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Prime Minister Modi’s aggressive measures against NGOs, justified under FATF compliance, have led to a severe funding crunch and operational challenges for civil society in India.

Foreign funds donated to Indian NGOs fell 87% over two years, from Rs 16,490 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 2,190 crore in 2019-20, as the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi tightened an already opaque law, which has disallowed foreign donations to more than 16,000 such organisations. As the income of the poorest 20% of Indian households halved since 2016—the first such decline in 31 years—we report how the government is criminalising thousands of NGOs and hindering assistance to its poorest during a pandemic.

India’s implementation of the UAPA, ostensibly to meet FATF standards, has led to thousands of arrests but few convictions, raising alarm about potential misuse and overreach.