India clamps down on Ford Foundation, puts organization on watch list

NEW DELHI, April 23 (UPI) -- India put the Ford Foundation on a watch list Thursday, obliging the New York-based organization to seek government approval before funding projects in India.

The Home Ministry said the Foundation, which has a $11 billion endowment and a mission to "enhance human welfare," must direct its resources only after proper clearances. The order came after the Ministry discovered non-government organizations (NGOs) in India have been using Ford Foundation funding without filing proper statements, balance sheets and annual reports to the government.

The Ministry, which said in a statement it seeks to guarantee funds are used for "bona fide welfare activities without compromising on concerns of national interest and welfare," has blocked about $5 million in funding from the Foundation thus far, a source told the Indian broadcaster NDTV.

NGOs have come under scrutiny by the administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the past year after India's Intelligence Bureau reported funding has been put to use by opposition groups campaigning against electric power, mining and genetically modified food projects and allegedly harming India's economic growth.

The NGO Greenpeace India had its Foreign Contribution Act license suspended, effectively barring it from receiving foreign funding.