New Delhi: The ministry of home affairs (MHA) has granted foreign contribution regulation act (FCRA) licence to Olympic medalist and Rajya Sabha member MC Mary Kom’s non-government organisation (NGO), almost six years after it was probed for possible violation of the foreign funding law.

“FCRA licence has been granted to Mary Kom Regional Boxing Foundation (MKRBF) for five years,” a senior official said, requesting anonymity.

MKRBF, founded by ace boxer Mary Kom in 2005, gives priority to the less privileged communities from remote and economically backward backgrounds in Manipur, providing them a platform to develop their skills in boxing, its website claims.

HT reached out to Imphal West-based MKRBF office bearers for a comment, but could not get any response immediately.

In 2018, the Union home ministry investigated the NGO along with 41 other organisations for possible FCRA violations. The then Union minister of state for home affairs, Kiren Rijiju, had said in Parliament that the MHA was looking into the funding of the foundation.

The Centre has tightened the FCRA since 2020 by making several amendments and even cancelling licences of various NGOs, including Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF), Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT), and Centre for Policy Research (CPR), in the last few years accusing them of violating the law.

The FCRA unit of the MHA carried out inspections or audits of at least 335 NGOs and associations registered or granted prior permission under FCRA between 2019 and 2022 to see if foreign funding rules were being followed by them.

The FCRA Act, which was amended in September 2020, barred public servants from receiving foreign funding and made Aadhaar mandatory for every office-bearer of the NGOs. The amended law also bars organisations from using more than 20% of foreign funds for administrative purposes. The limit was hitherto 50%.