Kohima, July 12: The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) has urged Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to intervene with the Centre and seek the withdrawal of the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, warning that the legislation could severely affect churches, Christian institutions and civil society organisations engaged in humanitarian and development activities.
In a representation submitted to the Chief Minister, the NBCC said the proposed amendments would have far-reaching implications for faith-based organisations that have partnered the state in education, healthcare, disaster relief, peacebuilding, youth and women’s empowerment, de-addiction programmes and welfare initiatives for more than a century.
Representing 21 Baptist Church Associations, four associate members, 1,626 congregations and over 7.48 lakh baptised members, the NBCC said it recognised the Centre’s authority to regulate foreign contributions in the interests of national security, transparency and accountability. However, it argued that the proposed legislation went beyond reasonable regulation and imposed excessive restrictions on genuine charitable organisations.
The appeal places Nagaland alongside a growing chorus of concern from church bodies across the Northeast over the proposed amendments. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and several Christian organisations in the region have also expressed reservations, saying the Bill could hamper the functioning of NGOs and faith-based institutions that provide critical social services.
The proposed amendment, introduced in the Lok Sabha, seeks to establish a designated authority empowered to take over, manage and dispose of the assets of organisations whose FCRA registration is cancelled, surrendered or otherwise ceases to exist. Critics contend that the provision grants sweeping discretionary powers to the government and could undermine the autonomy of voluntary organisations.
The NBCC urged the Rio government to convey the concerns of Nagaland’s churches and civil society to the Union Government and press for the Bill’s withdrawal before it is enacted.
 has urged Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to intervene with the Centre and seek the withdrawal of the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, warning that the legislation could severely affect churches, Christian institutions and civil society organisations engaged in humanitarian and development activities.){kind=link}