DEC CSR Times

let’s work for a better society

An ExclusivE PublicAtion on corPorAtE sociAl rEsPonsibility & sustAinAbility

DECEMBER 2014 voluME 2 issuE 12 `100

And its contEmPorAry

rElEvAncE to csr And sustAinAbility

Managing EditorHarish Chandra

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RNI: DELENG/2013/49640

december 2014 n volumE 2 n issuE 12

With the notification of Section 135 of the Companies Act 2013 (the Act) in the official Gazette of India, the Government has created an

ecosystem to encourage private sector’s contribution towards social de-velopment through Corporate Social Responsibility. Though spending is not mandatory for the covered private companies, the Act and subsequent rules make it mandatory for them to set-up a CSR committee, develop a CSR policy and report CSR activities and reasons if 2% of net profit has not been spent.

Most of the covered companies have developed or are in process of de-veloping their CSR policy. It is a good opportunity for the companies to invest time in developing their strategic intent for CSR within the overall framework provided in the Act. The strategic intent should highlight what the company wants to achieve? Who are their target beneficiaries? What are their needs? How CSR can be integrated in the overall business model?

The Schedule VII of the Act provides range of activities that can be un-dertaken by the companies as part of their CSR. It may be useful for the companies to select activities that best suit their strategic intent.

At the operational level, companies shall focus on evaluating most suit-able implementation mechanism (own Foundation, CSR department or implementation through partners). It may be useful to adopt a mixed ap-proach where CSR can be managed in-house through CSR department or Foundation and implementation can be done by NGO partners, however, due diligence of NGO partners become important to ensure better results.

CSR being a Board function now, monitoring is another important aspect that needs to be included in the strategy. Clear monitoring mechanism and identification of measurable progress indicators should be included in the strategy.

Any CSR policy is futile if it is not goal oriented and spells out specific ob-jectives that the company is looking to achieve in the social sector through its CSR initiatives. Conducting base-line surveys may be a good idea. It may help the company to compare baseline data with the outcomes at the end of the implementation of the CSR programmes. The delta change shall clearly point out the impact that the company has been able to make.

Companies having multiple projects and implementation partners may explore possibility of developing an IT enabled monitoring framework in order to facilitate monitoring and reporting.

Lastly, annual CSR reporting is a matter of compliance and warrants a clear strategy to ensure that the company is able to share the outcome of its CSR initiatives. It may be useful to develop an integrated monitoring and reporting mechanism from the start so that the required data is col-lected periodically and verified during the monitoring visits.

There are various thematic areas for conducting CSR where companies can partner with the government flagship programmes in order to accel-erate the service delivery or improve quality of services.

The Act provides a wide canvas to the companies to mould their CSR programmes according to their priorities and community needs. The onus is on the companies to how best utilise the flexibility they have and con-duct CSR at the same time align it with the business objectives.

PARuL SONI ExECuTIVE DIRECTOR & LEADER - DEVELOPMENT ADVISORy SERVICES

GLOBAL DEPuTy LEADER - NOT FOR PROFIT ORGANIzATIONSERNST & yOuNG LLP

guEst Editor

Designing Climate Change Policy: How significant is collecting.... 10 ONGC’s Harit Moksh facility: A thoughtful step for the dear.... 24CSR and Health: How companies can build a healthier India? 26Interview: Anurag Thakur 28Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya - the creator of modern India 30Snippets 32Shabana Azmi - the ambassador of comunal harmony 38

16

4 CSR TIMES l December 2014

COVER STORy

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8 6

India has demonstrated consider-able progress in the past decade on improving primary school ac-cess, infrastructure, pupil-teacher

ratios, teacher salaries, and student enrolment. Nevertheless, student learning levels and trajectories are dis-turbingly low. The country seems to be in a serious crisis, despite the imple-mentation of the RTE Act.

While there has been a significant increase in schooling inputs, a key de-terminant of how these investments translate into learning outcomes is the structure of pedagogy and classroom instruction. Getting aspects of instruc-tion right is particularly challenging in the context of rural schools where sev-eral millions of first-generation learn-ers have joined a rapidly expanding national schooling system. In particu-lar, standard curricula and teaching practices that may have been optimal at a time when education was more limited may not fare as well under the new circumstances.

Several such challenges exist in ru-ral India and the likes of Jhabua (M.P.) and Gonda (u.P.), which are two of the

poorest and most backward districts of the country. Rural Female Literacy Levels (RFLL), which is an indicator of backwardness, is less than 40% in both the districts. Parental ignorance, especially that of the mother, is a ma-jor deterrent in achieving the desir-able learning outcomes in children. The parents are not able to provide any support to the child who does not understand the basics.

understanding the problem in these districts, programme “Padho aur Badho” has been taken up by AROH Foundation under the CSR initiative of Rural Electrification Corporation Ltd. (RECL). Padho aur Badho is an innova-tive after school support programme that connects classroom teaching learning to the child’s real world through Project Based Learning (PBL).

The project imparts quality educa-tion through remedial classes for more than 4000 children studying at various Government schools in the two identi-fied blocks. It provides for an informal teacher hired from the community with an explicit mandate to focus on children in 2nd and 3rd grades who

have not achieved even basic compe-tencies in reading and arithmetic, as revealed in their pretest.

Having understood the significance of the project in the area, S. Dhanraju, CEO, zila Panchayat, Jhabua shares, “Literacy rate is very low in Jhabua as it’s a tribal belt. Due to its backward-ness the children/parents remained unaware of the importance of quality education. The RECL-PAB in associa-tion with AROH is a welcome move as the project based learning method of education will help the primary school going children develop the required academic skills and I extend my full support to the initiative of PAB for im-parting quality education to the chil-dren and wish for its success.”

The expanded use of community teachers aims to address several social challenges at the same time. Besides providing employment (and the pres-tige of a ‘white collar’ job) to educated unemployed girls, who are not skilled enough for formal sector jobs, but have more than adequate skills to impart basic instruction to first generation learners, the intervention has helped

in expanded use of community teach-ers to address several social challenges at the same time. Given that the major-ity of these teachers are young women, the income and autonomy provided by their jobs improve the intra-household bargaining positions of these women as well as outcomes for their children. Moreover, such a programme tries to achieve substantial improvements in learning outcomes at low costs since several community teachers can be engaged for the cost of one regular teacher. However, continuous train-ing, capacity building and professional development remain natural concerns for their career progression, and inte-grating community teachers into a ca-reer path helps to address dual issues of learning outcomes and unemploy-ment of youth.

Padho aur Badho adopts project-based learning (PBL) methodology, which is combined with multiple level reinforcements to address the root cause of low learning outcomes, i.e. parental ignorance. The approach and methodology, not only ensures that children learn well, but also creates the required environment for them to imbibe the concepts and subjects be-ing taken up in the class.

Each PBL module maps the core concept of a subject to a real life sit-uation that the child encounters out of school in daily life. These modules are actually developed, as per the contextual requirement, often by the community teachers themselves. Nikhil Pant, an experienced teacher trainer and child development ex-pert, who has worked on PBL over the last two decades and found re-markable results not only in terms of improved learning outcomes, but also in enabling every child to get to know her/his hidden potential and then develop it further towards a probable vocation. Once community teachers have developed a module, it is peer reviewed and converted into TLM (Teaching Learning Mate-rial) thereafter.

Once PBL gets operational after a teacher trains his/her class in imple-menting a project through the TLM, the sheer implementation of the proj-

ect generates multiple reinforcements of core concepts for the child. Thus, even as the child fills a bucket of water at home as part of PBL, s/he is learn-ing basic Mathematics concepts like addition and subtraction without ac-tually being present in the classroom. Reinforcement happens in a subtle manner simply by embedding the ap-plied aspects of core concepts into the child’s daily life and situations, thereby increasing the time, and quality of ex-pected learning outcomes. Parents too get involved as they soon realise that learning is happening even as the child is now actively participating in house-hold and community activities.

Periodic subject-based tests are con-ducted and the results are computed to assess the progress of each child. There has been a discernible improve-ment from pre to post testing for each of the core concept. Also, as the child begins to gain confidence, the learn-ing speed accelerates, which further squeezes the gap between grade and age. This gives AROH and its com-munity teachers something to cheer about as they see light at the end of the tunnel. The programme is now part of

AROH’s core strategy on education in sync with the current need to improve learning outcomes in the school edu-cation sector and even resonates with PM Narendra Modi’s Tweet – ‘Padhega India tabhi to badhega India’, which puts his intent of developing India through education to public display. “Padho aur Badho is a wake-up call for a nation that dares to dream of future despite having the highest number of out-of-school children and highest number of drop outs in the world!,” says Neelam Gupta, President, AROH Foundation.

The next ten years will see the largest ever number of citizens in the Indian school system at any point in the coun-try’s history, and it is critical that this generation that represents the demo-graphic dividend be equipped with the literacy, numeracy, and skills needed to participate fully in a rapidly modernis-ing world. In a fiscally-constrained environment, it is also imperative to implement cost-effective programmes like Padho aur Badho that maximize the social returns on any given level of public investment. Giving a per-spective to the future, Neelam Gupta shared, “We need to educate our chil-dren and educate them well! That’s the only way to surge forward as a nation and come out of our insufficiencies. The only way to realise our dreams is to impart quality education to all our children. Special and adequate atten-tion has to be given to children in re-mote and backward areas like Jhabua and Gonda, where highest levels of ignorance and illiteracy prevail. I am glad that RECL has supported AROH to help 4000 children get their passports to a brighter future.” n

6 CSR TIMES l December 2014 December 2014 l CSR TIMES 7

iNiTiATivE

Padho aur Badho takes off in jhubua and gonda

neelam gupta, President, AroH Foundation

M y name is Rajat Doley. I hail from a small town Silapathar, Dhemaji district in

Assam. We are a nuclear yet happy family with my Mother Nurjahan Doley and Father Indeswar Doley and my younger sister Kimi R Dol-ey. My family plays a vital role in my life and my success. I owe ev-erything to my family in life.

Making ends meet was not as easy for my family as it were for others, still my family never com-promised on my studies. They got me admitted in the best school of my home town. But that was not all. Sometimes my parents could not arrange my school fee on time while at other occasions, I didn’t have money to buy books for me. I was disheartened and discour-aged at times due to all the pre-vailing issues. But my parents never gave up on me and did ev-ery possible thing to arrange my school fee. I would like to mention here my uncle also. Apart from my parents, he was the one who has brought me up as a parent and always stood with me during my hopeless times. He is a huge source of encouragement always.

I remember keenly waiting for him whenever he was supposed to pay a visit to us at home, as I would make huge demands to him for things like books, sports items, clothes, etc, and he would fulfil all my demands.

Till I reached class 8th, life was a smooth sailing journey to me. I would stay on cloud nine being the topper of class every year. A cynosure of my class, teachers would pour their immense love and blessings on me. unaware of the fact that life is not always a win win situation, as I stepped into my 9th standard, I started losing my path and focus. I made many mistakes; fell into a bad company which brought a downfall to my image. Misfortune and mistakes hit to the extent that I was even expelled from school. I lost al-most everything: my grades, posi-tion in class, trust of my parents and teachers, dignity etc. People would pass disrespected com-ments at my parents, would make mockery of me and my family. These daily affairs would trouble me and I was extremely disturbed. A sense of regret would creep in-side me every now and then. A

year went by like this, but I ques-tioned myself constantly what I need to do to come out of this phase. Gradually, thinking deeply on the aspect, I took a determina-tion to regain my lost dignity and bring back the same respect to my parents as it was earlier. I thank these mockers as they helped me awaken and walk my path of mis-sion. I learned from my mistakes and moved on to reshape my life. In 10th standard, I made excep-tional efforts to study hard and graduated from 10th with 86.8 percent.

This was a different stage to what would unfold infront of me later. I passed my 12th with 73.8 percent. It was my mom who in-formed me about IIT after hearing about it on a radio programme. Since then, I have developed a passion and love for it. I was de-termined to crack it, but could not make it in the first attempt. My hopes were shattered and my parents were not in a position to bear my expenses again for the next year. Then one of my friends shared with me how challenging it is to crack IIT without coaching. This was the time when I heard

suCCEss sToRY

the concept of OIL Super 30 from a friend.

