Domestic contributions to the PM CARES Fund declined by 30 per cent to nearly Rs 479 crore in the 2024-25 financial year, while overseas donations fell 18 per cent to Rs 92.8 lakh, according to the fund's latest audit report.
Despite the drop in contributions, the fund's total balance increased to Rs 8,452 crore as of March 31, 2025, compared with Rs 7,173 crore at the end of the previous financial year.
Of the total amount, around Rs 7,846 crore was held in fixed deposits, while approximately Rs 605 crore was kept in savings bank accounts, the report said.
The PM CARES Fund received Rs 681.8 crore in domestic contributions during 2023-24, significantly higher than the amount collected in 2024-25. Foreign contributions also fell from Rs 1.13 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 92.8 lakh in the latest financial year.
Audited statements available on the PM CARES Fund website show that domestic voluntary contributions were at their highest at Rs 7,184 crore in 2020-21. The figure dropped to Rs 1,896 crore in 2021-22 and then fell further to Rs 909 crore in 2022-23.
Foreign contributions have witnessed an even steeper decline. They peaked at Rs 495 crore in 2020-21 before dropping to Rs 40 crore in 2021-22 and Rs 2.57 crore in 2022-23. The latest figure of Rs 92.8 lakh is the second-lowest recorded since the fund's inception, after Rs 39.7 lakh in 2019-20.
Expenditure from the fund also dropped considerably in 2024-25. The PM CARES for Children Scheme accounted for Rs 87.8 lakh in spending during the year, compared with Rs 15.37 crore in 2023-24.
Total payments from the fund stood at Rs 87.85 lakh during 2024-25, down sharply from Rs 15.6 crore in the previous financial year.
The Narendra Modi government established the PM CARES Fund to respond to emergencies and distress situations, including the Covid-19 pandemic, and extend assistance to affected people. It was registered as a public charitable trust.
The prime minister serves as the ex-officio chairman of the fund, which is financed entirely through voluntary contributions and does not receive budgetary support.
During the Covid pandemic, the fund was used for strengthening emergency healthcare infrastructure, including the installation of oxygen generation plants and procurement of ventilators for hospitals operated by the central and state governments.
In 2021-22, Rs 1,703 crore was spent on pressure swing adsorption oxygen plants, while Rs 835 crore was allocated for ventilators. The total expenditure that year was nearly Rs 1,938 crore.
Deepika Bhatt is a Deputy News Editor at ABP Live English. With a keen eye on national politics and a firm pulse on what city readers crave, she likes breaking one story at a time. She ensures that news stories provide a comprehensive information package.
For any tips and queries, you can reach out to her at deepikab@abpnetwork.com.
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