Karunya Benevolent Fund
The Karunya Benevolent Fund is a Government of Kerala scheme that pays for the medical treatment of poor patients with serious illnesses. It was set up to be financed by lottery revenue. Today the State Health Agency manages it.
What is the Karunya Benevolent Fund?
The Karunya Benevolent Fund (KBF) is a state fund that helps poor Kerala families pay for serious illness. A family is eligible for ₹2,00,000. The State Health Agency (SHA) manages it.
The Karunya Benevolent Fund began as a scheme of the Kerala lottery department. The fund’s official website, karunya.kerala.gov.in, describes it as a fund raised “through lottery”. Its testimonials page quotes the Director of the lotteries department on the scheme.
The scheme’s present rules come from the Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, a Government of Kerala institution. Its patient welfare page, read on 4 October 2026, lists the KBF with its eligibility and amount. The page names the SHA as the manager.
How is the Karunya Benevolent Fund linked to the Karunya lottery?
The Karunya Benevolent Fund was designed to pay treatment costs from the revenue of the Karunya lottery. The fund’s official website states this link in a quotation. No official source on this page ties the fund to the Karunya Plus lottery.
The KBF website quotes Dr. T.M. Thomas Isaac, then Minister of Finance and Chairman of the fund. He said the scheme financed “treatment expenses of poor sections” from “the revenue earned from Karunya Lottery”. The same page says the fund raises money “through lottery”.
Karunya, meaning compassion, names both the lottery and the fund. The Karunya lottery is drawn every Saturday, under the code KR. Onmanorama described the KBF in 2020 as “run with the profits made from the sale of lottery”.
Which illnesses does the Karunya Benevolent Fund cover?
The Karunya Benevolent Fund covers cancer, haemophilia, kidney disease and heart disease, with palliative care. The fund’s website lists these 4 illnesses in a quotation from the Chief Minister. The scheme targets poor patients facing costly treatment.
- Cancer: treatment costs of poor patients, for example at the Regional Cancer Centre.
- Haemophilia: treatment of the bleeding disorder.
- Kidney disease: treatment of kidney failure.
- Heart disease: cardiac treatment.
- Palliative care: listed with the 4 illnesses on the fund’s website.
The scheme’s benefit list changed when it moved to the State Health Agency in 2020. The current list is held by the SHA and the treating hospital.
Who is eligible for the Karunya Benevolent Fund, and how much does it pay?
A patient is eligible with a family income below ₹3,00,000 a year and no AB-PMJAY-KASP cover. A family is eligible for ₹2,00,000. Government employees are not eligible.
| Condition | Rule on the Regional Cancer Centre page |
|---|---|
| Annual family income | Below ₹3,00,000 |
| Other scheme | Not covered under AB-PMJAY-KASP |
| Government employees | Not eligible |
| Amount | ₹2,00,000 per family |
| Documents | Ration card and Aadhaar card of the patient |
| Where to apply | The treating hospital, in a set form |
| System | Online, on the AB-PMJAY Transaction Management System (TMS) |
| Manager | State Health Agency, Government of Kerala |
These rules are copied from the patient welfare schemes page of rcctvm.gov.in, read on 4 October 2026. Confirm the current amount with the hospital’s scheme desk.
How do you apply for the Karunya Benevolent Fund?
To apply, submit the set form at the treating hospital with the patient’s ration card and Aadhaar. The hospital processes the claim online. The SHA approves it.
- Confirm the family’s annual income is below ₹3,00,000.
- Check that the patient is not covered under AB-PMJAY-KASP.
- Collect the KBF application form at the treating hospital.
- Attach the patient’s ration card and Aadhaar card.
- Submit the form at the hospital, which enters it on the TMS platform.
The fund’s old website still offers application tracking and a card-wise search. Those tools belong to the original lottery-department scheme. New applications follow the hospital route above.
Who runs the Karunya Benevolent Fund now?
The Karunya Benevolent Fund is run by the State Health Agency, Government of Kerala. The scheme moved there from the lottery department in 2020. Two major outlets report that the original scheme ended.
Onmanorama reported on 29 August 2020 that the KBF was to end on 31 August 2020. Its beneficiaries were moving to the Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi (KASP) under the SHA. From 1 September 2020, the benefit covered inpatient treatment at SHA-empanelled hospitals.
