Born as an outcome of the Novel COVID-19 pandemic, the PM Cares Fund was created on March 28, 2020. Within seven days of the launch of this fund, it managed to gather a rather hefty donation from people from all walks of life, including celebrities, private sector workers and politicians. The PM Cares (Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance & Relief in Emergency Situations) Fund, unlike the PMNRF (Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund), has a more national character. Read ahead to find out all there is to know about making a donation to the PM Cares Fund, why PM CARES and not PMNRF, why one should donate and how a PM Cares Account functions.
PM CARES Fund Donation
The PM CARES Fund, as of April 4, 2020, has managed to garner a donation of INR 65,000 Crores from people of all occupations. This fund is a dedicated national fund in place to combat any kind of an emergency situation that causes distress to the nation as a whole, like the global crisis affecting us today- the COVID-19 Outbreak.
While many of the bigger donations to the PM CARES Fund have come from government bodies and India Inc, innumerable smaller contributions have also been made by millions of people. The Tata Group has pledged to donate INR 1500 Crore, while the Aziz Premji Foundation has donated INR 1,000 Crore. The Army, Navy, Air Force, defence PSUs and employees of the defence industry have collaborated on a donation of INR 500 Crore.
The PM Cares Fund has been praised not only for its national character, but also for accepting micro-donations, as low as INR 10. These provisions show that the setting up of the fund has not only been aimed at gathering financial support to fight the Coronavirus outbreak, but also to help instil the feeling of nationalism amongst the poorest of the poor, showing them that even if they contribute Rs. 10, their donation is worthy, and will help in achieving a COVID-19-free India.
Why PM Cares and not PMNRF?
The aim of PMNRF is to provide aid to those individuals or families who have experienced loss or distress due to any natural calamities like floods, earthquakes or tsunamis, or victims of major riots or accidents. On the other hand, the PM Cares is a national fund, aimed for the health and welfare of the nation as a whole, thus gaining identification as a security blanket in these times of uncertainty.
Another factor that makes PM Cares better than PMNRF is that while the former accepts donations as low as Rs. 10, the latter requires a donation of at least Rs.100. In a country like India suffering from abject poverty since time immemorial, the minimum donation amount certainly plays a key factor in reviewing the success of the fund.
PM CARES not only stands for providing relief to those affected by some public health emergency; part of the donations is also used for supporting research. It can also be utilised for ramping up the pharmaceutical infrastructure and healthcare services available to all within the country. On the other hand, funds present in the PMNRF are restricted only to providing relief to those affected.
Last but not the least, the PM Cares Fund has also managed to expand the categories of donors who can contribute to it. These include Members of Parliament, who have pledged to contribute INR 365 Crores from MPLADS to combat the COVID-19 Outbreak. The PMNRF stands at a disadvantage on this platform, since it does not allow any donations that come from the government budget.
PM Cares also accepts foreign donations, which is not true in the case of PMNRF.
As of April 4, 2020, the PM CARES Fund has received more than three times the combined donations made to the PMNRF between 2014-15 and 2018-19 i.e. INR 2,1190 Crores.
Why Donate to PM Cares?
In these times of uncertainty, one will often come across the question “Why donate?”. This is justified, since we’re not getting to know about any tangible outcome from the money we are contributing. However, in this global crisis, we need to realise that this is not an individual fight- we are fighting together as a nation- especially India, which is home to a majority proportion of those who are poor and illiterate. In setting up of this Fund, special care has been taken to discourage income disparities, with the Prime Minister emphasising that each donation, be it for Rs. 10 or Rs. 10 Crore, is equally important in our battle against this global pandemic.
This Fund not only ensures a fair opportunity open to all, it also ensures our safety and upliftment as a nation, and is not reserved for the wealthy and famous. Once this fund is used to support the research and healthcare sectors, one can expect significant improvements. In terms of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Fund can help not only in the development of a preventive vaccine, but also in the provision of basic necessities like face masks, hand sanitizers, food grains and shelter for the poor and so on. If utilised per plan, PM CARES can play a key role in overturning the ill-effects of COVID-19, which include a nationwide lockdown, loss of several jobs and mass migration of labourers from the urban to rural areas.
An additional advantage is that donations to this Fund will be exempt from income tax under Section 80 (G).
PM CARES Account:
Citizens and organizations, both within India and abroad, can contribute to the PM Cares Account in the following ways:
- Step One: Go to pmindia.gov.in
- Step Two: Donate 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
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought us to a halt that we could’ve never imagined. Thus, making a PM CARES Fund donation will not only bring us closer to our fellow Indians, but will also give us a sense of fulfilment as we’ll be doing our bit, even if it is from inside a locked home. The PM CARES Fund has been set up in such a manner so as to be more beneficial than the PMNRF, giving us all the right reasons why we should donate. Now that you’re all caught up with this national fund, go back to the PM Cares Account details and make your contribution! Big or small, every penny matters.