License of NGO of Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's daughter cancelled Home Ministry action after IT raid

Manishankar Aiyar Daughter's Yamini NGO CPR: The Union Home Ministry on Wednesday cancelled the license of the NGO of Yamini Iyer, daughter of senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar. Yamini Iyer runs an NGO called the Center for Policy Research (CPR). This institution works as a think tank. The Union Home Ministry on Wednesday suspended the FCRA license of the Center for Policy Research (CPR). Yamini Iyer, daughter of Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, is the President and CEO of this NGO. CPR has offices in the capital Delhi as well as in many other cities of the country. This organization basically works for the research of policies. Last year, the Income Tax Department raided this institution. After this now the license CPR has been cancelled under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

CPR is a non-profit organization that also receives grants from the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). CPR is a recognized body of the Department of Science and Technology. Officials said the think tank has been asked to provide clarification and documents regarding the FCRA funds. CPR's FCRA license was last renewed in 2016 and is due for renewal in 2021.

In September last year, the Income Tax Department conducted a three-day search operation at the office of CPR and two more NGOs—Oxfam India, Bengaluru-based non-profit Independent and Public-spirited Media Foundation (IPSMF)—in connection with alleged tax evasion.

Sources in the I-T department had claimed that tax evasion of crores of rupees was detected under the guise of donations to political parties. Entry operators were on the radar of I-T officials. The I-T team had learned from a report by the Election Commission of India that donations were made to some political parties through data entry operators, flouting rules. I-T sources claimed at the time, it was basically fraudulent tax evasion done in the name of donations to political parties.

However, the firm then claimed that it had not done anything illegal. Think tank CPR had said that they fully cooperated with the agency in the raids. Yamini Iyer had said at that time, the Income Tax Department visited our office on September 7 and 8, 2022 to survey the CPR. We gave full cooperation to the department during the survey and will continue to do so in the future.