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Exclusive | Citing rules, PMO tells Lok Sabha Secretariat: No questions on PM CARES, relief and defence funds

February 09, 2026 5 min read Polity & Governance GS2 (Parliament Transparency Accountability Constitutional Bodies)
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What Happened

  • In a communication dated January 30, 2026, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) directed the Lok Sabha Secretariat that questions, Zero Hour notices, and Special Mentions relating to three funds — the PM CARES Fund, the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF), and the National Defence Fund (NDF) — are inadmissible in the Lok Sabha.
  • The PMO cited Rules 41(2)(viii) and 41(2)(xvii) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha as the legal basis, arguing that these funds are not primarily within the Government of India's administrative domain as they are financed through voluntary public contributions and are not part of the Consolidated Fund of India.
  • Parliamentary experts described the PMO's intervention as highly unusual — preemptive instructions from a government body to the independent Lok Sabha Secretariat on entire categories of questions are rare.
  • Critics argued the move further shrinks the already limited parliamentary oversight available over PM CARES, which has also been exempt from RTI disclosures and CAG audit.
  • The directive renewed controversy over the transparency and accountability of PM CARES Fund, established in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Static Topic Bridges

The PM CARES (Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations) Fund was established on March 27, 2020, registered as a public charitable trust under the Registration Act, 1908. It was created to provide relief during the COVID-19 pandemic and other emergencies, funded entirely by voluntary contributions from individuals, corporations, and foreign entities. PM CARES is not part of the Consolidated Fund of India — the government's primary public account — which means it does not receive budget appropriations and is not subject to the same audit regime. The fund's legal status has been contested: while the Government of India has described it as being owned and controlled by the government, the Trust Deed characterises it as a private trust. The fund is also not subject to RTI disclosures, as the PMO maintains it is not a "public authority" under the Right to Information Act, 2005. The Delhi High Court has observed that the fund has privacy rights under the RTI Act.

  • Established on March 27, 2020; trust deed registered under Registration Act, 1908.
  • Not part of the Consolidated Fund of India; funded by voluntary public contributions.
  • Ex-officio trustees are the Prime Minister (Chairperson), Home Minister, Finance Minister, and Defence Minister.
  • Exempt from CAG audit and from RTI disclosures; status under RTI sub judice in courts.
  • Unlike PMNRF (established 1948), PM CARES was set up without parliamentary authorisation.

Connection to this news: The PMO directive barring Lok Sabha questions on PM CARES adds a further layer of insulation from parliamentary accountability to a fund that is already outside the RTI, CAG audit, and consolidated budget frameworks — compounding concerns about transparency.

Parliamentary Questions — Mechanism and Significance

Parliamentary questions are a primary accountability tool through which members of Parliament scrutinise government action. Questions addressed to ministers are listed in the Order Paper and answered during Question Hour (first hour of each sitting). Starred Questions receive oral answers; Unstarred Questions receive written replies. Beyond Question Hour, Zero Hour (unofficial) allows members to raise urgent matters of national importance, and Short Notice Questions allow questions on urgent public issues. The admissibility of questions is governed by Rules 41-43 of the Lok Sabha Rules of Procedure: questions must relate to matters within the primary responsibility of the Ministry concerned. Rule 41(2) lists grounds for inadmissibility, including questions about matters outside government's primary concern and matters under court adjudication.

  • Question Hour is held during the first hour of Parliament sitting; Starred Questions get oral answers from ministers.
  • Rules 41(2)(viii) and 41(2)(xvii) — cited by PMO — relate to inadmissibility of questions on matters not primarily within the government's administrative domain.
  • The Lok Sabha Speaker has final authority to admit or disallow questions; the Secretariat processes admissibility screening.
  • Zero Hour (12 noon to 1 PM) is used for urgent matters; no prior notice is required but the Speaker selects which matters are taken up.

Connection to this news: The PMO's preemptive instruction to the Secretariat on entire categories of questions — rather than individual questions being ruled inadmissible on a case-by-case basis — is what parliamentary experts found unusual, as this function is ordinarily exercised by the Speaker and Secretariat independently.

Consolidated Fund of India and Parliamentary Financial Oversight

India's public financial architecture is built around three funds under Article 266 and Article 267 of the Constitution: the Consolidated Fund of India (into which all government revenues and expenditures flow, subject to parliamentary appropriation), the Contingency Fund of India (for unforeseen expenditures, Parliament-authorised), and the Public Account of India (for deposits and other moneys not owned by the government). Parliamentary financial control requires that no money shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund without parliamentary appropriation (Articles 112-117). This design ensures that all public expenditure is subject to budget scrutiny, debate, and CAG audit. Funds that are not part of the Consolidated Fund — such as PM CARES — fall outside this parliamentary oversight architecture, making the Question Hour route one of the few remaining mechanisms for public accountability.

  • Article 112: Annual Financial Statement (Union Budget) must be presented to Parliament; all expenditure from Consolidated Fund requires Appropriation Act.
  • Article 148-151: Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audits receipts and expenditure from the Consolidated Fund.
  • PM CARES and PMNRF are not in the Consolidated Fund and hence are not subject to CAG audit.
  • Courts have repeatedly been petitioned for CAG audit of PM CARES; the Supreme Court in 2020 declined to order a CAG audit.

Connection to this news: Since PM CARES falls outside the Consolidated Fund (no budget line, no CAG audit) and outside RTI (no information disclosure), parliamentary questions represented the last remaining avenue for parliamentary oversight — and the PMO directive effectively closes this avenue as well.

Key Facts & Data

  • PM CARES Fund established: March 27, 2020.
  • PMO's directive to Lok Sabha Secretariat: dated January 30, 2026.
  • Rules cited: Rules 41(2)(viii) and 41(2)(xvii), Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.
  • Three funds covered by the directive: PM CARES, PMNRF (established 1948), National Defence Fund.
  • PM CARES is not part of the Consolidated Fund; funded entirely by voluntary contributions.
  • Fund is exempt from RTI Act disclosures and CAG audit.
  • Ex-officio trustees of PM CARES: PM (Chairperson), Home Minister, Finance Minister, Defence Minister.
  • PMNRF was established in 1948 by PM Jawaharlal Nehru after partition-related displacement; it predates PM CARES by over 70 years.