Why in the news
The fund published overdue accounts, which show it spent very little in FY25 compared with what it earned.
FY25 figures
| Item | Amount |
|---|
| Income | ₹1,279.9 crore |
| Expenditure | ₹87.85 lakh |
| Closing balance | ₹8,452.06 crore |
About PM CARES
- Full form: Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund.
- Nature: a national charitable trust for relief and rehabilitation in health crises and disasters.
- Set up: 27 March 2020, New Delhi, under the Registration Act, 1908, after COVID-19.
- Purpose: a flexible corpus for health infrastructure, medical research and direct relief.
Features
- Trustees: Prime Minister as ex-officio chair; Defence, Home and Finance Ministers as ex-officio trustees; nominated eminent trustees serve pro bono.
- Tax: 100% exemption under Section 80G, Income Tax Act, 1961.
- CSR: gifts count under Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013.
- FCRA: exempt, with a dedicated account for foreign donations, like PMNRF.
PM CARES versus PMNRF
| Point | PM CARES | PMNRF |
|---|
| Origin | 2020, emergency and pandemic response | 1948, Nehru, for Partition refugees |
| Use of money | Health infrastructure, research, wider relief | Calamity relief and medical treatment |
| Shared traits | Charitable trusts with 80G exemption and foreign donations | Same |
Exam angle
- Registration year: 2020 (27 March).
- Chair: Prime Minister, ex-officio.
- Tax section: 80G; CSR schedule: VII.