My hopes got new wings and I dreamt to rebuild my dream of cracking IIT. But entering OIL Su-per 30 was not a fairy tale. It re-quired a lot of study, good prepa-ration for the interview. It was one of the happiest moments of my life when I entered the prem-ises of OIL Super 30 after clearing the interview. I made new friends who were very skilled. Rigrous training and the conducive envi-ronment of the campus of OIL Su-per 30 made me more determined towards my goal.

The scenario here was com-pletely different to what I was used to at home. The most impor-tant of all was that I learned to stay awake till 3-4 am. And this I think is the most important re-

quirement to crack IIT. The staff here was exceptionally knowl-edgeable and highly skilled in their subjects. Moreover, their all over support needs a special men-tion.

And now, when I look back at times and think about the past from within the premises of IIT Roorkee, I say to myself, “It wouldn’t have been possible with-out CSRL and OIL India.” Some-thing beyond my reach once, has been made true through the coaching and guidance I received at OIL Super 30, a dedicated team, my parents’ and uncle’s support and my hard work. I owe a great debt of gratitude to all of them for shaping my life and making me what I am today.

A very close observation about life is that people judge you by

success and failure. If you suc-ceed, they will praise you, if you fail, they will shower your life with criticism. But I feel that suc-cess and failure are part and par-cel of life. Mistakes and failures should act as springboards of learning and a reason to bounce back quickly. I would recommend the Bollywood flick “Bhag Milkha Bhag” to my young age contem-poraries to learn what is the main reason of failure. The great legend sprinter once said, “Hardwork, willpower and dedication. For a person with these qualities, sky is the limit.”

In the end, I would say: be com-mitted to your aim until it is met. I also recall one axiom which is one of my favourites - “It is in your mo-ments of decision that your destiny is shaped” – Tony Robins. n

Life serves you various kinds of sweet and sour experiences, yet your inner awakening can’t be compared to any other aspect when it comes to bouncing back from a lost path. Rajat Doley from Dhemaji district in Assam shares his learning about how to turn mistakes into springboard of growth. He also shares how CSRL and OIL India Super 30 came to his rescue when he lost every hope in life.

rajat doley, iit roorkee Metallurgical Engineering

Oil India Super 30, Guwahati (2013-14)


by kavya bal ajI

By Kevin Williams

With the uN Climate Change Summit en-abling more than 25 heads of state and gov-

ernment officials to convene in New york in September, it re-focussed lead-ers on the impacts of climate change and demonstrated their understand-ing of how real and costly these im-pacts are.

With around 700,000 people around

the world participating in the climate marches ahead of the summit, it pro-vided a clear and present mandate for global leaders to stay engaged all the way to the annual Conference of Par-ties, meeting in Paris in 2014 (COP21) to potentially finalise an international climate action agreement.

This article provides a holistic view of the international climate action conferences. With a lean approach to steps, governments and business should be considering, when imple-

menting and responding to climate change policy post Paris 2015.

Putting a Price on carbon – Key outcomes of the climate summit?

The recent uN Climate Summit in New york, hosted by Secretary Gen-eral Ban Ki Moon passed with many promises, but no firm pledges. The key outcomes were summarised by Ban Ki Moon:n 73 national governments, 11 regional governments and more than 1,000 businesses and investors

showed support for pricing carbon. Together, these leaders represent 52% of global GDP, 54% of global greenhouse gas emissions and almost half of the world’s population.n Eu countries pledged to reduce emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030.n A new coalition of leaders will mo-bilise over uS $200 billion for financ-ing low carbon and climate-resilient development.

It was clear a wide number of coun-tries, the private sector, and civil soci-ety groups voiced support for a clear, long-term goal to shift from fossil fuel to clean energy.

More than 100 CEOs attended the uN Summit, with around 1000 com-panies signalling their support for putting a price on carbon. The sum-mit highlighted 25 of those companies who are taking action further inter-nally with their organisation by:

i. Pricing carbon internally to acceler-ate investments that reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions; andii. Advocate publicly for polices that price carbon in markets around the world; andiii. Report progress back on progress towards meeting internal pricing goals.

IKEA made ambitious company pledge to source 100 percent of their power from clean energy by 2020, with the pledge designed to recruit a total of 100 companies by 2020. To date, more than 12 companies have made this commitment to follow IKEA.

With business taking ambitious pledges, this puts more pressure on governments around the world to have greater ambition when designing domestic climate change policy.

MoBilisiNG CliMATE FiNANCE Scaling up climate finance through in-vestors (public and private) will be an important aspect on the road to Paris 2015; we are clearly starting to see a shift from millions of dollars pledges, to the billion-dollar pledges today. What we truly need is trillion-dollar

climate finance that is fundamental for the future mitigation and adapta-tion to address climate change.

First key steps have been taken at the summit to capitalise green climate fund, with governments, investors and financial institutions to mobilise uS $200 billion by the end of 2015 to support climate action – this is a sig-nificant boost for climate financing for developing countries.

It is now, even more important that financial commitments need to be honoured and not be a PR exercise, governments need to honour and scale up pledges. For example, major commitments to the Green Climate Fund at the summit by France, pledg-ing $1 billion to the fund. Other coun-tries need to step up to the mark by the end of the year to reach a target of $10 billion before next year’s COP 21 Summit in Paris – failure to mobilise and disburse climate finance through the green climate fund, I believe, will impact the ambition and outcome of Paris 2015.

RoAD To PARis 2015Of course the commitments at the cli-mate summit are only the beginning, I would say the next step is for govern-ments and business leaders to follow through and implement the actions announced at the summit. Govern-ments must now harness this mo-mentum to advance efforts at home and internationally ahead of COP 20 in Lima later this year and COP 21 in Paris-including putting forward their national offers next year.

I would call for Ban Ki Moon to schedule another Climate Summit next September in the lead up to Paris, this way it keeps climate change on the agenda of heads of state and busi-ness leaders in the run up to Paris 2015. It also allows for global lead-ers to re-confirm their commitments to be put forward earlier in the year on emissions reduction plans both at home and internationally.

Let’s remember, Peru will set the tone for Paris, which will be the first step in the agreement process. I hope after an agreement in 2015 the hard

work on implementing climate policy and realising the benefits to a low car-bon word can truly begin.

Establishing a robust climate change Policy infrastructure

Fundamental to the outcomes of Paris 2015 and beyond, will be how national governments successfully implement domestic climate change policy. From practical hands on expe-rience of establishing and operating uK Climate Change Policy, this re-quires a robust framework for estab-lishing climate change infrastructure (the nuts & bolts).

The below TBLTM framework fig-ure 1. outlines the four elements that define the fundamental principles upon which government stakehold-ers should understand and ultimately plan for when establishing and oper-ating domestic climate change policy:

Fundamentally Monitoring, Report-ing & Verification (MRV) data points, a centralised Registry platform to track assets and report on climate change actions and importantly regulatory oversight (Finance Governance) will be important elements for climate change policy developments to meet domestic and international action (e.g. Emissions reductions).

By taking a lean approach to climate change regulation and through the use of data management standards aligned to information technology (IT), this can enable efficiency in the regulatory cycle by:n Reducing administration burden for companies & governmentsn Better and faster access to informa-tionn Automation of key requirements (e.g. Annual data returns)n Analytics and oversight of key data and trends in climate change & climate finance information, increasing gover-nance and credibility of regulation.

Importantly, it will also allow for im-proved quality of data to make better policy decisions, by:n Consistency (setting minimum re-quirements, ensuring consistent an appropriate exchange of data)n Completeness and correctness – fa-

dEsigning climAtE cHAngE Policy:How signiFicAnt is collEcting gHg dAtA?

oPiNioN

With COP 21 fast approaching, stakes are high for a new, ambitious global climate change agree-ment in Paris 2015. What can we learn from the recent United Nations (UN) Climate Change Summit 2014 in New york?


cilitation of automated checkingn Increased transparency – easier access to climate change & climate fi-nance data flows.

I would strongly advocate develop-ing global climate change data taxon-omy based financial reporting frame-work xBRL, by integrating climate change disclosure to existing financial frameworks will focus minds of finan-cial accounting and investor commu-nities – which in turn will increase the accuracy and quality of climate change data (e.g. Carbon emissions).

THE BusiNEss PERsPECTivEAs countries put forward their nation-al emissions reduction plans, business and CEOs should be taking productive steps to understand the risks and op-portunities this has on their provin-cial, national and international enti-ties.

Typically, companies look at re-sponding to climate change regulation in three stages:1. compliance: In the initial phase, companies often start activities re-lated to complying with regulations.

Activities are not typically strategic or centralised.2. Efficiency: After first compliance periods, companies become more strategic by finding ways to achieve efficiencies that will have bottom line savings ($ dollars) such as cutting carbon emissions. At this stage, com-panies more often appoint senior staff reporting to board or CEO. Many com-panies stay at this stage without mov-ing to innovation stage (final stage).3. Innovation: A small number of companies move to innovative stage by incorporating climate change into core of the business in ways of trans-forming the company. This requires innovative leaders who want to move to envision new markets, new oppor-tunities and new needs (low carbon economy).

Carbon pricing will increase the cost of doing business, both directly on your emissions and through higher energy prices. Many of the global schemes being developed to reduce emissions will also provide fines and penalties for non-compliance with potentially serious financial implica-

tions.Leading companies are learning

how regulation can impact them and preparing climate change regula-tion implementation strategies. Early adopters (such as unilever, IKEA) un-derstand the importance of collecting GHG data to set internal baselines and targets to stretching reduction strate-gies over a period of time.

Governments, businesses and fi-nancial investors are starting to un-derstand, when competing in a global market place; the response to climate change regulation is fast becoming a source of competitive advantage.

The next 12 months require true leaders who can drive forward not only a global climate change deal, but put in place strong foundations for long last-ing business change to realise the long term benefits of a low carbon economy for our future grandchildren and our grandchildren’s future children! n

The writer is CEO at Triple Bottom Line (TBL) Group, a consul-tancy providing climate change and carbon market advisory services.

oPiNioN

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Figure: 1

l An exclusive monthly magazine on Corpo-rate Social Responsibility and Sustainability.

l Born out of the idea to highlight the social contributions of corporates, PSus, NGOs, MNCs, social activists, celebrities, funding agencies, et al.

l The magazine’s objective is to provide a much needed platform to the organisations so that they could come together and bridge the gap between what needs to be done and how it can be done for the betterment of the society.

l Apart from being a good knowledge re-source on CSR, the CSR TIMES aims at be-coming a one-stop-shop for PSus, Corpo-rates and NGOs.

By Ilaria Gualtieri

The greatest concern of CSR practitioners is en-suring that stakeholders positively buy in their

initiatives. As such, when corpora-tions communicate CSR, the biggest risk they incur in is the credibil-ity of their stances. From one end, stakeholders’ appreciation can be facilitated by an appropriate use of communication channels and tech-niques. For example, in the Septem-ber issue, we have analysed how to appropriately use websites as a tool to effectively engage stakeholders. From the other end, CSR communi-cation is a double-edged sword that may equally enhance or sink corpo-rate reputation.

The desired outcome of CSR com-munication is achieving potential benefits to the company by success-fully engaging target stakeholders. Thus, in CSR communication, it is important to identify clear objec-tives and consider all the aspects that contribute to a successful mes-sage.

According to Roper and Fill (2012:259), CSR communicators shall account four dimensions: ac-curacy, timeliness, transparency, and credibility. Accuracy relates to the extent, quantity, and quality of information included in our com-munication. In order to generate favorable stakeholders’ perception, it is necessary to communicate the motivation behind the involvement, explain the reasons for choosing a particular cause, the overall corpo-rate commitment to the cause (Du et al., 2010); and, last but not least, the eventual project outcomes. It is thus necessary to provide stakeholders with a brief whilst comprehensive framework and access to relevant information, also in support of the transparency dimension. Similarly,

timelines involve appropriately conveying information, including updates and adds-on: this is particu-larly crucial when social media are employed.

