The Supreme Court on Tuesday refrained from passing an order on Texas-based Global Peace Initiative’s plea challenging the government’s alleged refusal to renew the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act registration of 6,000 NGOs.

The Centre had informed the court that 11,594 NGOs that had applied for re-registration within the cut-off period had been granted the nod.

“Under the statute, there is a time limit. Approximately 11,000 NGOs have applied for renewal and their registration has been extended,” solicitor-general Tushar Mehta said.

Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing for Global Peace Initiative, had argued that “heavens would not fall” if the licences of the 6,000 NGOs were renewed. The licence allows NGOs to receive and use foreign funds, and Hegde had said their humanitarian work had been affected.

A bench of Justices A.M. Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari and C.T. Ravi Kumar recorded the solicitor-general’s submission and asked the petitioner to approach the authorities.

The bench said no interim order could be passed at this stage since the court was already seized of a writ petition filed earlier by another NGO challenging the amendments to the FCRA regulations.