NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 17: In an unusual move, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has nominated two Rajya Sabha members as special invitees to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026.
According to a Lok Sabha bulletin issued on Wednesday, Javed Ali Khan and James Pangsang Kongkal Sangma have been nominated as special invitees to the 31-member joint committee.
The nominations were made ahead of the committee’s first meeting scheduled for Friday.
Former Lok Sabha Secretary General P.D.T. Achary explained that under Rule 299 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, MPs who are not members of a select or joint committee may attend its deliberations but cannot address the committee or sit among its regular members.
He said special invitees may be included when their expertise or specific interests are considered relevant to the committee’s work. Such invitees can attend meetings and sit alongside officials, but do not have the same status as members of the committee.
The 31-member JPC was constituted earlier this month after Parliament referred the FCRA Amendment Bill to the panel for detailed examination. The committee comprises 21 Lok Sabha members and 10 Rajya Sabha members.
The Bill was referred to the JPC following demands from opposition parties for its withdrawal. The committee, chaired by BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal, will examine the proposed amendments and their provisions before preparing its report.
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act governs the acceptance and utilisation of foreign contributions by individuals, associations and organisations in India. The proposed amendments are now under detailed consideration by the parliamentary panel.