Finally, CSR communication, which is inherently voluntary and often deviates in the self-promotion terri-tory, is fraught with credibility chal-

lenges. Morsing and Schultz (2006) observed that while the public usu-ally reacts positively to messages about CSR activities, there are cir-cumstances that can lead to a boo-merang effect. First of all, the source of information is a critical factor: CSR can be communicated by the company itself and/or by a third party. Information from the com-pany is traditionally made through one-way self-referential communi-cation channels (i.e. advertising, re-porting, press releases, or website). Third party sources instead provide a sort of endorsed external assess-ment, adding credibility and value to the information presented. Thus, external links to social media or beneficiaries’ website, quotes, publi-cations or videos may enhance CSR messages.

Few months ago I bumped on a double spread page inside the Na-tional Geographic displaying the logo of the global energy giant Shell. The first-sight genuine impres-sion was… what does Shell have to do with an international symbol of environmental activism? Likewise, what does Nat Geo share with Shell, by definition and nature not exactly an icon of wildlife stewardship? Genuine PR curiosity took over, so I started researching about the initia-tive, which turned out to be a very good example of the four CSR com-munication dimension use.

Shell embarked on a three-year CSR campaign aimed at establishing new means for stakeholders’ dia-logue, in partnership with National Geographic Society (NGS). Aim is to shed light on important environ-ment challenges, share news, view-point, and boost dialogue (NGS, 2014). The Great Energy Challenge employs traditional communica-tion channels, whilst using modern

communication in the form of vid-eos, scientists’ blogs, e-tools, grants, in addition to events. The initiative employs a stakeholder information and involvement strategy, allowing controlled opportunities for two-way dialogue. One of the most in-teresting features is the use of third parties. In this case reputed environ-mental scientists are invited to write articles and feature blogs dedicated to energy, all under a carefully craft-ed umbrella hosted in NGS website.

Overall, the project represents an exemplar integrated marketing com-munication campaign. Nevertheless, it leaves bitter taste in my mouth (and probably on other readers). Ac-cording to the data collected, in fact, and accounting the resources com-mitted, the campaign seems to have missed the expected large-scale en-gagement goals. Generally speaking, the company has met all the prac-tical requirement of modern CSR communication, in fact it:n Partnered with a reputed entity in the specific field selectedn Targeted a specific range of public, environment/nature activistsn used traditional and new media, including opportunities for dialoguen Included third parties: website and scientists via blogs

Notwithstanding these basic re-quirements are undeniably met, something went wrong. Firstly, opin-ion makers and web bloggers high-

lighted that the partnership, rather than enhancing Shell’s reputation, had weakened NGS environmental stances. Secondly, the campaign’s low level of social media engage-ment reveals that experts’ blog posts may result in a sort of unilateral or-ganisational propaganda. Blog com-munication in fact occurs within the company’s own ‘value chain’ (Du et al., 2010). This depreciates the en-tire effort, culminating in Ashforth and Gibbs’s self-promoter’s paradox (1990:188). As such, although com-munication is accurate and timely, credibility and transparency dimen-sions result ambiguous. CSR may result in reputational benefits and help ‘forgiveability’ in the event of a crisis, but only if certain require-ments are adhered to.

CSR’s double-edged sword nature emerges, as CSR elicits potentially critical stakeholders’ attention. The lesson leant is that CSR strat-egy and communication shall reflect the corporate mission, values, core business activities, and strategic direction to support the credibility dimension. In this sense, the “fit” or congruence between the company and the selected CSR initiative be-comes central. While a low fit may indeed dramatically affect stake-holders’ potential reactions to CSR activities, an appropriate fit increas-es the chances of positive stakehold-ers’ engagement.

A different scenario is offered by another Shell initiative, the Eco-marathon, a successful format that invites student teams from around the world to design, build, and test energy-efficient vehicles. With annu-al events in the Americas, Europe and Asia, the use of traditional and new media, and a direct reach to target stakeholders, the campaign enjoys a growing success (Shell.com, 2014).

The critical element is the initia-tive’s credibility, enhanced by an intrinsic “fit” with the company mission, values, and strategy. The association made with the main fea-tures of the campaign - technology, engineering, innovation, education/science and environment - is suc-cessful. The Eco-marathon challenge is thus compatible with Shell’s prod-ucts and expertise, and aligns with its environmental stances, without eliciting open criticism. Being the fit plausible, the credibility dimen-sion is also reinforced. It is credible that a global energy giant invests in initiatives that align with its core businesses, capitalise investments in technology and sport, and even-tually use this framework to raise awareness on the need to improve energy efficiency.

In summary, corporations shall appreciate the mutated commu-nication climate, employing CSR communication strategies that, in addition to meeting the traditional information needs, enact forms of interaction with and involvement of stakeholders. Within this process, corporations shall capitalise their core expertise, taking into account important contextual variables in relation to stakeholders’ engage-ment and communication. Hence, the four dimensions of CSR com-munication facilitate the alignment with stakeholders. This way CSR communication has the potential to benefit corporations, helping engag-ing stakeholders successfully. n

The writer is a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and communi-cation consultant specialised in the

Middle East and Gulf Region.

csr crEdibility: wHAt it tAKEs to mAKE it A bEst PrActicE?

GloBAl BEsT PRACTiCEs


By Pooran Chandra Pandey

Corporate Social Responsibil-ity (CSR) has no single uni-versally accepted definition, each definition that currently

exists underpins the impact that busi-nesses have on society at large and the societal expectations of them. Al-though the roots of CSR lie in philan-thropic activities (such as donations, charity, relief work, etc.) of corpora-tions, globally, the concept of CSR has evolved and now encompasses all re-lated concepts such as triple bottom line, corporate citizenship, philanthro-py, strategic philanthropy, shared val-ue, corporate sustainability and busi-ness responsibility. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR, also called cor-

porate conscience, corporate citizen-ship or sustainable responsible busi-ness/Responsible Business) has come to be known as a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a busi-ness model. CSR policy functions as a self-regulatory mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law, ethical standards and interna-tional norms. In some models, a firm’s implementation of CSR goes beyond compliance and engages in “actions that appear to further some social good, beyond the interests of the firm and that which is required by law.” It aims to embrace responsibility for corporate actions and to encourage a positive impact on the environment and stakeholders including consum-

ers, employees, investors, communi-ties, and others.

World over CSR has become a guid-ing mechanism and strategy adopted by companies to meet the rising de-mands of the community and society to integrate social aspirations with profit motive. This increasing realisa-

tion is borne out of the notion that the companies have responsibilities towards the society, which need to be fulfilled through consistent planning and strategies aimed at public good. Today, as the most progressive com-panies move towards this direction and focus on CSR, Global Compact is the right platform to demonstrate na-tionally and internationally the com-mitment to CSR and ethical working of the companies.

iMPoRTANCE oF CsRWith the changing global and national economic, political and social scenar-io, companies all over the world have realised that their existence is being perceived beyond individual financial entities bearing only financial pur-poses. Continuous interactions with societal stakeholders-business part-ners, consumers, workforce and sur-rounding community have induced a new purpose and redefined the roles of businesses in both society and economy that is based upon enhanc-ing social responsibility leading to so-cial empowerment.

This holds true for companies seek-ing economic enhancement who have

realised that inclusive growth en-tails a combination of all aspects of the environment - one within which they are operating and second which engages the outside community, geo-graphical locations and the people liv-ing in these spaces. To introduce this principle of inclusive growth within their work holds the terminology that Corporate Social Responsibility has been ascertained.

The nexus between corporates and society has always been of a complex nature – growing population, increase in poverty, issues of displacement, and an ever increasing gap between the available jobs and demand of a skilled workforce are some of the challenges that have been neglected and are growing rapidly in the coming future. This has led to the realisation of creating social programmes and channelising social responsibility that entails the principles of sustainability. It is here that the companies world over have realised that CSR needs to be incorporated within their business operations and models, so as to reach to the larger community and to wider locations. In this context, Corporate Social Responsibility implies that

companies indulge in initiatives that lead to the simultaneous engagement of a corporate with the society along with the environment. Innovations in business management process, in technology and novel thinking and approach are some of the key tools which are imperative to this new and revamped notion of business respon-sibility.

Companies that are directly indulg-ing in the development process of the nation are required to realign their corporate activities that meet sustain-able requisites of the community. De-velopment projects have posed a real threat to the physical environment but also on the social identity of the company that has led these projects in diverse areas. It becomes necessary for the companies to build their CSR on the grounds of sustainability. Ef-fective and timely evaluation of these activities with accountable reporting then becomes a prerequisite to show-case those companies who with their business responsibility efforts have developed an effective and a social brand image.

In providing a policy framework for implementing CSR, the Organisa-

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United Nations Global Compact Board, headed by H.E. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General United Nations.

tion for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), pioneered the concept of CSR by establishing a set of guidelines for multinational enter-prises in 1976. The purpose of these guidelines was to improve the invest-ment climate and encourage the posi-tive contribution from multinational enterprises towards economic and social progress. This move was appre-ciated across the globe and led to the drafting of regulations by individual countries, encouraging companies to report on CSR activities, thereby in-centivising companies who volun-tarily report their CSR activities or by taking measures such as mandating CSR Reporting. Some of their policies and regulations include Regulation by the Malaysian Government in 2007 to mandate all publicly listed companies to publish their CSR initiatives in their annual reports on a “comply or ex-plain” basis, Regulation by the Danish

Government in 2009 directing com-panies to report on their social initia-tives and the British Companies Act in 2007 mandating all companies listed in the uK to include information about their CSR activities in their annual re-ports , to name a few.

CsR iN iNDiAThe evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility in India refers to changes over time in India of the cultural norms of corporations’ engagement of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), with CSR re-ferring to way that businesses are managed to bring about an overall positive impact on the communi-ties, cultures, societies and envi-ronments in which they operate. The fundamentals of CSR rest on the fact that not only public policy but even corporates should be re-sponsible enough to address so-

cial issues. Thus companies should deal with the challenges and issues looked after to a certain extent by the states. Although, the con-cept existed in India since ages, it lacked the statutory mandate, and therefore was often carried out as a part of philanthropic activity by business houses and companies working towards benefiting the so-ciety and the community at large. In 2008, a joint project between the Indian Institute of Corporate Af-fairs, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India (GOI) and the German Technical Agency and bilat-eral donor GIz led to the develop-ment of “an Indian concept”, which found its route through the “Na-tional Voluntary Guidelines on So-cial, Environmental, and Economic Responsibilities of Business” for CSR guidelines and reporting, bor-rowing from Ten universal Prin-

ciples of the united Nations Global Compact (uNGC). In recent times, sweeping changes were witnessed in the realm of CSR due to the new policy developments in form of Companies Act 2013 and the CSR clauses in it, mandating companies to work on impactful projects in CSR domain by earmarking 2% of their profit for the purpose.

These developments have im-pelled an increased thinking within corporate sector, civil society and government, at regional and federal levels, on CSR and what constitutes as activities within its purview. While the corporate houses are streamlining their systems and op-erations to follow the current legal mandate, the civil society is working towards collaborating with these corporate houses to channelise re-sources to the communities and the government agencies are working towards ensuring that directives

are followed and reported on.

uNiTED NATioNs GloBAl CoMPACT As AN AGENCY To PRoMoTE CsRGlobally, changing societal values and consumer demands from companies to be on the right side of social justice issues and to act as good stewards of the environment is moving companies beyond just profit motive, to a strat-egy that aims at public good. In this scenario, uNGC and the Ten universal Principles espoused by it form an im-portant agency to encourage compa-nies to enact and support set values, thereby setting the agenda for CSR.

uNGC is the world’s largest corpo-rate citizenship movement, launched in the year 2000, with an aim to con-join private sector activities with civil society initiatives, and for the estab-lishment of an inclusive corporate sustainability in the global economy. A leadership platform with a global di-mension, united Nation Global Com-pact was launched by the then uN Secretary General, Kofi Annan. The uNGC primarily operates on four fold realms - Human Rights, Labour, Envi-ronment and Anti-Corruption, and are further dispersed into ten universally accepted principles adopted by di-verse signatories across geographies, as value based approaches in achiev-ing sustainable development. It is a strategic policy initiative for business-es to enable them to commit and align their operations and strategies with Ten universally Accepted Principles in the areas of Human Rights, Labour, Environment and Anti-Corruption. In involves various key stakehold-ers to forge close links to undertake development endeavors that enable companies and organisations, as pri-mary drivers of globalisation, to help ensure that markets, commerce, tech-nology and finance advance in ways that benefit economies and societies everywhere.

