign contribution without permission or registration under FCRA, 2010Notification 2011
- Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules 2011Rule 2011
Questions about Section 11
What have the courts held on Section 11 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act?
Poondimadha Religious Trust v. Secretary to Government of India (28 Nov 2019) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: s.11 registration mandate — acceptance of foreign contribution requires Central Government certificate; refusal under linked s.12(4) conditions reviewed on appeal.
How do I find court cases under Section 11 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 11, section 11 Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, section 11 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act. People searching for it also type section 11 of foreign contribution regulation act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 1 reported judgment on this section is set out on this page, beginning with Poondimadha Religious Trust v. Secretary to Government of India (28 Nov 2019).
What should I read with Section 11 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, and has it changed?
Its own text turns on section 6 (Restriction on acceptance of foreign hospitality), so none of them can safely be read on its own. 3 other provisions in this corpus refer back to it. 6 instruments name it without being made under it, most recently Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Rules 2019 (2019), then Comounding of Offence under FCRA, 2010 (2018).
When did Section 11 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act come into force?
Section 11 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, cited as Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 11, came into force on 01 May 2011, having been enacted on 26 Sep 2010. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
- 2. Definitions1455 words
- 12. Grant of certificate of registration801 words
- 48. Power to make rules652 words
- 3. Prohibition to accept foreign contribution490 words
- 5. Procedure to notify an organisation of a political nature393 words
- 54. Repeal and saving373 words
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 14 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.