KOLKATA: The Indian government has approved the late Catholic nun Mother Teresa’s charity to receive international cash, weeks after initially denying it, according to the organisation.
The Narendra Modi government shut off foreign funding to the Missionaries of Charity on Christmas Day, refusing to renew the organization’s licence under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
To accept money from overseas, charities and non-profit organisations must register under the FCRA.
Sunita Kumar, Mother Teresa’s close aide, informed AFP that the FCRA application has been renewed.
The Missionaries of Charity, which runs shelter houses across India, was formed in 1950 by the late Mother Teresa, a Catholic nun who spent most of her life in Kolkata, aiding the impoverished.
She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and afterwards made a saint.
The renewal application was rejected by India’s home ministry in December because the charity did not meet “eligibility standards” and “adverse inputs were observed,” according to a statement.
Oxfam India announced last week that the Indian government has barred its access to overseas donations, citing dire consequences for its humanitarian operations.
The Modi government has been accused of denying charity and human rights organisations in the country access to financing.
After the government froze its bank accounts, Amnesty International declared in 2020 that it will cease operations in India.