The PMO announced on Wednesday that Ratan Tata, the current chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, K T Thomas, a former Supreme Court judge, and Kariya Munda, a former deputy Lok Sabha speaker, would serve as trustees of the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations(PM CARES) Fund.
Two additional members of the board of trustees are Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the PM CARES Fund the day before, where it was discussed that the project has a bigger perspective on successfully reacting to emergency and distress circumstances, the announcement was made.
Selection of trustees
“The Prime Minister welcomed the trustees for being an integral component of the PM CARES Fund,” the PMO stated in a statement.
On Tuesday, the trustees resolved to select Rajiv Mehrishi, a former Comptroller and Auditor General, Sudha Murthy, a former chairperson of the Infosys Foundation, and Anand Shah, the co- founder of Teach for India, to serve on an advisory board of the Fund.
During the 2020 pandemic caused by the Covid-19 virus, the PM CARES Fund was established to help those in need.
In legal terms, it is a Public Charitable Trust. All donations are 100% deductible from Income Tax, and the Prime Minister serves as the organization’s de facto chairman.
Dilemma behind selection of Trustees
Kallupurackal Thomas Thomas, who was born in India on 30 January 1937, is a former judge who was a member of the Supreme Court of India. He is well-known for his strong opinions on various issues pertaining to Indian society and politics.
The Indian government recognised his contributions to the advancement of humanitarian causes by bestowing upon him the Padma Bhushan honour in 2007. In the case involving the killing of Rajiv Gandhi, Justice Thomas presided over the Supreme Court bench that issued a verdict of guilty and confirmed the death sentence.
Thomas, 85, a judge in the highest court from 1996 to 2002, said he had previously advised the PMO that it would be impossible for him to physically attend meetings in New Delhi owing to age-related concerns, but consented when the Prime Minister assured him that the conferences would be held online.
To begin with, I stated that it would be tough for me to physically be in Delhi at this time. It will be held virtually, Prime Minister Modi declared.
And I mentioned my worries about the language barrier. Being from southern India, I will have trouble following the meetings if they are held in Hindi. I spoke with him, and he assured me that all meetings will be conducted in English, as Thomas put it.
The PMO put the formation of an advisory body high on its list of priorities and offered up a list of potential members. “Three names were approved,” Thomas said.
About PM CARES Fund
To that end, Prime Minister Modi used the meeting to thank the people of India for their generous donations to the PM CARES Fund.
A statement said that “Trustees appreciated the role played by the fund at a crucial time for the country,” specifically the PM CARES for Children scheme, which is providing aid to 4,345 children.
The programme to assist children who had suffered the loss of both biological and legal parents as a result of the Covid-19 virus was initiated on May 29 of the previous year.
According to the PMO, their significant experience working in the public sector would infuse the fund with fresh vigour and allow it better adapt to the varied requirements of individuals.
The Prime Minister has stated that the addition of new Trustees and Advisors will allow for a more diverse set of perspectives to be considered in the operation of the PM CARES Fund.
“A significant portion of the fund’s initial 14,000 crore was disbursed to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. The precise sum was demonstrated during the talk… To date, Thomas reports that 8,000,000,000 rupees remain in the fund.