GloBAl CoMPACT NETwoRk iNDiATaking forward this agenda of the uNGC in the Indian context, the Indian

local arm of the uNGC, the Global Com-pact Society was launched in December 2000 with participation of leading In-dian organisations. And, on 24th Nov 2003 in New Delhi, it was registered as a legal entity and was named as Global Compact Network India – the Indian arm of uNGC. Global Compact Network India (GCNI) is a platform, for busi-nesses, private sector organisations, civil society organisations public sector and institutions. As a network, GCNI enables aligning of various stakehold-ers’ practices towards the Ten univer-sally Accepted Principles of uNGC in the areas of Human Rights, Labour, En-vironment and Anti-Corruption. GCNI works towards mainstreaming the Ten universally Acceptable Principles in business activities around the world, catalysing action in support of broader uN goals, such as the Millennium De-velopment Goals (MDGs) and setting the tone for the post 2015 development agenda within the Indian context.

At present, the India network ranks no 1 in the Asia Oceania Region and has emerged as the largest corporate citizenship and social responsibility organisation in the country with a pan Indian membership. With a member-ship of 190 renowned organisations, GCNI, the uNGC local network in India has been working for the last 10 years as a vehicle to take forward the uNGC mandate and operationalising the Ten universal Principles to enable develop companies as socially responsible part of the society. It has been working to-wards contextualising the principles to the realities of the Indian scenario. It has been working alongside corporate sector, civil society bodies and organ-isations contributing, nationally and regionally, on policy issues and feels, based on inputs of its members that it needs to build a CSR and sustainability platform for its members that paves the pathway for strategic engagement opportunities for its members both with the government and communities that our members represent, in areas of their operations, both programme-wise and region-wise.

With this mandate to take forward the agenda on CSR and sustain-

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CEOs & CMDs of Public and Private sector Companies operating in India during GCNI’s 9th National Convention, New Delhi.

ability in India, and the role it plays in shaping and influencing policy frameworks, GCNI sees this survey as a pertinent agenda for taking for-ward the discourse on CSR further with its member companies and key stakeholders. Given its affiliation with uN, being a membership driven or-ganisation, and with several cutting edge research behind it, GCNI is well equipped to carry out such a survey, in consultation and partnership with credible constituents.

oPERATioNAlisiNG THE TEN uNivERsAl PRiNCiPlEs oF GloBAl CoMPACTEndorsed by Chief Executives, from leading companies across the globe, Global Compact is a practical frame-work for the development, implemen-tation, and disclosure of sustainability policies and practices. It asks compa-nies to embrace, support and enact, within their sphere of influence, a set

of core values in the areas of human rights, labour standards, the environ-ment and anti-corruption, thereby op-erationalisng CSR strategies and prac-tices which delivers lasting benefits to people, communities, and markets. With these objectives in mind, the Global Compact has shaped an initia-tive, based on Ten Cardinal Principles that provides collaborative solutions

to the most fundamental challenges facing both business and society.

The uN Global Compact’s Ten uni-versal Principles in the areas of Hu-man Rights, Labour, Environment and Anti-Corruption enjoy universal con-sensus and are derived from:n The universal Declaration of Human Rightsn The International Labour Organi-zation’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Workn The Rio Declaration on Environ-ment and Developmentn The united Nations Convention Against Corruption

The uN Global Compact asks com-panies to embrace, support and enact, within their sphere of influence, a set of core values in the areas of human rights, labour standards, environment and anti-corruption:

HuMAN RiGHTsPrinciple 1: Businesses should sup-

port and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; andPrinciple 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.

LABOURPrinciple 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the ef-fective recognition of the right to col-

lective bargaining;Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory la-bour;Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labour; andPrinciple 6: the elimination of dis-crimination in respect of employment and occupation. ENVIRONMENTPrinciple 7: Businesses should sup-port a precautionary approach to en-vironmental challenges;Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental re-sponsibility; andPrinciple 9: encourage the develop-ment and diffusion of environmen-tally friendly technologies.

ANTI-CORRUPTIONPrinciple 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, in-cluding extortion and bribery.

With over 12,000 participants, includ-ing 8000 businesses in 140 countries, the uN Global Compact and the Ten principles espoused by it, is acknowl-edged as a means to not only motivate businesses to adopt a responsible ap-proach to management, but also to engage businesses in finding construc-tive, inclusive and innovative solutions to global challenges. As social, political and economic challenges (and oppor-tunities) — whether occurring at home or in other regions — affect business more than ever before, the relevance of the Ten principles assume greater recognition, which is projected by the increasing partnerships and collabora-tions that are being developed between companies, governments, civil society, labour and the united Nations.

Some important examples of lead-ing companies operationalising the Ten universal Principles are given below:

Starbucks , a leading Coffee, Tea and Spice production company, signed the uN Global Compact in June 2004 and since then has internalised the Ten universal Principles as a natural exten-sion of their mission statement, which defines their commitment to social and environmental responsibility. In op-

erationalising the Ten principles, Star-bucks ensures ethical sourcing of the highest quality coffee, which includes responsible purchasing practices, sup-porting farmer loans and forest conser-vation programmes. Throughout their operations they work towards foster-ing a better future for farmers and a more stable climate for the planet. As an environmental conscious company, it works towards significantly reducing their environmental footprint through energy and water conservation, recy-cling and green construction.

Tata Motors, a leading automotive company in India and a part of Tata Group of Companies, has incorpo-rated Ten principles of the uN Global Compact in the Tata Code of Conduct, which is the guiding principle for Tata Motors to conduct its business ethi-cally. Tata Motors’ adherence to the Code, in letter and spirit, ensures that global principles of Human Rights and Environment Protection are not violated in carrying out its business operations. The company has formu-lated exclusive policies on various as-pects of Human Rights to ensure that the human rights of their workers and that of the community at large are not compromised, while operationalising its business strategy. The company has developed elaborate mechanisms and community based programmes that work towards providing better health, education and employment opportu-nities to the community. These mech-anisms have been developed based on

a Tata Code of Conduct that embeds the Ten principles as a starting point for the CSR related activities being carried out by the company.

soME NEw DEvEloPMENTs iN CsRCSR as a natural extension of the work being carried out by the companies, is gaining currency in India and glob-ally and these Ten principles provide valuable guidelines to the companies to implement CSR strategies that benefit the society. The new policy developments in CSR in India have further firmed the ground for the im-plementation of plans by companies, which enables them to perform their responsibility towards the society. Following the Companies Act 2013, which elaborated on the 2% CSR spend by companies on CSR related activities, the Department of Public Enterprises, Ministry of Heavy Indus-tries, Government of India, also circu-lated guidelines for the Central Public Sector Enterprises mandating them to operationalise CSR strategies. These guidelines draw heavily from the Ten universal Principles of the uNGC and state that the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) are expected to adhere to the global standards when developing their CSR plans, keeping in mind the uN Global Compact and the uN Millennium Development Goals. One of the most highlighting points with regards to the new develop-ment is amount of funds that would

be generated for CSR activities, which includes 16000 companies under the ambit of reporting. According to a con-servative estimate, the contribution by companies through this is pegged at $4 billion in the first year of Compa-nies Act 2013 coming into effect.

Such guidelines and Acts are a wel-come step for institutionalising CSR, as logical plan of action to be imple-mented by the companies but much remains to be seen, as greater clarity is needed with regards to the tax de-duction on 2% CSR. Besides this, the new regulations also place the burden of multiple reporting by the compa-nies that are already reporting on multiple other fronts to the govern-ment and other agencies. What how-ever needs to be seen is whether the companies will go beyond compliance to implement CSR activities that are sustainable and have a lasting positive impact on the society.

uN has currently been developing post 2015 global development goals, which will replace some of the MDGs and retain a few, celebrating success of achieving it and quest for a new functional pathway for inclusive eco-nomic ecosystems, leading to shared value across the value chain. It will definitely carve out a new role for businesses worldwide in contempo-rary development agenda. n

The writer is Executive Director, United Nations Global Compact

Network India.

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Georg Kell, ED, UNGC, New York, Dr. M. Veerappa Moily, Former Union Cabinet Minister, GOI, Sudhir Vasudeva, Former CMD, ONGC and Former President, GCNI and Dr. Uddesh Kohli, Senior Adviser, UNGC, New York launch the Business for Peace Initiative in India.

Representatives from across the globe at Addis Ababa Meeting, Ethiopia, June 2014.

By R. S. Sharat

backdrop:A clear and approved CSR Policy is de-sirable for any company for more than one reason; for good corporate gover-nance, for placing it in public domain, for increased visibility and transpar-ency, for execution and monitoring, and evaluation of the impact. It is also required to plan and practice sustain-able approaches in delivering CSR ac-tivities. Many companies have realised the advantage of putting together a CSR Policy and Strategy much before it became mandatory through the Com-panies Act 2013.

Section 135 of the Companies Act 2013 makes it mandatory to formulate CSR Policy by CSR Committee and its recommendation to the Board. It fur-ther states that the policy shall indicate the activities to be undertaken by the company as specified in Schedule VII of the Act and that the CSR Committee shall also monitor the policy imple-mentation, thus making the CSR Policy a statutory requirement.scope:The CSR Policy should meet the statu-tory requirements as per section 135 of the Companies Act and the Rules framed thereof to implement various social development activities. Besides doing so, the Policy should also cover a broad Policy Statement, Policy Objec-tives, Approaches and methods of Pol-icy formulation, Social Development concepts, Policy governance structure, and Policy Communication Strategy.Developing CSR Policy: It is desirable to develop the CSR Policy Development Methodology, before ac-

tually developing the CSR Policy. Stake-holder consultation both with internal and external stakeholders are the key to Policy Development, as this would not only lead to policy ownership, but also reflect the felt needs of the com-munities. Stakeholder mapping could include management at different levels, employees, neighbourhood communi-ties, investors, suppliers, customers, CSOs, media, government, regulators at different levels etc.

Opinion and information gathering is possible through informal meetings with stakeholders at different levels and required data collection can be done through different data col-lection tools such as structured interviews and questionnaires. Once the draft policy is in place, it is essential to share the draft pol-icy with key stakeholders to seek their feedback before finalisation. After the feedback is incorporat-ed, thereafter the final draft can be presented to the Board and the CSR Committee for finalisation. Policy Details (Strategy to de-liver):n Roles and Responsibilities: The CSR Policy of a company should define the roles and responsibili-ties of the Board, CSR Committee and the organisation, which ex-ecutes CSR projects and pro-grammes.n Executing organisation: The Company which executes CSR programmes and activities should decide the mode of execution and include this in the policy docu-ment. The options include, CSR Functional Department at the

Company level, a Foundation of the Company or to be outsourced to a CSO/NGO in the form of donation or grants.n CSR Domains: Of the four domains - Workplace Intervention, Market place Intervention, Community/Society and Environment - the company should decide whether it would like to have interventions in all the domains or in selected domains.n Area of operation: It has been the practice in India that the companies prefer to implement CSR programmes and activities around its operational sites. In this context, the company implementing its CSR activities should

[To help readers understand the trivia associated with the Alpha and Omgea of CSR, this is the first installment of a new series on CSR and the various stages involved. Being first and the fore-most, here comes what it involves in “Developing CSR Policy and Strategy”]

decide whether it would prefer to take up CSR activities around its operation-al sites or work for the society at large or both.n Sectoral interventions: Programme interventions are directly related to the policy objectives. The objectives can be reduction of absolute poverty, empowerment of different communi-ties or women’s empowerment, rights based approach for poverty reduction, good governance, and consumer rights and so on. In order to achieve the ob-jectives, the programmes and activities are designed. However, the Social De-velopment sectors are broadly divided in to Health, Education, Income Pover-ty Reduction and Environment. In each of these sectors several Programmes, Projects and Activities could be taken up. The policy should specify the ap-proach for effective implementation of these interventions.n Primary Stakeholders and Beneficia-ries: The Company can also decide on the Primary stakeholder groups and the beneficiaries of the programmes for achieving objectives. For example, the company can focus on women, dif-ferently abled, scheduled castes, sched-

uled tribes, minorities and so on. Again this approach depends on the policy objectives.n Partnerships: The Company can also deliver programmes and activities in partnership with other companies, foundations, CSOs, international NGOs, bilateral and multilateral organisa-tions, depending upon the type of proj-ects and the similarity of objectives of different organisations.Monitoring and Evaluation:Monitoring and Evaluation should be part of the project/programme deliv-ery process. Monitoring is done to see whether what is planned is being im-plemented. If there are any concerned areas/issues in the implementation part, there can be mid-course correc-tions both in the plan itself and also the way it is implemented. Monitoring process can be done through in-house teams.

