THE Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), a Delhi-based NGO that aims to strengthen training, research and policy development in public health, has been barred from receiving foreign funds including from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). This story is from April 20, 2017

NEW DELHI: The government has revoked the registration of Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), an NGO funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, under the Foreign Contributions (Regulation) Act over alleged misuse of foreign funds for anti-tobacco lobbying, in violation of FCRA norms.The home ministry’s revocation of renewal of PHFI’s FCRA licence has rendered it ineligible to receive any funding from abroad. Headed by noted public health expert K Srinath Reddy, PHFI — it was launched by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2006 — provides technical assistance to Central and State Governments in several areas ranging from HIV prevention, access to drugs, tobacco control and immunization to environmental health, universal health coverage, public health cadre development and capacity building of primary care physicians. A source said the main FCRA violation charge against the NGO, which has also worked in partnership with the ministry of health and family welfare, is that it had used foreign funds totalling Rs 43 crore to lobby with parliamentarians, media and government on tobacco control issues, which is not one of the five permitted activities under FCRA.The five permitted activities for which NGOs can receive foreign contributions include social, cultural, religious, educational and economic. It was further alleged that PHFI had opened bank accounts which were not disclosed to the ministry and had “misreported” foreign donations received over the past three years. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation accounted for nearly one-third of its foreign funding, USAID for around 10%, while the remaining donors included some leading western pharmaceutical companies such as GlaxoSmithKline.PHFI, in a release issued on Wednesday, said it had received a notification from the home ministry regarding renewal of its FCRA Registration. Certain observations have been made by the Ministry on utilisation of funds related to PHFI's projects on tobacco, HIV/AIDS and its financial reports," a PHFI spokesperson told Indian Express. PHFI has submitted the requisite information and documents to the MHA on the observations raised in the notification and provided the needed clarifications…PHFI is seeking an early resolution of the issue and continuation of the FCRA registration, based on the clarifications provided.”

Reddy was quoted by PTI as saying: “We have submitted all relevant documents and information to the ministry and are now waiting for a response.” According to the PHFI’s website, the chairman of the executive committee of its governing body is Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy and members include former deputy chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Health Secretary C K Mishra.
The Government of India revokes the Public Health Foundation of India's registration, allegedly for foreign-funded lobbying practices.