Kerala High Court quashes FCRA renewal denial for two NGOs

The Kerala High Court has set aside the central government's refusal to renew the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registrations of two non-governmental organizations, ruling that their alleged financial support for protests against the Vizhinjam port project did not constitute an illegal diversion of foreign funds. The decision, delivered by Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas on August 11, 2026, found the government's rejection orders to be arbitrary and illegal.

The two affected organizations, Kerala Social Service Forum and Save a Family Plan India, had held FCRA registrations since 1985. Their applications for renewal, submitted in 2021, were rejected by the Union government in 2023. The authorities cited a central security agency report alleging the NGOs had financially supported fisherfolk protests against the Rs 7,500-crore Adani-led Vizhinjam multipurpose seaport project in Thiruvananthapuram. The protests, which began in 2022, were driven by concerns that the project would cause coastal erosion and damage local livelihoods.

In its ruling, the court emphasized that the right to peaceful protest is constitutionally protected. It held that even if financial support had...