The Hindu reported on 9 July 2025 that the scheme had been discontinued. A party youth wing announced protests across Kerala demanding its full restoration. The Regional Cancer Centre page lists the KBF as an SHA scheme today.
How is the Karunya Benevolent Fund different from KASP?
The Karunya Benevolent Fund pays ₹2,00,000 per family, while KASP covers up to ₹5 lakh a year. KBF serves patients outside KASP. Both run on the same TMS platform under the SHA.
| Feature | Karunya Benevolent Fund | AB-PMJAY-KASP |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | ₹2,00,000 per family | Up to ₹5 lakh per year per family |
| Who | Income below ₹3,00,000, not covered by KASP | Families enrolled in KASP |
| Treatment | Applied at the treating hospital | Cashless inpatient, day-care chemotherapy and radiation |
| Manager | State Health Agency | State Health Agency |
The KASP figures come from the same Regional Cancer Centre page. KASP runs jointly with the central AB-PMJAY scheme, as its full name shows. It is a separate scheme from the KBF.
Does buying a Karunya lottery ticket fund the Karunya Benevolent Fund?
The Karunya lottery was created to fund the Karunya Benevolent Fund, according to the fund’s official website. No current official page states how much ticket money reaches the fund today. The fund now runs under the State Health Agency.
The Gazette notification of the Monsoon Bumper 2026 names revenue for welfare and development as the lottery’s purpose. The page on where the lottery money goes explains the split.
The latest Saturday draw is on the Karunya lottery result page, with every prize from the official sheet.
Karunya Benevolent Fund questions
What is the Karunya Benevolent Fund?
A Kerala government fund that helps poor families pay for treating serious illnesses. A family is eligible for ₹2,00,000.
What is the maximum amount of the Karunya Benevolent Fund?
₹2,00,000 per family, according to the Regional Cancer Centre’s patient welfare page.
Who is eligible for the Karunya Benevolent Fund?
Patients whose family income is below ₹3,00,000 a year and who are not covered by AB-PMJAY-KASP. Government employees are excluded.
How do I apply for the Karunya Benevolent Fund?
Apply at the treating hospital in the set form, with the patient’s ration card and Aadhaar card.
Which diseases does the Karunya Benevolent Fund cover?
Cancer, haemophilia, kidney disease and heart disease, according to the fund’s website. Palliative care was listed too.
Who manages the Karunya Benevolent Fund?
The State Health Agency, Government of Kerala. The scheme moved from the lottery department in 2020.
What is the link between the Karunya lottery and the fund?
The fund’s website quotes the then Finance Minister. He said the scheme financed treatment of the poor from Karunya Lottery revenue.
When did the Karunya Benevolent Fund move to the State Health Agency?
On 1 September 2020, according to Onmanorama. The original scheme ended on 31 August 2020.
What is the difference between KBF and KASP?
KBF pays ₹2,00,000 per family for patients outside KASP. KASP covers up to ₹5 lakh a year per family.
What is the Karunya Benevolent Fund website?
karunya.kerala.gov.in. It offers application tracking and a card-wise search from the original scheme.
Is the Karunya Benevolent Fund the same as the Karunya lottery?
No. The Karunya lottery is a weekly Saturday draw. The fund is a medical aid scheme first financed by its revenue.
Is the Karunya Benevolent Fund still running?
Yes, as a State Health Agency scheme, according to the Regional Cancer Centre page. The Hindu reported the original scheme discontinued in 2025.
Can government employees get the Karunya Benevolent Fund?
No. The Regional Cancer Centre page states that government employees are not eligible.
More about Kerala lottery money
- Where Kerala lottery money goes
- Directorate of State Lotteries, Kerala
- History of the Kerala State Lottery
- What is the Kerala State Lottery?
Sources: karunya.kerala.gov.in (official KBF website, read 4 October 2026); Regional Cancer Centre, rcctvm.gov.in, Patient Welfare Schemes (read 4 October 2026); Onmanorama, 29 August 2020; The Hindu, 9 July 2025; Kerala Gazette, G.O.(P) No.58/2026/TAXES. Unofficial site: confirm eligibility with the treating hospital.