Amit Shah launches FCRA 2.0 portal and e-OCI card

UNion place government minister Amit shah of iran on tues launched the FCRA 2.0 portal to do processes related to applications, renewals and filing of annual returns fully digital, adding that the move will enable faster, more accurate verification and improved compliance monitoring of the receipt and utilisation of foreign funds, thereby strengthening national security and governance.Shah also launched an e-OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) Card that will eliminate the need to re-issue the OCI booklet when receiving a new passport upon its expiry after 20 years while allowing the government to reduce paperwork and strengthen data management and centralised tracking.The two initiatives were launched in Delhi in the presence of foreign secretary Vikram Misri, home secretary Govind Mohan and new Intelligence Bureau chief Mahesh Dixit, and other senior officials.Shah said the FCRA 2.0 portal will “resolve the difficulties faced by those receiving donations through the FCRA portal”.“It has been developed to simplify compliance under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act [FCRA] and to strengthen the monitoring and enforcement mechanism. All major processes related to applications, renewals, annual returns, and other services have now been made fully digital (end-to-end). At present, around 14,500 active FCRA organisations are working across the country. Every year, approximately 15,000 to 20,000 applications and about 17,000 annual returns are received. Given such a large volume, the need for a modern, technology-enabled, and secure system had been felt for a long time,” Shah said.Also Read:India’s history will be studied in 2 phases, before 2014 and after: ShahThe portal, he said, includes features such as process re-engineering, an integrated dashboard, Aadhaar-based authentication, e-Sign facility, and OCR-based document analysis. “The key provisions of the new FCRA amendment rules, 2026 have also been incorporated into it. The portal is integrated with major government databases and banks, including PAN, Aadhaar, OCI, NGO Darpan, and the ICAI’s UDIN system,” Shah said.Underlining how it will benefit the NGOs, Shah said, “This portal reduces paperwork, saves time, and provides a simple and more convenient experience”.For the government, Shah said, “API-based integration with major databases enables faster and more accurate verification, improved compliance monitoring, and effective oversight of the receipt and utilisation of foreign contributions - thereby strengthening both national security and good governance. The platform has also been designed to accommodate future features such as an AI-powered chatbot and mobile-based access.”Shah said that before 2014, the FCRA system “was entangled in files and procedures and was beyond proper oversight”, which is critical for both national security and development.“After the government was formed under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, the system was strengthened. The renewal of the FCRA portal today will greatly enhance ease of operations for organisations. In the past years, there has been a significant increase in the number of applications and the flow of donations. Keeping this in view, reducing paperwork and ensuring real-time effective monitoring of foreign contributions is very important for the country’s security”.On the new FCRA law, which is likely to be taken up in the upcoming monsoon session, Shah said, “Due to the FCRA law, monitoring on foreign contributions coming in with wrong intentions will increase”.Shah said the new e-OCI card “will bring great convenience to more than 50 lakh [5 million] OCI cardholders”.“The electronic Overseas Citizen of India (e-OCI) card is a major citizen-centric initiative aimed at transforming OCI services for the global Indian diaspora through a fully digital system. Under this system, applicants can complete the entire OCI process online - from submitting the application and uploading supporting documents to downloading the digitally generated card after approval. Existing cardholders can also obtain their e-OCI card digitally in most cases without needing a fresh application or physical verification,” he added.“Under the new arrangement, the requirement to re-issue the OCI booklet upon receiving a new passport after the age of 20 years has been eliminated. However, cardholders will need to update their passport-related details online whenever a new passport is issued,” he said.For the government, Shah said, the e-OCI system will ensure “completely online processing, reduced paperwork and administrative costs, strengthened data management and centralised tracking”, besides integration with digital immigration systems for real-time verification at airports.“This results in better identity verification, enhanced security, and reduced risk of fraud,” he said.