The Delhi High Court, under the stewardship of Justice Sanjeev Narula, has called for a response from the Centre regarding the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration renewal request by the Yuvraj Singh Foundation, a charitable organization spearheaded by the former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh. The court has scheduled a hearing for January 30, 2025, and has directed the authorities to resolve the NGO’s revision plea by then.
The Yuvraj Singh Foundation, known for its philanthropic work in healthcare and education for underprivileged cancer patients, particularly children, has faced significant bureaucratic delays. Initially applying for FCRA renewal on January 13, 2023, the NGO encountered a setback when their application was rejected on March 4, 2024, through a non-speaking order, which means the reasons for the rejection were not disclosed.
The NGO’s legal representatives, advocates Devadipta Das, Chaitanya Poonia, Nainshree Goyal, and Raghav Bherwani, argued that the organization was not given a fair hearing before the rejection. Following this, a revision petition was filed on March 21, 2024, with the appellate authority, which remains unresolved.
In their plea, the NGO emphasized its ongoing challenges with the FCRA authorities, noting that despite continuous communication, there has been no progress. This stalemate has prevented the foundation from accessing and utilizing foreign contributions that are crucial for their projects. These funds are intended to support their extensive work in providing monetary assistance for cancer treatment and education, spreading breast cancer awareness, and conducting free screenings across India.