What is FCRA 2.0 portal and e-OCI system? Amit Shah launched new digital platforms: Here's what changes
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Union Home Minister Amit Shah launches the FCRA 2.0 Portal and Electronic Overseas Citizen of India (e-OCI) Card. Photograph: (ANI)
The Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Scheme, introduced in August 2005, allows eligible Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) to register as OCI cardholders if they were Indian citizens on or after January 26, 1950, or were eligible to become Indian citizens on that date.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the FCRA 2.0 portal and the e-OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) system on Tuesday (June 30). The portal has been hosted on the National Government Cloud (Meghraj), which provides features such as process restructuring, an integrated dashboard, Aadhaar-based authentication, OCR-based document analysis and e-sign facility. At present, there are nearly 14,500 active FCRA organisations in India, receiving approximately 15,000 to 20,000 applications and around 17,000 annual returns.
What are the FCRA 2.0 portal and e-OCI system?
The FCRA 2.0 portal has been designed and developed to solve compliance issues and strengthen monitoring as well as enforcement mechanisms under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act. All significant processes, including applications, renewals, annual returns, and other services, have now been fully digitised.
In the e-OCI system, applicants can complete the entire OCI process online by submitting an application, uploading supporting documents, and downloading a digitally generated card upon approval. Meanwhile, the existing cardholders can receive their e-OCI card digitally, without a new application or physical verification. Under this system, the need to re-issue an OCI booklet upon obtaining a new passport after the age of 20 has been removed; however, cardholders will be required to upgrade their passport details online after issuance of a new passport.
The Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Scheme, introduced in August 2005, allows eligible Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) to register as OCI cardholders if they were Indian citizens on or after January 26, 1950, or were eligible to become Indian citizens on that date. However, the scheme does not apply to individuals who are or have been citizens of Pakistan, Bangladesh, or any other country specifically notified by the Central Government.
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Meanwhile, the launch of the FCRA 2.0 portal follows closely on the heels of the Home Ministry's notification of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Rules, 2026. The revised rules establish a more detailed framework defining permissible activities under the religious category while also strengthening compliance requirements for organisations that receive foreign contributions in India.
The amendment updates the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules, 2011, and introduces a separate schedule specifying activities that qualify for registration under religious purposes. These include the construction, renovation, upkeep, and maintenance of places of worship such as temples, mosques, churches, gurdwaras, monasteries, synagogues, and other religious institutions.
The schedule also permits preservation, printing, translation and digitisation of sacred scriptures and commentaries, support for institutions engaged in the study of religious philosophy and history, and provision of amenities for pilgrims, including drinking water, sanitation and shelter facilities at heritage religious sites. It further allows the establishment of dharamshalas, langars, annadans and community kitchens under religious initiatives.
