Rubio’s Visit to Missionaries of Charity Brings Modi Govt’s FCRA Into Spotlight
New Delhi: The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s diplomatic itinerary to India included a highly publicised visit to the Missionaries of Charity headquarters in Kolkata, which has thrust the stringent Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) back into the spotlight. The visit has drawn fresh international scrutiny towards the Modi government’s administrative framework governing foreign-funded religious and humanitarian organisations.
Just days before Secretary Rubio’s arrival in India, US Representative Chris Smith, Chair of the House Global Human Rights Subcommittee, published an op-ed in The Washington Examiner urging the State Department to raise specific concerns regarding proposed amendments to the FCRA. Smith warned that the impending changes to the law could grant the Modi government sweeping powers to retroactively seize properties, schools and hospitals belonging to foreign-funded NGOs if their administrative licenses are made to lapse.
To underscore his point to Rubio, Smith explicitly pointed to the Missionaries of Charity as a prime example. He noted that under the proposed changes, the order's entire multi-million-dollar infrastructure could have been permanently nationalised and lost during its licensing scare in 2021.
After his visit on Saturday, Rubio wrote on X (formerly Twitter) about the Missionaries of Charity, praising Mother Teresa, its patron and founder, and highlighting her as a living example of the Catholic faith in action.
Mother Teresa left a tremendous legacy of compassion and service. I was honored to visit the Missionaries of Charity today to pay homage to her legacy and to see the living example of the Catholic faith in action. pic.twitter.com/HCiATKgUDc
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) May 23, 2026
On December 25, 2021, the Ministry of Home Affairs refused to renew the organisation's FCRA license, citing unspecified "adverse inputs." The decision froze the charity's foreign funding accounts, cutting off vital resources for hundreds of shelter homes and clinics across the country. Following immense international blowback and domestic criticism, the Modi government restored the order's FCRA status on January 7, 2022.
Rubio’s visit to Mother Teresa’s historic order is thus seen as a message on religious freedom and the protection of civil society assets in India. The visibility of his Kolkata visit ensures that the freedom of global charities to operate in India remains a persistent talking point in the diplomatic dialogue between the Modi government and the Trump administration.
The current anxieties in Washington D.C. focus on the proposed regulatory environment of the Modi government where minor administrative errors or delayed renewals could trigger a permanent takeover of assets by the government. The FCRA law is increasingly being used as a tool of bureaucratic leverage to monitor and restrict the domestic operations of international organisations, impinging upon civil rights, humanitarian causes and freedom religion.
The Modi government has consistently defended the FCRA framework as a necessary national security measure to prevent the use of foreign funds for activities detrimental to national interests.
The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
