PM CARES Fund (Government Schemes & Initiatives)
PM CARES Fund (Government Schemes & Initiatives)
Why In News:
RTI activists pointed out that the PM CARES Fund has not published audited financial statements since FY 2022-23, reviving long-standing questions about its accountability structure.
Source: The Hindu, Page 1, 31 Jul 2026 – 'Activists raise transparency concerns as PM CARES Fund withholds audit statements since FY 2022-23'
What is PM CARES?
Full form: Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund, set up in March 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Governance: The Prime Minister is the ex-officio Chairman; the Home, Defence and Finance Ministers are ex-officio members.
Legal character: Registered as a Public Charitable Trust, not a statutory or government body.
Tax and FCRA treatment: Donations qualify for 100% tax exemption under the Income Tax Act, 1961, and the fund can accept foreign contributions outside standard FCRA restrictions.
Why Is It Controversial?
Not ‘State’ under Article 12: PM CARES has been held to fall outside the RTI Act's ambit since it is not classified as a ‘public authority’.
Private audit: It is audited by SARC & Associates, a private chartered accountancy firm, not the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
Supreme Court stance (2020): The Court declined to direct the transfer of PM CARES funds to the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
Related Funds
PMNRF: The Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) was established in 1948 by Jawaharlal Nehru to assist refugees displaced during the Partition of India.
Current Purpose: Over time, its role has evolved to provide immediate financial assistance to:
Families of those killed in natural disasters such as floods, cyclones, and earthquakes
Victims of major accidents and riots
Funding: Similar to PM CARES, the fund is supported entirely through voluntary public contributions, without any budgetary support.
Transparency Status: Its coverage under the RTI Act remains disputed and is currently sub judice (under judicial consideration).
NDRF: The National Disaster Response Fund is a statutory body under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, subject to CAG audit and the RTI Act.
State-level funds: State Information Commissions have held funds like Kerala's CMDRF and the Punjab CM Relief Fund to be public authorities under the RTI Act.