PM Narendra Modi announces Prime Minister’s-CARES Fund for people to contribute to combat coronavirus COVID-19 challenge

In another step to combat the challenge of coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund’ (PM CARES Fund), a public charitable trust. The fund has been set up so that the people who want to contribute can do so by following a few simple steps which will help the government tide over the major COVID-19 hurdle. While the Prime Minister is the Chairman of this trust, its members include Defence Minister, Home Minister and Finance Minister.

The pandemic of COVID-19 has engulfed the entire world and has posed serious challenges for the health and economic security of millions of people worldwide. In India too, the spread of coronavirus has been alarming and is posing severe health and economic ramifications for our country. The Prime Minister’s office has been receiving spontaneous and innumerable requests for making generous donations to support the government in the wake of this emergency. 

Distress situations, whether natural or otherwise, demand expeditious and collective action for alleviating the suffering of those affected, mitigation/control of damage to infrastructure and capacities etc. Therefore, building capacities for quick emergency response and effective community resilience has to be done in tandem with infrastructure and institutional capacity reconstruction/enhancement.  Use of new technology and advance research findings also become an inseparable element of such concerted action.

Keeping in mind the need for having a dedicated national fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide relief to the affected, the fund has been started. 

This fund will enable micro-donations as a result of which a large number of people will be able to contribute with the smallest of denominations. Citizens and organisations can go to the website pmindia.gov.in and donate to PM CARES Fund using the following details:

Name of the Account: PM CARES
Account Number: 2121PM20202
IFSC Code: SBIN0000691
SWIFT Code: SBININBB104
Name of Bank & Branch: State Bank of India, New Delhi Main Branch
UPI ID: pmcares@sbi

Following modes of payments are available on the website pmindia.gov.in -

Debit Cards and Credit Cards
Internet Banking
UPI (BHIM, PhonePe, Amazon Pay, Google Pay, PayTM, Mobikwik, etc.)
RTGS/NEFT

Donations to this fund will be exempted from income tax under section 80(G).