Evaluation is usually done through external teams. Evaluations are done either at the half way stage of the proj-ects/programmes (usually after 3 to 4 years) or at the end of the project (usu-ally 7 years). Mid-term evaluations are used to review the progress and identi-fy issues, and at the end of term evalu-ations are done to assess the impact of the projects.

Monitoring and Evaluation pro-cesses should be built into the policy to strengthen the execution and for increased transparency.Audit/Review/Controls: It is a practice of some companies to have company level internal audit of the projects/programmes to improve the efficiency and effectiveness. This is an effective tool to achieve programme relevance and value for money.

Effective Management Information Systems are made possible through the internal Audits and Review mech-anisms.reporting:Reporting is now mandatory. How-ever, reporting for internal purposes is equally important. Measuring the progress and success are important to communicate to all the stakehold-ers. Frequency and mode of reporting should be part of the CSR Policy, so that this becomes part of strategy for

implementation.current practices and gaps:Most of the companies still perceive CSR as philanthropy or utmost as com-munity service. However, the interna-tional best practices, the ISO 26000, National Voluntary Guidelines and the uN Global Compact etc. look at CSR as good corporate governance; more internal and less external to the com-pany. This basic perception impacts the policy and strategy adversely from a more professional approach to sus-tainable development.

Also, governance, institutional devel-opment, social development, sectoral issues related to Health, Education, Income Poverty, Environment, Poverty reduction, gender, community partici-pation, M&E etc. are professional sub-jects by themselves. Some companies make Policy and Strategy without the involvement of such professionals. In order to bridge this gap and make Pol-icy and Strategy more robust, profes-sional views need to be sought at the planning stage.

As stated at the beginning, participa-tion of stakeholders through a process is extremely important. Only a few companies are going through a process for developing CSR Policy and Strat-egy. This can be addressed by engaging third party agencies to take through the process.conclusion: It is imperative that CSR of any com-pany would be effective, if a Policy and a Strategy to implement it are in place. However, the experience re-veals that CSR would be more effec-tive, if the focus is placed on one or two sectors and on a few activities rather than spreading the activities too thin.

Also, understanding the cost ef-fectiveness, output, outcome and impact are very important and es-sential for measuring the success of the project/programme.

Finally, the Policy is as good as: what is not planned cannot be im-plemented. n

The writer is a freelance social de-velopment & CSR consultant with over three decades of hands-on experience.

DEvEloPiNG CsR PoliCY AND sTRATEGY

CsR sERiEs


It was a moment of colossal grief for Bajaj. His mother had passed away after a prolonged illness. He never wanted this day to come but he knew that it was destined to happen sometime and today was the day. His mother had been a social worker and had earned a respectable name for her by serv-ing the poor and the downtrodden. Being an effluent timber merchant, Bajaj wanted that the last rites of his beloved mother be done us-ing sandalwood. Along with some friends and relatives, he reached Lodhi Road Crematorium with the mortal remains of his mother. As required, Bajaj had already ordered for 450 kg of precious sandalwood for the cremation.

The precious wood was yet to ar-rive at Antim Nivas. While Bajaj’s family was waiting for the sandal-wood, they saw two other families who had also lost their dear ones and had come for the last rites. One of them was a poor rickshaw puller, Naveen and the other one was an ecologist – Kashyap, who had spent the best part of his life towards en-vironmental protection.

He learnt that Kashyap’s last wish was that his mortal remains be cremated using minimum wood and as per Hindu tradition. On the other hand Naveen’s family was extremely poor and his relatives wanted to perform the last rites at a minimum cost.

At the crematorium, Bajaj came

across an eco-friendly cremation system where the last rites could be performed by using only 150 kg of wood. Bajaj wanted to carry his mother’s legacy forward, so he impressed upon Naveen and Kashy-ap’s families the significance of us-ing ONGC sponsored Harit Moksh facility available at the cremato-rium.

Bajaj’s decision on using this fa-cility was further cemented due to ONGC’s association with the ef-fort. He was aware of ONGC’s social commitment and was impressed upon seeing this noble endeavour of the Maharatna towards ecologi-cal conservation. Also, the avail-able facility of live webcasting at the Harit Moksh units would enable Bajaj’s son, who was in Australia for a business meeting, to see the last rites of his grandmother on the of-ficial website of the crematorium.

As there were only two units in operation, Bajaj displayed the char-acteristics of generosity by offering the facility to the other two while waiting for 3 hours himself for his turn. Kashyap’s last wish and fi-nancial constraint of Naveen’s fam-ily were also thus, adequately ad-dressed.

ONGC has set up 30 units of Mok-shda Green Cremation System (MGCS) spread over 7 cities (Del-hi-16, Ahmedabad–3, Vadodara–4, Khambat–2, Chandausi–1, Dehra-dun-2 and Ghaziabad-2) under the CSR project named “Harit Moksha”. This has resulted in saving 13,700 tonnes of wood and reduction of 26,500 tonnes of GHG emissions annually from all the units, wherein on an average 4-5 cremations are carried out daily at each unit.

What prompted usage of this in-novative technology, which works on sound principles of thermal sci-ence with natural drafting of air was the fact that traditional cre-mation sector in India consumes nearly 4.15 million tonnes of fuel wood annually which is harvested from 50-60 million trees. Besides deforestation, cremation process is

also associated with environmental problems like air and water (river) pollution and greenhouse (GHG) emissions.

As a result of burning of large quantity of fuel wood, the sector generates nearly 8 lakh tonnes of wood ash which eventually causes water pollution and 8 million tonnes of GHG emission which is a potential source of global warming. In addition, increasing cost of fuel wood makes the traditional crema-tion process unaffordable to people from economically weaker sections.

Alternately, the electric or gas based crematorium is a cleaner al-ternative but public acceptance to this mode is low, as design does not permit users to perform important rituals associated with the crema-tion process. High capital, recurring costs and non-availability of con-tinuous electric supply are other limitations restricting its use by the general populace.

Mokshda Paryavaran Evam Van Suraksha Samiti (Mokshda PEVSS) has developed a user-acceptable and environment-friendly Mok-shda Green Cremation System (MGCS) which is capable of reduc-ing wood consumption up to 75% besides minimising air and water pollution.

The design of MGCS is user-friend-ly and permits undertaking of all traditional rituals associated with the cremation process. The entire cremation process is completed in 2 hours and avoids release of solid waste to nearby water bodies. One unit can be used multiple times as there is provision of collecting ashes in detachable trays placed below the unit. Durable materials are used in designing and fabricating the struc-ture, as a result of which, there is minimum maintenance required for at least 20 years. The design is approved by united Nation Frame-work Convention on Climate Change (uNFCC), World Bank and Ministry of Environment, Govt. of India.

Against a requirement of 350-500 kg/cremation in conventional

cremation, the MGCS requires 80-150 kg/cremation which bring in a direct savings of around Rs 1000-1500/- per cremation. The total GHG emission reduces from 8 million tonnes per year to 2 mil-lion tonnes per year.

This CSR project by ONGC has received all round appreciation leading to recognition in the form of AajTak Care Award in the envi-ronment category.

Be it Bajaj, Naveen or Kashy-ap, ONGC has woven a common thread for all of them. ONGC, the company that cares, have envis-aged a life beyond death of our near and dear ones and has asso-ciated itself with this noble initia-tive which will go a long way in not only conserving forests and thereby protecting humanity, but helping economically weaker sec-tions of the society also in per-forming last rites of their near and dear ones with proper rituals at affordable cost.

Well begun is half done! It is a strong belief at ONGC and the 33,257 ONGCians are determined to spread awareness of this inno-vative and noble initiative to their kith and kin so that all of them are sensitised of this ecological con-servation methodology. n

ONGC’S HARIt MOKSH FACIlItY:

We may be well aware of organisations that extend their support to mortal affairs – education, health, sanitation et al; but ONGC goes all out to look beyond the mortal affairs. Environment-friendly Mokshda Green Cremation System (MGCS) is such a innovative yet considerate initiative for the deceased ones by the PSU.

iNiTiATivE

A THOuGHTFuL STEP FOR THE DEAR DEPARTED


By Dustin Robertson

The world is watching In-dia to see what impact the Companies Act 2013 and its mandatory CSR re-

quirements will have on the coun-try. This landmark legislation has potential to radically transform both the business and develop-ment sectors on a large scale, so a research team at Kaarak decided to assess what companies are doing in the area of public health, one of the most important development chal-lenges in India.

The main objectives of the study were to i.) understand what com-panies are doing in health-related CSR and how the Companies Act would affect them. ii.) Discover and document effective strategies and good practices, then share them in a way that would inform and inspire other companies. iii.) Advance the discussion and debate on CSR in India.

Multiple methods of data collec-tion and assessment were used which included literature review, in-depth interviews with represen-tatives from companies, and analy-sis of public information. The sam-ple included various Indian and multinational companies from dif-ferent sectors and different sizes. While the study focused on health-oriented CSR, many of the concepts and lessons learned are applicable to other types of CSR as well.

FinDingS OF ThE STuDy: HuGE DivERsiTY iN CsR PERTAiNiNG To HEAlTH Health is a common csr theme: Health is consistently one of the top three most common CSR issues (along with education and environ-ment). However, within this domain there is a great diversity in terms of specific health problems being ad-dressed. Common issues taken up include: nutrition, HIV/AIDS, dis-ability, materno-infantile health, eyesight, sanitation, hygiene, and disease (including both communi-cable and non-communicable). Sim-ilarly, diversity exists in terms of strategies adopted to address these issues (e.g. health camps, aware-ness campaigns, provision of medi-cal supplies/equipment, creation/

support of community based organ-isations, village adoption, etc.).reasons that companies prac-tice csr: Multiple business driv-ers compel companies to carry out CSR. Interviews with company rep-resentatives provided a glimpse of the factors influencing decisions. i.) Some responded that they do CSR because they consider their com-munities important stakeholders. ii.) Others cited a mandate from higher levels of administration or a historical tradition established by company founders. iii.) Public Sec-tor Enterprises (PSus) pointed out that they were already required to conduct CSR by DPE Guidelines iv.) Others felt a strong sense of respon-sibility to their communities and environment. v.) One company even

Health is one of the imperative elements of CSR for organisations to focus on. What develop-ments have been made in the area so far is vital to know. Therefore, Kaarak decided to do the needful by bringing out a study paper on health-related CSR in India. The study reveals some recent developments and best practices in health-oriented CSR practices.

cited creating shared value (CSV), recognising the mutual dependen-cy of societal well-being and their business success. Companies deliver health-relat-ed CSR in diverse ways: Diversity also exists in implementation of CSR. i.) Some companies choose to implement their CSR directly on their own or through a registered trust, society or company estab-lished by the company. ii.) Others choose to partner with indepen-dent agencies such as local, na-tional or international NGOs. iii.) There was even one example of companies collaborating to jointly undertake CSR. Most of the compa-nies interviewed use a combination of these strategies. Decisions about implementation are often dictated by a company’s characteristics such as size, sector resources (not only financial), capacity, and corporate values. Impact of Companies Act 2013: When asked how the Act would affect their CSR, interview partici-pants again indicated a wide range of effects. i.) One company said that nothing would change as their CSR activities already surpassed the re-quirements established by the Act. ii.) Some companies indicated slight changes such as modifications to their CSR policies and revision of activities. iii.) Others reported more significant changes such as formali-sation of activities, increase of CSR’s role within the company, creation of a new CSR policy, increase of CSR budget and restructuring internal departments.

