What happened
Madras High Court's Madurai Bench denied FCRA registration to religious organisations engaged in converting people between faiths, citing Section 12(4)(a)(ii) FCRA.
Why it matters
FCRA registration is now barred for any religious organisation whose activities involve conversion, applying uniformly across all faiths.
Remember this
Conversion-focused religious trusts — Christian, Hindu or otherwise — cannot obtain FCRA registration under the Madras High Court ruling.
More context & who is affected
A Division Bench of Justices G R Swaminathan and M D Sumathi classified Zen Buddhism as a variant of the Mahayana school, rejecting the Kanzeon Public Charitable Trust's application from Kodaikanal — founded in 2021 by Rev Fr Ama Samy S J and rejected in November 2025.
The court distinguished religious institutions from cultural-educational bodies teaching Vedanta, Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Yoga and IKS through structured classes, which it said cannot be classified as religious.
Citing Noel Harper v. UOI (2023), the bench held that FCRA registration is a privilege, not a right, and that organisations practising Ghar Wapsi are equally ineligible.
- Case
- CMA(MD) No. 1057 of 2026 Kanzeon Public Charitable Trust v. Union of India, Madurai BenchMadras High Court (Courtbook)
- Date
- 6 October 2026 Judgment pronounced 06.10.2026, reserved on 01.10.2026Madras High Court (Courtbook)
- Legal basis
- Section 12(4)(a)(ii) FCRA Specifically refers to conversion from one religious faith to another; applies to all religious organisationsMadras High Court (Courtbook)
Legal framework
The ruling clarifies that FCRA registration is a privilege, not a right, and that the conversion bar under Section 12(4)(a)(ii) applies equally to all religious organisations regardless of faith.
Legal Professionals
FCRA registration now barred for any religious organisation engaged in conversion, setting a uniform standard across all faiths.
General Public
Faith-based trusts and NGOs relying on foreign donations face registration denial if their activities involve religious conversion.
Reporting fromThe Times of India ↗Madras High Court (Courtbook) ↗
Sources & verification2 sources · 4 claims
These are the records behind this briefing. Linked reporting is not the same as independent confirmation.
- The Times of IndiaReporting
No FCRA for outfits engaged in conversions, rules Madras high court ↗
Published Oct 7, 2026 · Accessed Oct 8, 2026 - Madras High Court (Courtbook)Filing
Kanzeon Public Charitable Trust v. Union of India, CMA(MD) No. 1057 of 2026 ↗
Published Oct 6, 2026 · Accessed Oct 8, 2026
Claims and linked sources
Madras High Court ruled that religious organisations engaged in converting people of one faith to another shall be denied FCRA registration.
Kanzeon Public Charitable Trust, Kodaikanal, founded in 2021 by Rev Fr Ama Samy S J, sought FCRA registration which was rejected in November 2025.
The bench classified Zen Buddhism as a variant of Mahayana Buddhist School, making the trust a religious organisation ineligible for FCRA.
Supreme Court in Noel Harper v. UOI (2023) held there is no vested right to accept foreign donations; FCRA registration is a privilege, not a right.
