Bombay High Court Stays Cancellation of FCRA Certificates of Two Goan Diocesan Organisations

Panaji, August 15, 2026: The Bombay High Court has stayed the cancellation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) registration certificates of two organisations linked to the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, granting interim relief while the Centre responds to their petitions.

Justice Valmiki Menezes issued notices to the Union government and directed the Ministry of Home Affairs to respond by September 10 to the issues raised by the organisations.

The court observed that, prima facie, the FCRA does not require a society to continuously receive or utilise foreign contributions as long as it remains functional and pursues its stated objectives through other sources of funding.

The two organisations—Diocesan Society of Education and Diocesan Centre for Social Communications Media—had challenged the cancellation of their FCRA registrations by the Home Ministry's Foreign Contribution Regulation Act Wing on February 3.

The government had cited the organisations' failure to receive and utilise foreign contributions for three consecutive financial years—2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24—as the basis for the cancellation.

Diocesan Society of Education runs 63 primary schools, 61 high schools, 12 higher secondary schools and two colleges in Goa, all affiliated with the Directorate of Education.

The Diocesan Centre for Social Communications Media told the court that it had continued its social service activities during the period under review, financing them through domestic resources and voluntary contributions. It said no transactions were made through its FCRA account because it had not received foreign contributions during those years.

The organisations argued that the absence of foreign funding could not, by itself, be treated as evidence of inactivity. The Diocesan Society of Education similarly submitted that it had continued its educational activities despite not receiving foreign contributions during the three-year period.

The High Court's interim order keeps the cancellation in abeyance while the Centre considers and responds to the issues raised in the petitions. The matter will be taken up for further consideration after the government's response.

By Catholic Connect Reporter