HM Amit Shah Launches FCRA 2.0 Portal, e-OCI Card
Home Minister says digital initiatives will strengthen transparency, ease compliance and enhance national security
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, June 30: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday launched the FCRA 2.0 Portal and the e-OCI Card, describing the two digital initiatives as major steps towards strengthening transparency, improving citizen services and enhancing national security through technology-driven governance.
Launching the platforms in New Delhi, Shah said the initiatives reflect the government’s commitment to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance.” He said governance becomes easier for honest citizens and stricter against wrongdoers when policies are transparent, intentions are clear and technology is effectively integrated.
The Home Minister said the revamped FCRA 2.0 Portal has been developed to simplify compliance under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) by making the entire process—from applications and renewals to annual returns and related services—fully digital.
He noted that before 2014 the FCRA system relied heavily on paperwork and lacked effective monitoring. With the increasing volume of foreign contributions and applications, he said reducing paperwork while ensuring real-time monitoring has become essential for safeguarding national security.
According to Shah, the portal incorporates features such as Aadhaar-based authentication, e-Sign, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), integrated dashboards, and connectivity with major databases including PAN, Aadhaar, OCI, NGO Darpan and the ICAI’s UDIN system. Hosted on the government’s MeghRaj cloud platform, the system is also expected to enhance data security.
He added that an AI-powered chatbot, a mobile application and a dedicated online dashboard for banks will be introduced in the coming months to further improve user experience.
The Home Minister also launched the e-OCI Card, calling it a major citizen-centric reform that will benefit more than 50 lakh Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders worldwide.
Under the new system, applicants will be able to complete the entire OCI process online, including application submission, document upload and downloading the digitally generated card after approval. Existing OCI cardholders will also be able to obtain digital cards without requiring fresh applications in most cases.
Shah said the new arrangement eliminates the requirement to reissue the OCI booklet whenever a new passport is issued after the age of 20 years. Cardholders will now only need to update passport details online, while digital verification will reduce the risk of document loss, improve identity verification and facilitate faster immigration clearance.
The government said the FCRA 2.0 Portal will simplify compliance for nearly 14,500 registered organisations handling foreign contributions, improve monitoring of funds, reduce administrative costs and strengthen transparency through technology-enabled governance.
Describing both initiatives as milestones in digital public service delivery, Shah said they would create a more transparent, secure and citizen-friendly governance framework while reinforcing India’s digital transformation efforts.
