PM CARES Fund Reports Rs 8,452 Crore Corpus With Minimal Spending

The PM CARES Fund reported a closing balance of Rs 8,452.06 crore for the financial year ending March 2025, according to audited statements released in August 2026. Despite the substantial corpus, the fund spent only Rs 87.85 lakh during the fiscal year—approximately 0.01% of its total assets—with nearly all expenditures allocated to the PM CARES for Children Scheme.

The fund's growth from Rs 7,173 crore in the previous year was driven by approximately Rs 480 crore in fresh donations and Rs 475 crore earned in interest from fixed deposits and savings accounts. However, contributions have declined, with domestic donations falling 30% to Rs 479.05 crore and foreign donations dropping 18% to Rs 92.8 lakh.

Opposition leaders and transparency activists have criticized the government for leaving these funds idle during natural disasters. Pawan Khera of the Indian National Congress denounced the lack of spending while communities suffer, and activist Anjali Bharadwaj questioned the secrecy surrounding the fund. Specific concerns were raised regarding Rs 324.66 crore in refunds from unnamed implementing agencies that lacked detailed documentation. The Government of India maintains that the fund is a public charitable trust and is not subject to the Right to Information Act because it receives private donations.