NEW DELHI: The Union government is set to introduce five new Bills and take up two pending legislations -- including the bill to amend FCRA -- for consideration and passage during the Monsoon session of Parliament beginning July 20.
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, proposes a mechanism to oversee, manage and dispose of the foreign funds and assets of organisations that lose their FCRA registration due to cancellation, surrender or non-renewal.
It provides for the creation of a Designated Authority to manage such assets, while mandating that the religious character of places of worship be preserved during the process.
Notably, the 2020 amendment to the law capped the use of foreign contributions for administrative expenses at 25 per cent, down from the earlier 50 per cent.
The latest proposal seeks to further tighten government oversight by empowering it to seize and permanently acquire the assets of organisations that fail to comply with FCRA registration requirements.
The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha during the Budget session but could not be taken up for passage due to opposition from certain quarters in Kerala ahead of the state's Assembly elections.
Among the other key legislations on the government's agenda is the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which has been listed for introduction, consideration and passage in both Houses of Parliament. The Bill seeks to amend the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.
According to sources, the proposed amendments aim to give the national song Vande Mataram the same statutory protection as the national anthem Jana Gana Mana and make any insult to or obstruction of the singing of Vande Mataram a punishable offence.
The government has also listed the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026 for introduction, consideration and passage.
The proposed legislation seeks to amend Section 13(3) of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, as amended in 2023, to make provisions relating to delayed registration more stringent.
According to sources, births and deaths reported after two years may be registered only on the order of a first-class judicial magistrate, replacing the existing provision under which such cases can be approved by a district magistrate, sub-divisional magistrate or executive magistrate.
The session is also expected to see the government take up the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025.
The Bill proposes a major overhaul of higher education by replacing the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) with a unified regulatory framework, besides introducing the Income-tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
The session is expected to see the government push several key legislative measures alongside discussions on major national issues.
(With additional inputs from PTI)