CoMPANiEs MAkiNG A BiG DiFFERENCE iN HEAlTHThree examples of companies from different sectors that demon-strate three distinct ways that CSR can have a major impact on public health:n tata chemicals: Through Tata Chemicals Society for Rural Devel-opment, the company actively prac-tices “participatory development” in over three hundred villages sur-

rounding its plant location in Babra-la, uP. Through its health initiatives, the company engages the surround-ing communities and follows their habitants to ensure high quality, sustainable health delivery. Inter-ventions have had a major impact on these communities. Of particular note are remarkable improvements in rates of immunisation and insti-tutionalised childbirth. n Jubilant life Sciences: Jubilant (through Jubilant Bhartia Founda-tion) tests vanguard development models in pilot modes then con-ducts rigorous monitoring, evalua-tion and analysis to glean valuable lessons applicable in other parts of the country or even internationally. Examples include large scale pilot interventions carried out in com-munity health and nutrition. n Eli lilly india: By recognising the shared value that can be created by health-related CSR, the pharma-ceutical company seeks to advance understanding and treatment of diseases, through the Lilly Global Health Innovation Campaign. The company carries out research, re-porting and advocacy, and demon-strates that companies can go be-yond merely contributing to public health in India, and can actually be on the forefront of responses to im-portant health issues.

GooD PRACTiCEs There is not one simple answer for the best way to do CSR. However, some good practices seem common among successful CSR initiatives. n Engaging the community as a stakeholder: Moving beyond the models of charity and philanthropy, successful CSR initiatives see their target populations not only as ben-eficiaries, but as active partners in the development and advancement of their communities. n Evidence based action: Highly ef-fective CSR is based on the current realities of the intervention com-munities. Top CSR initiatives start by identifying and understanding the characteristics of the area and its population, including needs and

resources. Some companies choose to conduct their own research while others rely on local actors or inde-pendent organisations. n Engaging local actors and struc-tures: Successful CSR initiatives identify community based organ-isations, NGOs, other companies and government structures, and then seek to collaborate or form partnerships whenever possible. This reduces conflict and overlap while improving the validity, effec-tiveness and impact of their inter-ventions. n Long-term visions: The best ex-amples of CSR feature long-term ap-proaches that ensure impacts will be sustainable. Leading companies generally plan actions in 2-5 year project/programme modes, and have overall visions that extend be-yond this time frame.

The amount to be spent on CSR (estimates range from Rs. 22,000 to 28,000 crore) is relatively small in comparison to amounts spent by the GOI on development. However, CSR should not be just a drop in India’s bucket; instead it can be a catalyst for change and social inno-vation. The engagement of India’s largest companies, many of which are entrepreneurial success stories, can bring fresh perspectives to help tackle the country’s most important problems.

The way a company carries out CSR depends on many factors such as the company’s sector of business, resources (not only financial), loca-tion, history, values and corporate culture. However, if companies take a serious, professional approach, they can help lead the way to solv-ing India’s most critical develop-ment problems. n

The writer is a team member of Kaarak Enterprise Development Ser-vices Pvt. Ltd, an advisory and profes-sional services organsation. Kaarak helps companies deliver CSR through a diverse range of services and prod-ucts. Learn more at http://kaarak.in/. For full report of the study: [email protected]

REsEARCH

csr And HEAltH: How comPAniEs cAn build A HEAltHiEr indiA?


formats of different sports have emerged like IPL, Kabaddi League, Hockey League, Bad-minton league et al, where do you think is India heading? Are we on the right track?

yes, we are certainly on the right track to promote non cricket sports. I am a strong supporter of different formats of games and enjoy watching Olympics. These leagues have generated viewership which will encourage popularity of these games and more youngsters to take up the sports.

Would you like to talk about your “Youth Knowledge Centers” initiative? What im-pact do you anticipate through this initia-tive?The plan is to set up 17 youth Knowledge Centers (yKCs) in Hamirpur. These centers will be equipped with latest technology with facility of library and provisions for various skill building, development programmes and career counseling workshops. Besides extending IT support to local schools for educating children, yKCs will also provide basic computer skills to the local population. The libraries in these centers will provide free access of books on a wide range of subjects to the residents. These centers will act as portals to cre-ate awareness on government policies and schemes. In the times to come, yKCs will be instrumental in yield-ing high benefits for people from various walks of life. Businessmen, shopkeepers, farm-ers, agriculturists et al could be em-powered immensely on various aspects by the facility in the future.

As India is one of the most youthful nations in the world, would you like to give any message to the youth as to what steps should they take for nation building?I believe in 3 Es model of development that focuses on Education, Employment leading to Empowerment of our young population. In my personal opinion, the young populace of our nation should take up social development ac-tivities in their neighbourhood, always participate in the demo-cratic process and reach out to their elected representatives with solutions to challenges. n

inTERViEW: AnuRAg ThAKuR

After the formation of the new Government in May 2014, India has been increasingly viewed as a bellwether nation on the global map. Hopes are high on revival of various marred sectors with the launch of several path-breaking schemes in the past few months. Anurag Thakur, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) and BCCI Joint Secretary shares his views with Bachan Singh on various dimensions of growth and development happening in the nation along with efforts being put in social space.

What is your take on the CSR Act 2013 and the work done under the Act since it came into effect in April this year? How significant is the Act for India?

According to me, the Act is a wel-come step in the right direction. However, there is definitely scope for improvement and our govern-ment is deliberating on it. For ex-ample, while the CSR law lists the activities that can be considered under CSR, it leaves out certain activities that companies have been carrying out using their CSR funds even before the Act was in-troduced. The eligible activities should be expanded beyond its current scope. One of the sugges-tions I would like to make to be considered, is aligning our CSR ac-tivities with the larger post 2015 development agenda.

What is you focus area currently, when it comes to joining hands with various NGOs and imple-menting agencies for work in social space in your constituency Hamirpur?In my view, NGOs play a very criti-cal role in taking the development process forward. In fact, I am supporting various NGOs in my constituency Hamirpur. Several commendable programmes are being undertaken in areas such as skill development, education and women empowerment. I believe that real development and pros-perity will be possible only when all stakeholders - Government, Civil Society and Industry will join hands and work in sync.

With the formation of new gov-ernment in May this year, most of the countries out there have been looking upto India as the next leading nation on the global map. In order to make the anticipation a reality, what according to you should be the thrust areas? Our government believes that the manufacturing sector will be a key driver of economic growth and em-ployment in the times to come. We also believe that the effective use of technology can help meet chal-lenges in various sectors such as health, agriculture, education and infrastructure. I feel elated to share that we have already initiated a few steps in this direction through the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India’ mission.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan has be-come talk of the town. You also un-veiled the world’s largest poster on the drive. Where can we take India through this initiative and what have we achieved so far in that respect?

Looking at the scenario around, I must say that we Indians certainly lack civic sense. While walking on the road or driving we carelessly lit-ter around but we are extra cautious while travelling in foreign countries about not littering for the fear of lo-cal laws. So, the PM has embarked on this very important mission to clean up, so that we can ensure hy-gienic surroundings which will fur-ther ensure a disease-free India.

Kindly share your views on ‘Saa-nsad Adarsh Gram Yojana’. Under the scheme, which 3 villages do

you plan to develop? Has there any work been done in that respect?

I have adopted village Dehlan in district una in my constituency for the development under SAGy. Ac-cording to the guidelines of the scheme, one model village has to be developed by 2016 and other two by 2019. At present, I have adopted Dehlan village and have plans to adopt the other two after the development in Dehlan village is completed. Albeit the guidelines stipulate to develop three villages by 2019, we have plans to expand it beyond. In association with private sector, we plan to develop at least 6 villages till 2019.

Prime Minster Narendra Modi makes an immense use of social media. Are you also following suit by being proactive on Twitter? What is your take on the usage of social media and its role in nation building?Social media is a means to directly reach out to people who are miles away. It’s a simple, quick and di-rect way of connecting with people. The Bharatiya Janata yuva Morcha (BJyM) has effectively used it for its membership campaign as well as during the general elections this year. Social media empowers the people to share experiences, sug-gestions and grievances on matters both local as well as national. I have been using social media for over four years now and in my experi-ence, it is an effective and efficient way for both the ends to communi-cate and gather ideas and opinions.

Over the last few years, many

‘GOVT., CIVIL SOCIETy AND INDuSTRy SHOuLD WORK IN SyNC’


One might see IITs and IIMs as the cynosure for many rating agencies today from the Indian

land, yet this is half truth. The complete truth is that India is a living example of being the first one in myriad fields. With a lin-eage of having legends of all times in all fields, India has had a tradi-tion of producing a class apart. One of the major reasons amidst many for having people and assets of the highest caliber is educa-tion. One could trace out from the traditional education system of mentor-disciple in India from the distant past. Teachers and educa-tional institutes were highly re-spected during those times while it does not end with that period. The spirit continued as the main-stream to drive the entire nation in like manner which proved India’s mettle at global map. The continu-ation of this lineage brought in a mammoth outcome in the form of Banaras Hindu university. The internationally acclaimed Indian university’s abode is the holy city Varanasi. The exceptional temple of learning sprawls over 1300 acres (5.3 km) and is considered as one of the largest residential universities in Asia with more than 20,000 students. The varsity holds an unparalleled stature and repute which wouldn’t be easy for any institution to match in the coming ages. Any product is a result of a vision or idea and the visionary to create this Mecca of

education was Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya. The university which was born in 1916 had been a re-sult of Pt. Madan Mohan Malavi-ya’s dream which he had been see-ing since 1900. In the year 1884, he became a teacher at a govern-ment school and his interactions with the students helped him un-derstand their hardships and the challenges in the Indian education system. Having seen this, the idea of revamping the current educa-tional system in India germinated in his mind.

Born in an orthodox family on November 25, 1861 at Prayag (Allahabad) in uP, Pt. Malaviya was a multifaceted personality. A statesman, prominent journalist, a reluctant yet effective lawyer, patriot, social reformer, a success-ful parliamentarian, and above all – a dynamic educationist, BHu

is the biggest outcome of his life. The university was one of its kind and during his time gained utmost prominence globally.

His quest for education since his childhood made a huge im-pact on his accomplishments and what he did for society and the downtrodden. Malaviya’s father was a learned Sanskrit scholar and used to recite Bhagwat Katha to earn a living, hence he also in-herited the same love and passion for Sanskrit. After completing his primary education in Sanskrit at Hardeva’s Dharma Gyanopadesh Pathshala and later at another school by Vidha Vardini Sabha, Pt. Malaviya joined Allahabad zila School (Allahabad District School). His natural instincts came to bloom here and he start-ing writing poems under the pen name Makarand. His poems could secure ample space in various journals and magazines. He did his matriculation from the then called Muir Central College (Al-lahabad university). As a family with five brothers and two sisters, managing finances for everything for all emerged as a challenge for the family. But a scholarship from Harrison College’s principal ap-peared as a blessing in disguise for Malaviya. The scholarship helped him complete his B.A. from university of Calcutta. Wanting to further pursue M.A. in Sanskrit, Pt. Malaviya could not make it a reality against the wish of his fa-ther. Hence, he started his career

as a school teacher at Allahabad District School in 1884. Having witnessed many hardships in life made him a humanistic figure in society.

