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PM CARES Fund: Why was it set up and can its money be used to fix schools? Here's what official website says
Dipke said the money lying in the the Fund could potentially be used to build around new schools. Here’s what the charitable trust’s stated objectives say
After Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke questioned the use of the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund on Wednesday, citing its latest audit report, attention has turned to what the fund is actually meant form and whether its money can be used to improve school infrastructure.
According to the latest audit report, the PM CARES Fund stood at ₹8,452 crore as of March 31, 2025, up from ₹7,173 crore a year earlier.
Dipke said the money lying in the fund could potentially be used to build around 1,000 new high-tech model schools.
BJP responded to Dipke's remarks, saying the fund is meant for emergency and disaster relief and cannot be treated as a source of funding for unrelated expenditure. The party said Dipke's remarks reflected "theatrics" rather than a grasp of the basic facts.
BJP also took a swipe at Arvind Kejriwal, asking when he would take Dipke to Punjab to inspect the state's so-called “world-class schools”, claiming that people in Punjab are fed up with the government's claims.
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His remarks came after recent visits to schools, under CJP's 'School Thik Karo' campaign, in rural parts of Maharashtra, where he said he found the condition of several schools to be 'very bad'.
"When I asked the authorities why there were no basic facilities here, I was told that there was a shortage of funds," Dipke said.
He then raised a broader question: "So on one hand, it is being said that there are no funds and on the other hand ₹8,500 crore is lying in the PM CARES Fund. So, should this money not be used for the schools?"
Why was the PM CARES Fund created?
The PM CARES Fund came into existence in 2020, soon after the coronavirus pandemic hit India. According to the PM CARES website, it is a public charitable trust registered on March 27, 2020.
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Its primary objective is to deal with emergency or distress situations, including situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and provide relief to affected people.
The stated objectives of the fund include undertaking and supporting relief or assistance of any kind in connection with a public health emergency or any other emergency, calamity or distress, whether man-made or natural.
The fund can also be used for creating or upgrading healthcare and pharmaceutical facilities, developing other necessary infrastructure, funding relevant research and providing other forms of support.
Another stated objective is to provide financial assistance, grants or payments to affected populations, or take other steps that the Board of Trustees considers necessary.
The objectives also allow the fund to undertake any other activity that is not inconsistent with these stated purposes.
Can PM CARES money be used to repair or build schools?
This is where the question raised by Dipke becomes important. The stated objectives of the PM CARES Fund primarily focus on emergencies, calamities, distress and related relief and assistance. They specifically mention areas such as healthcare infrastructure, pharmaceutical facilities, research and support for affected populations.
The objectives do not specifically mention routine school construction, school repairs or general education infrastructure as a standalone purpose.
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Therefore, whether money from the PM CARES Fund can be used for building or upgrading schools would depend on whether such expenditure can be justified as falling within the fund's stated objectives and approved by its Board of Trustees.
Who manages the PM CARES Fund?
The Prime Minister is the ex-officio Chairman of the PM CARES Fund. The defence minister, home minister and the finance minister are ex-officio Trustees of the fund.
The Prime Minister, as Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, has also nominated two trustees: Justice K.T. Thomas (Retd.) and Kariya Munda, the website mentions.
