The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, will hold its first meeting on Friday, where it will be briefed by the representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs on the proposed legislation.Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha Secretariat on September 16 nominated Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha MP Javed Ali Khan and NPP MP in the Upper House James Pangsang Kongkal Sangma, as special invitees to the Joint Parliamentary Committee.The 31-member JPC was constituted earlier this month after Parliament referred the Bill to it for detailed examination. The panel comprises of 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha.The Bill was referred to the JPC amid the Opposition’s demand for its withdrawal. Headed by BJP’s Sanjay Jaiswal, the committee will examine the provisions of the Bill threadbare before coming out with a report.The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25, but was sent to the JPC on August 12 during the monsoon session amid protests by the Opposition over its provisions, especially related to a proposed Centre-appointed authority, which will take over assets created through foreign donations if an organisation failed to retain its FCRA licence.Many opposition parties, including the Congress, church bodies and other organisations, have opposed the provision, arguing that it goes against the rights of minority institutions to receive charity.In the US too, the Bill has evoked concern, with a lawmaker Riley Moore on August 4 saying in the Congress that the amendments to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) would permit the Indian government to takeover churches and religious charities and would amount to “clear attack against Christians”.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata during his India visit in May, had led to speculations over the US’ views on protecting interests of Christian organisations.