Time brought a shift in his life when his refined and highly in-spiring speech at the 2nd Indian National Congress in Calcutta made a huge impact on Raja Ram-pal Singh, owner of the Hindi weekly – Hindustan, who was looking for a suitable editor to turn his paper into a daily. This was the beginning of Malaviyaji’s career as an Editor at the Hindi weekly in July 1887, as he bade a goodbye to his teaching job. Two and half years here and he moved on to pursue L.L.B. at Allahabad. Panditji later practiced law at Al-lahabad District Court and Alla-habad High Court respectively. His quest for learning and mastering various subjects did not see a halt, as he moved on to become the President of Indian National Con-gress for two terms in 1909 and 1918. under the British Raj, Pt. Malaviya fought a court case for 177 convicted freedom fighters to be hanged in the Chouri-Choura case and freed 156 of them. His-tory has registered his immense sacrifices towards freedom of In-dia. He was the leading figure in the Non-Cooperative Movement while actively participated in the protests against the Simon Com-mission. The years 1924-1946 saw him as the Chairman of Hin-dustan Times. under his chair-manship, the Hindi edition was launched in 1936 while saving the paper from untimely demise later, realising his vision of launching a Delhi newspaper. He also raised Rs 50,000 for the paper to save it from closure.

Despite being a person of excep-tional mastery and skills in varied subjects and fields, Panditji’s heart always longs for education and so-cial reforms, hence he left his law practice on his heart’s call. But above all, his life shines with excep-tional exuberance for his biggest

accomplishment in life – BHu. The varsity has the privilege to have produced scores of freedom fight-ers, nationalist leaders, scientists, technocrats, scholars, artists and builders of modern India. The main campus with a temple and air strip is an architectural delight. The ba-sis of the innovative university was the spirit of integration, collabora-tive new ideas and to promote cul-ture and intellect. Malaviya’s genu-ine concern to eradicate poverty in India and the decline of income of Indians as compared to the Eu-ropeans led him to establish BHu. As India had very strong roots of religion and culture, Pt. Malaviya’s vision was to encourage Science and technology alongside and he fulfilled his vision through BHu.

Another campus of BHu is a tes-timony to its glory. The Barkachha university at Mirzapur spans over 2700 acres and has 3 Institutes, 124 Departments, 14 Faculties, 4 Inter displinary Centers, a con-stituent college for women and 3 Constituent Schools. Having a vast range of subjects like humanities, technology, social science, medi-cine, fine arts, performing arts, sci-

ence et al, the varsity comprises of 6 centres of Advanced Studies, 10 Departments with Special As-sistance Programme and a reputed museum. It also houses various specialised research centers while there have been 4 Degree Colleges in the city which are affiliated to it. Some other unique features of the university are: a 927 bed hos-pital with the latest technology and equipment, a flying club and facilities like printing press and fruit preservation center. Having more than 20,000 students from uSA, Europe, Asia, Middle East, Af-rica etc., around 1800 teachers and 8000 non-teaching staff are enough to keep the varsity in the league of other Indian universities like AMu and Nalanda.

Dr S. Radhakrishnan one said, “Pandit Malaviyaji is a Karmayogi. He is not only a representative of Hinduism but the soul of Hindu-ism. He had striven all through his life for the Hindu ideals and we see the combination of idealism and practical wisdom through his life.” India is and will always be proud to have such a personality as its citizen n


REFoRMATioN

PT. MADAN MOHAN MALAVIyA THE CREAToR oF MoDERN iNDiA

It is a well known fact that India has had very strong religious and cultural roots, but only that was not enough. Moving ahead with times in any age is a universal accepted phenomenon and this was exem-plified by Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya who laid the foundation for a modern India through focusing and promoting subjects like Technology and Science. And his biggest creation cum achievement towards that vision of modern India was Banaras Hindu University.

The winners of the Vodafone Founda-tion Mobile for Good Awards 2014 were announced in New Delhi recently. Committed to mobilising social change by leveraging the power and potential of the mobile technology, the Mobile for Good awards programme acknowl-edges and supports ideas and concepts from NGO/NFPs that effectively and efficiently empower communities and change lives in their own unique way. The five winner NGOs were award-ed INR 1.2 million each and will be mentored by NextGen to expand and upscale their capacity, improve proj-ect monitoring and enhance impact evaluation of the projects they man-age. The main category award winners were Self Reliant Initiatives through Joint Action (SRIJAN) for Agriculture and Environment, Operation ASHA for Health, Swayam Shikshan Prayog

(SSP) for Health, Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Medical Trust for Health, SNEHA (Soci-ety for Nutrition Education and Health Action) for Women Empowerment & Inclusive Development, while Surat Municipal Corporation was honoured with Main Category Special Mention Award for Governance. Apart from these winners, Vodafone Foundation also felicitated five select NGOs and NFPs with exemplary ideas/concepts in areas of Health, Education, Gover-nance, Women Empowerment & In-clusive Development and Agriculture & Environment. The winners were Jay-alaxmi Agrotech for Agriculture & En-vironment, Chinh India for Education, Infocrats Web Solutions Pvt Ltd for Governance, Tech Services India Pvt. Ltd for Governance and Dimagi Soft-ware Innovations Pvt. Ltd for Health.

Exide Life Insurance, one of the leading life insurance companies in India, launched a programme to commemo-rate World Diabetes Day titled Exide Life Insurance ‘Say No to Diabetes’. Thyrocare Technologies Ltd, India’s first and most advanced Totally Automated Laboratory is joining hands with Exide Life Insurance for this initiative. Exide Life Insurance has rolled out this awareness campaign with an aim to educate people on the dif-ferent aspects of diabetes. This pro-gramme will cover 133 cities in India and will engage with people of 25 to 60 years of age and above. The focus will be on housewives, retired people and salaried class who are prone to diabetes due to their unhealthy eating habits. The activa-tion will have various touch points including at jogger’s parks, malls, retail outlets and Resident Welfare Association (RWAs) among others. Talking about this community initiative, Mohit Goel, Executive Vice President and Head - Marketing of Exide Life Insurance, said, “At Exide Life Insurance, we focus on helping you prepare financially for a long and happy life. We are taking this phi-losophy further through the Exide Life Insurance ‘Say No to Diabetes’ campaign which will help Indians detect early signs of Diabetes, and avail requisite treatment so that they go on to lead a long, healthy and happy life.”

sNiPPETs

VODAFONE FOUNDATION ORGANISES ‘MOBILE FOR GOOD’ AWARDS 2014

RBF INITIATES ‘SHIKSHA KI UNCHI UDAAN’ IN CHURU

ExIDE LIFE INSURANCE LAUNCHES ‘SAy NO TO DIABETES’ ON WORLD

DIABETES DAy

The approaching final exam for 11th and 12th standard students comes with a concern, what kind of skills will help them in getting more success in com-petitive world. Hence, Ram Bajaj Foundation will be starting its student development sessions in Rajasthan, starting from Churu under the cam-paign – “Shiksha Ki unchi udaan” (The Long flight of Education). This noble initiative is taken up by the foundation

with a view to empower students by imbibing the qualities of decision mak-ing, self-confidence and good communi-cation skills in smaller districts and cit-ies of Rajasthan. This campaign will be in 6 schools over a span of one week in Churu, where the representative will be presenting student development pro-grammes and a motivational lecture to encourage the motive of campaign. The foundation has also launched Students

Helpline on their website – www.ram-bajajfoundation.org, where in students can register to explain their develop-ment needs and enquire about other details. The helpline will be resolving the queries to the earliest depending on intensity and nature of query.

The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, a sister organisa-tion of the World Economic Forum, in partnership with the Jubilant Bhartia Foundation announced Dr. H Sudarshan, Karuna Trust, as the winner of the 2014 India Social

Entrepreneur of the year Award. The awards were conferred in New Delhi at a high-level celebration, in the presence of Arun Jaitley, Minister of Finance, Corporate Affairs and Defence, Government of India, and over 200 participants. Karuna Trust

is transforming dysfunctional gov-ernment primary healthcare centers (PHCs) into professional hubs of ‘last mile’ healthcare service deliv-ery. It works through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model – the gov-ernment invests in upgrading infra-structure and efficient running of the PHCs; Karuna Trust brings healthcare management systems and disruptive health innovations; village health councils hold PHCs accountable for reporting higher health outcomes and functioning as zero-corruption zones. The trust has served more than one million patients and reported health out-comes that are amongst the highest in the country. Over 180 applicants entered the tenth annual Social Entrepreneur of the year selection process for India, and three finalists emerged after several stages of rig-orous assessment.

sNiPPETs

DR. H SUDARSHAN OF KARUNA TRUST IS INDIA’S SO-CIAL ENTREPRENEUR OF THE yEAR 2014

HUDCO BUILD TECH - 2014 - ‘A PROMINENT ExHIBITION’ Anita Agnihotri, Secretary, Ministry of Housing & urban Poverty Alleviation, Government of India, inaugurated the HuDCO Build Tech – 2014 at the India International Trade Fair (IITF) displayed in the Hall No. 3 on 14th November 2014. This year, the exhibition is a display of HuDCO’s contribution in sustain-able urban development focusing on funding of housing & infrastructure projects as well as innovative con-sultancy assignments in architec-ture, city planning, utilisation of cost effective and sustainable building materials, technologies and servic-es, as well as energy efficient green buildings, etc. Hudco Build Tech – 2014 is showcasing display of work done by HuDCO in nation building through financing of projects and partnering in Government of India programmes, promotion of cost effective & environment friendly building materials and technology.

Besides, various companies from Real Estate and Housing Finance are also participating in Hudco Build Tech. HuDCO pavilion has always earned a tremendous response from National and International visitors including professionals from diver-sified fields like Architecture,

Interior Designers, Builders, Contractors, Civil Engineers and Consultants from various fields. Special demonstration of EWS units displaying the innovative and cost effective technologies by Hindustan Prefab Limited (HPL) is the special attraction of the pavilion.


sNiPPETs

GAIL Chairman BC Tripati, in pres-ence of Prabhat Singh, Director Marketing, PK Jain, Director Fi-nance, M Ravindran, Director HR, Dr A Karnataka, Director Project, V Chanana, ED CSR, Anup Gupta, DGM CSR and other officials of GAIL India Ltd and CSRL Director, SK Shahi, ED CSRL, KM Singh and

other officials of CSRL launched Pankh - the success story book of GAIL-utkarsh released on its completion of 5th year. On this oc-casion, BC Tripathi expressed his satisfaction over the success of this programme and directed that these stories should reach out to masses to inspire them. Direc-

tor Marketing suggested that AIR prime time should be used to share these stories. GAIL, under the partnership with CSRL launched GAIL-utkarsh programme at Kan-pur in 2009-10 which provides 11 months free residential coaching for IIT/NIT etc to underprivileged students of uP and partly of MP. In these 5 years, about 324 poor stu-dents have benefited from this pro-gramme. The students of 2009-10 and 2010-11, who have completed their engineering have now either been absorbed at good positions at various companies or have re-ceived placement offers. The over-all success rate of 91% in last 5 years has raised hopes among the less-blessed students who see this programme as an opportunity to turning around their lives.

GAIL RELEASES PANKH ON COMPLETION OF 5TH yEAR OF GAIL-uTKARSH

Following our PM Narendra Modi’s call for the Skill Development, DLF Foundation, philanthropic arm of DLF Limited in association with NSHM has opened a Skill Develop-ment centre in Kolkata. DLF NSHM

udaan Skill training centre was inaugurated by Ravi Shastri, a re-nowned cricketer and Director of Cricket for the Indian cricket team at B.L. Saha Road, Tollygunge, Kolk-ata. The inauguration started off by lightening the lamp and addressing the dignitaries. Present on the oc-casion were Gayatri Paul, Director – Programmes, DLF Foundation, Sudhir Sahgal, DLF Eastern In-dia’s head, Cecil Antony Managing trustee of NSHM udaan and Sanjib Das, Vice President of NSHM udaan Skills Foundation and other offi-cials of DLF Foundation and NSHM. Keeping in mind the importance and the need of skill development

in today’s world, DLF Foundation and NSHM have collaborated for the first time for imparting skills to the youth of Kolkata. The overall objective of the training centre is to equip the students with vocational skills which enhance their employ-ment opportunities. It is focussed on training the underprivileged youth of Kolkata who are not able to afford higher and fancy educa-tion because of financial issues. The courses offered at DLF NSHM udaan are - Beauty & Hair Care, Retail, Hospitality – F&B Service Attendant, Construction – Helper Electrician and BFSI – Business correspondence.

sNiPPETs

Jindal Education Welfare Society, Raigarh, under the aegis of JSPL Foundation, has announced it is working with HP to establish 12 cloud-enabled eHealth Centres (eHC) over the next five years that will provide affordable healthcare services to citizens in India. The eHealth Centres will be launched in a phased manner across Orissa, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand. In the first phase, the eHealth Centres will be introduced at Tamnar, Patratu, Barbil and Jeraldabaru. The initiative is part of JSPL Foundation’s sustained effort to facilitate affordable and accessi-ble healthcare to local communi-ties and society at large.

