Actor Mahesh Babu’s NGO Mahesh Babu Foundation gets FCRA nod

Mahesh Babu, who entered the film industry in the late 1990s, has been an influential celebrity, actively supporting surgeries for children with heart ailments and is vocal about causes like education for girls and women’s empowerment. The Foundation has been providing financial assistance to families with newborn babies with heart ailments, helping poor children afford education, and adopting and developing villages into smart villages.

“Mahesh Babu was inspired to start the foundation after the birth of his son Gautam, who was born prematurely and had to be treated in the NICU for several days. Mahesh Babu’s motivation to support hospitalization and treatment for children came from the fact that there are families who cannot afford expensive treatments. He has funded over 2000+ heart surgeries in collaboration with Andhra Hospitals and Rainbow Hospitals,” it said.

A query has been sent to Mahesh Babu Foundation, based in Hyderabad, Telangana, and its response is awaited.

Data shows that of the approximately 16,248 organisations that have received FCRA registration, 20,724 have been cancelled, and 15,068 have been deemed expired to date.

State-wise breakup of all types of FCRA associations shows that the highest number of FCRA registrations is in Tamil Nadu with 6,735, followed by Maharashtra with 5,424, Andhra Pradesh with 4,264, West Bengal with 4,243, and Karnataka with 3,851.

In May, MHA had amended the rules under the FCRA, and henceforth, NGOs engaged in publication-related activities and receiving foreign contributions will not be able to publish any newsletter and must get a certificate from the Registrar of Newspapers for India stating that it does not circulate any news content.

In a notification, the ministry said under the amended rules, NGOs seeking permission to receive foreign funding must give an undertaking that they will adhere to the Good Practice Guidelines of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Mahender Singh Manral is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. He is known for his impactful and breaking stories. He covers the Ministry of Home Affairs, Investigative Agencies, National Investigative Agency, Central Bureau of Investigation, Law Enforcement Agencies, Paramilitary Forces, and internal security. Prior to this, Manral had extensively reported on city-based crime stories along with that he also covered the anti-corruption branch of the Delhi government for a decade. He is known for his knack for News and a detailed understanding of stories. He also worked with Mail Today as a senior correspondent for eleven months. He has also worked with The Pioneer for two years where he was exclusively covering crime beat. During his initial days of the career he also worked with The Statesman newspaper in the national capital, where he was entrusted with beats like crime, education, and the Delhi Jal Board. A graduate in Mass Communication, Manral is always in search of stories that impact lives. ... Read More

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