<span style="color: #222222;">Parliament gave its nod to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2020 with Lok Sabha passing it with voice vote today.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">In his reply after the discussion on the bill, Union Minister of State for Home Ministry, Nityanand Rai said that the bill ensures that foreign funds are not utilized to tamper the social fabric or disturb the internal security in the country.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He said, the legislation will bring transparency in the transaction of foreign contributions and their usage.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Bill seeks to amend the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 which regulates the acceptance and utilisation of foreign contribution by individuals, associations, NGOs and companies in the country.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The bill adds public servants among the list of entities prohibited to accept any foreign contribution which already includes election candidates, editor or publisher of a newspaper, judges, government servants, members of any legislature, and political parties, among others.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The bill prohibits transfer of foreign contribution received by any entity in the country to any other person, association, or company.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Aadhaar number of office bearers, directors or key functionaries of the entity receiving foreign contributions has been made mandatory as per the bill.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Under the provisions of the bill, entities can receive foreign contributions in their FCRA account opened at the designated branch of State Bank of India in New Delhi.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The bill also empowers the government to restrict usage of the unutilised foreign contribution fund in case of contraventions to the provisions of the bill.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Congress members Anto Antony and Tarun Gogoi and TMC members Saugata Roy and Mahua Moitra opposed the bill and demanded that the bill  be referred to a parliamentary standing committee for further consideration.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">BJD and JDU were among the political parties which extended their support.</span>