JEWS TO SET UP EHEALTH CENTRES IN

INDIA WITH HP

AQUAMAGICA LEADS THE WAy IN SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION

RAVI SHASHTRI INAuGuRATED KOLKATA’S FIRST DLF NSHM uDAAN SKILL TRAINING CENTRE

Adlabs Entertainment in its latest offering has introduced an Interna-tional Standard waterpark, Adlabs Aquamagica. The waterpark is a world of wholesome entertainment for the visitors with gallons of aqua fun across 14 thrilling rides. At the same time, the company has estab-lished itself as a corporate citizen by implementing the latest, cutting edge technology for sustainable wa-ter management and conservation through varied harvesting and recy-cling practices. To this end, the com-pany has developed a rain water har-vesting reservoir within the project

premises which caters to the entire requirement of the water park. The reservoir stores approximately 260 million litres of rain water per year. This reservoir supplies water to Aquamagica for its daily usage and also recharges ground water which improves water levels under-ground. Talking about this efficient water management system, Kapil Bagla, CEO, Adlabs Entertainment Limited said, “It has been our con-stant endeavour to take a proactive approach to environmental sus-

tainability, be it around our theme park or the recently launched water park. The focus has been on finding a fine balance between preserving the vital role that Aquamagica plays in providing wholesome entertain-ment and leisure experience to our patrons and conserving the region’s water supplies and environment. We are striving to make conserva-tion a daily operational procedure and are investing in training and educating our employees on best water management practices.”


By Bachan Singh

Nagaland – one of the smallest north-eastern states of India comprises of many small towns and urban villages. Although most of us may know the state with a tag associated to it – “the land of festivals”, yet inside its land, a village is emerging fast on global map - Pangti. The village and its sur-rounding areas belong to individuals or communities with special constitu-tional provisions giving them absolute authority and ownership over the land and all its resources. Having authority is one thing and facing spine-breaking challenges in day to day life is another. Life brings various excruciating hard-ships for the local populace here. The predominant occupation is subsis-tence shifting agriculture. Some of the major problems are forced cultivation at higher and tougher altitudes, re-duced fish catch, elephant depredation et al. These traumatising factors leave the villagers and unemployed youth with no other alternate but to sustain on hunting and gathering. Poor infra-structure and tough cultivation prac-tices force the villagers and farmers to hold back their yield, failing to take it to the markets. This collective gamut of is-sues led to the mass hunting of ‘Amur falcons’, a small raptor of the falcon family. The raptors flock to Nagaland in countless numbers and make it their temporary abode for nearly 30-40 days every year. The bird starts its mi-gratory journey from Mongolia (where it spends its summer) to South Africa (winter abode) and back home (Mon-golia). It breeds in Northern China and South-eastern Siberia and spends

all summer there. During its migra-tory journey, the raptor makes India its temporary home for some time. Amur falcon’s migratory journey to Nagaland was considered as a blessing from the heaven as it would coincide with the locals’ need during the period. In 2012, mass hunting of Amur falcons was re-ported and international organisations and the Ministry of Environment and Forest showed their concern on the matter. Since then, gradually the con-

cern of falcon hunting has evolved as a movement.

As it seemed to deprive the local residents from a kind of livelihood, the initial phase was a hard nut to crack in convincing the residents about the significance of biodiversity conserva-tion and the effort met with harsh op-position, but an emotional bond was formed immediately, as the key forces shared with the villagers that these birds also come from their ancestral place Mongolia. They were made to un-derstand that rather than just viewing

the hunting as a means for petty earn-ings, conservation carries long term advantages.

Though it is a collective team and stakeholders’ effort, one of the key forces behind the conservation initia-tive was the Principal Chief Conserva-tor of Forests & Head of Forest Force, Nagaland, M. Lokeswara Rao, IFS. It was he who made those trailblazing ef-forts to bring all stakeholders together and went all out to convey, promote

and educate villagers on biodiversity conservation. Some estimates tell that over 1 million Amur falcons were being hunted in Pangti village area before the drive was initiated.

But it has been a couple of years now that not even a single Amur falcon has been hunted here. It all started last year, as the raptors were expected to arrive, a state alert was announced by the Forest Department. Meetings with police, forest officers, villagers and the local administration were car-ried out for developing strategy and

effective implementation of it. As the drive caught up a little pace, several stakeholders joined in. Pangti Village Council, an apex autonomous body of village administration emerged as a game changer in the process as it was an arduous task for the council to con-vince villagers for conservation. But the persistent efforts of the Chairman of the Pangti Village Council and his withstanding against the vehement opposition of his community eventu-ally turned things around in favour of the conservation drive.

Pangti Village Council signed a Mou with Wildlife Trust of India and oth-er NGOs like Nagaland Wildlife and Biodiversity Conservation Trust and Natural Nagaland, which helped in conserving Amur falcon. under the activities for the drive, church pastors were approached to spread the word, awareness programmes were run through audio-visual means at various schools, “Save the Amur falcon” mara-thon was organised, several meetings were held for different age groups separately, villagers and forest person-nel were deployed at various roost-ing sites and markets to overlook any trapping, hunting and selling of Amur falcon, if identified, nets or traps were seized, signature campaigns by various churches throughout Nagaland were carried out, school eco-clubs were formed, and wild life movie shows were organised. All the stakeholders acted as if the drive is their personal mission. Not only this, the locals and the stakeholders were educated on the relevant and crucial aspects concern-ing conservation. Every possible viable measure was undertaken like the use

of posters, banners, hoardings and dis-tribution of literature etc.

The Forest Department and the vil-lagers would ensure the safety and protection of the roosting sites of Amur falcon. Both the entities encouraged private plantation owners to plant trees at the roosting sites while shift-ing cultivation away from the roosting sites was highly discouraged. It took a little time to change the traditional and conservative thinking of the local villagers but the village and other sup-porting bodies together wrote a trans-formational story. In 2013 and 2014, not even a single Amur falcon has been killed. The credit of the once seemed an impossible task goes to the commit-ment of the villagers, village council, Forest Department, supporting NGOs and other stakeholders. Every one, it seems was closely knitted in the web of this cause.

In a couple of years the scenario is all together different. Organic farming has become a common practice while water birds have been visiting Pangti Village and its surroundings. The re-duced felling and burning followed by shifting cultivation have all resulted in increased water yield to the reservoir. This has led to a reduction in erosion and run off, leading to siltation. The number of landslides has also regis-tered a slump. With an ever increasing numbers of birds roosting here, the growth of insects and pests has been in control to a greater extent, which has yielded positive results for agricultural productivity.

The interesting part of the whole sto-ry is still left. Ministry of Environment and Forests, The Wildlife Institute of

India, Dehradun, Convention on Migra-tory Species Office - Abu Dhabi, united Nations Environment Programme, En-vironment Agency - Abu Dhabi and Na-galand Forest Department took a joint scientific mission to satellite tag Amur falcons from Nagaland. This kind of satellite mission has been undertaken for the first time in the world to trace their migratory route and spread the message of biodiversity conservation to the entire world. Three Amur fal-cons were named Naga (male), Wokha and Pangti (both females) after the state, district and village respectively. And the idea worked well, as two of the three birds have come back to Na-galand after a year they were released on November 7, 2013. Naga and Pangti have registered an awe-inspiring mi-gratory journey covering 22,000 km, from Nagaland to South Africa, South Africa to Mangolia, and back to Naga-land on October 10, 2014 while there are no traces of Wokha due to reasons unknown. Accolades, awards and cer-tificates of appreciation have poured in from all around the globe includ-ing from uNEP-CMS; Bombay Natural History Society, from the then Hon’ble Minister of Environment and Forest, the DGF & Spl. Secy, the Governor’s commendation certificate, Balipara Foundation Annual Award, and RBS ‘Save The Species’ Award 2014.

The conservation drive has put Na-galand on world map and scientists world over have declared Nagaland as ‘Falcon capital of the world’. The residents are hopeful that the desti-nation will emerge as a sought-after eco-tourism destination in the times to come. n

biodivErsity consErvAtion drivE turns nAgAlAnd into

‘FAlCON CAPItAl OF tHE wORlD’Would anyone like to give away the means of one’s livelihood? The obvious answer is - no. But people in Pangti village in Nagaland have done so. What they did is an example for everyone to follow.

MAkiNG A DiFFERENCE


CElEBRiTY

sHAbAnA Azmi tHE AmbAssAdor oF communAl HArmony

Sayyida Shabana Azmi, popularly known as Shabana Azmi in In-dia, is one of the fin-

est actors of Indian cinema. Graduated from Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, Azmi made her debut in Indian film Industry in the year 1974. Coming from a solid background of theatre, she became one of the most sought-after and leading fe-male figures of the Parallel Cinema soon after her debut year. Spending more than 3 decades in Bollywood, she has tasted success and fail-ure across the journey so far. The veteran actor has 5 National Award for Best Ac-tress, 4 Filmfare Awards and 7 international honours to her credit. Now such recognition doesn’t come in handy. It requires years of toiling, sweat and blood, sleepless nights, dedication and many more. Among all the quali-ties which she must have acquired over the years in her respec-tive field, dedication is of prime significance. Raising her voice against social evils and wrong practices, and advocating women and children empowerment pro-grammes became an integral part of her life in the later years of her career. Her initial moves for social causes were reported as public-ity gimmick, but her persistent efforts in the area have made the reports fade over the years.

Whether recommending Price Charles of uK to use his charity funds in areas like water shed-ding, urban problems and univer-sal health access in India during her uK visit in 2008 or standing

against communalism and under-taking a 4-day march from Delhi to Meerut for communal harmony along with Swami Agnivesh and Asghar Ali Engineer in 1989, she is always there when it comes to advocate and stand up for social causes.

Whenever she is mentioned or quoted, along with an actress, so-cial activist is always associated, which is a token of proof of her dedicated efforts in social space. She has raised her voice and opin-ion for slum dwellers, victims of Latur Earthquake in Maharashtra and displaced Kashmiri Pandits. A Padma Shri awardee (1988), Azmi owns an NGO - Mijwan Welfare Society (MWS), which was found-ed by late Kaifi Azmi in 1993. The NGO works for empowering small villages’ women, which it envi-sions will add to the real growth of India. She is a staunch advocate of justice and equality in society.

Born on September 18, 1950 in New Delhi, she has spoken her mind flawlessly against any community or religion when-ever humanity is put at stake. Azmi was extremely critical about the religious extremism after the 1993 Mumbai riots. Campaigning and promoting awareness about AIDS also keeps her extensively busy for the cause. Whether acting in films on AIDS or lending her voice on AIDS software tutori-als, she has gone all out to be a part of every possible area.

Her efforts to promote peace and national integration make her a member of National In-tegration Council since 1989, headed by the Prime Minister. Having left some footprints for her highly commendable

roles in films like Ankur, Nishant, Arth, Mandi, Godmother, Earth, etc., the incredible actor has been an important part of more than seven international projects too. Witnessing her contribution to a range of social causes, united Na-tions Population Fund appointed her as its Goodwill Ambassador to India. Having honorary doctor-ates from various national and global universities, the member of Rajya Sabha has been honoured with Padma Bhushan in 2012.

We form opinions that celebri-ties also indulge in social activi-ties to stay in news, but that’s not true in every case, and in Shabana’s case at least, it is not true. After all, beside all, we all are human beings. And we all can derive inspiration from such mor-tals who create some value for the needy, embracing them with warmth and love. n


RNI: DElENG/2013/49640

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