Corporate Social Responsibility: Welfare of Society & Growth of a Country

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a transformative programme or action that Indian businesses engage in. It is a positive move toward collective upliftment and community well-being, as mandated by the government. In some way, CSR initiatives in India must be in line with the socio-economic development of the country.

Corporate social responsibility, whether directly or indirectly, aids in this effort. Companies in India that meet specific conditions are required to contribute to the betterment and welfare of society and the country through CSR. As part of their CSR initiatives, many firms today are participating in a great deal of social work.

The purpose of CSR is to give back to the community, take part in philanthropic matters, and provide positive social value. Businesses are increasingly turning to CSR to make a difference and build a positive brand around their company. CSR refers to a company's contribution to society. Company Secretaries are expected to be knowledgeable about the legal and technical requirements for CSR in order to advise management and the Board of Directors.

Companies in India now have a larger duty to establish a defined CSR framework, thanks to the notion of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which was established by the Companies Act of 2013. Many corporate houses, such as TATA and Birla, have voluntarily engaged in CSR. The Act establishes a corporate social responsibility (CSR) culture in India by forcing businesses to develop a CSR policy and allocate funds to social upliftment programmes.

Many corporations pursue CSR activities through third-party collaborations. Usually, a local or an international non-profit organisation is involved in such partnerships. A third party implementation is when a company engages a third party, such as a local or international NGO, to work with local communities in designing and implementing CSR projects, or it supports an existing initiative being implemented by others.

Child Help Foundation (CHF) has been associated with many corporate houses across industries for many years now. Here is a list of some o the projects we have executed with some well-known corporates:

• Centre for Excellence: Motilal Oswal Foundation:

  
  
  
  The Motilal Oswal Foundation (MOF) is driven by our motto of 'Knowledge First‘. The Foundation believes that education can bring prosperity and equality to society. In partnership with the Motilal Oswal Foundation, CHF expanded the Centre for Excellence (CFE) Program to two more schools at Murbad and Vangani. These schools are residential ashram schools, wherein students from the nearby tribal communities come to gain primary education till standard 10. Under this program, we train the youngsters from the community by guiding them to be good teachers to the children from the school. These teachers then conduct extra classes apart from what is already being taught in schools for the students. The main focus remains on subjects like Mathematics, Science and English. The main aim of CFE is to support and develop students’ interests in various subjects and aid them in choosing their career paths efficiently. MOF has also assisted us in installing computers and special software for facilitating E-Learning among the tribal children. To maintain good health and well-being, we have also installed water purifiers so the students do not get sick and miss the opportunities to learn. We also successfully conducted an Educational Camp in the Murbaad Ashram Shala and Vangani Ashram Shala wherein 464 students were benefitted.



• Emergency Medical Support: ABB Hitachi

  
  
  
  Hitachi and ABB have been leaders in innovating and improving technology for over a century. Together, as Hitachi ABB Power Grids, the company is using its expertise to tackle today's urgent challenges. As a part of its CSR Initiatives, Hitachi ABB supported CHF in helping children from underprivileged backgrounds, who needed Emergency Medical Support. Even during the times of the pandemic, the company stood firm in its resolve to help these children get the required treatment by allocating the needed funds. Throughout 2020, ABB Hitachi has supported 8 children suffering from non-communicable, life-threatening diseases like Congenital Heart Disease, Cancer, Prematurity, among others. Many families have expressed their gratitude for helping their children be safe and healthier.



• Mini Science Centre: Samta-Equal Footing-Foundation

  
  
  
  Samata-Equal Footing-Foundation is an educational organisation headquartered in Florida, United States of America. In collaboration with them, Child Help Foundation has initiated the process to construct Mini Science Centers (MSCs) in 10 Ashram Schools in remote areas of Maharashtra. Out of these 10, four MSCs are already inaugurated and functional. These are at Sakhare Ashram Shala, Murbaad Ashram Shala, Vangani Ashram Shala and Pali Ashram Shala. The fundamental idea behind MSCs is to ensure that students from tribal communities get well-versed with popular scientific concepts. We have provided them with science models for practical learning. With the MSC initiative, we believe to be creating an interactive learning environment. Teachers' training sessions are conducted by CHF so that the students are guided professionally. Around 625 students are being benefited under this initiative.



• Clean Water and Sanitation: LIC Housing Finance

  LIC Housing Finance Limited (LIC HFL) Company has been working towards ensuring comfort, privacy, and security to elderly citizens along with preserving their dignity and independence. Their vision is to actively contribute toward the social and economic development of the poor irrespective of caste, creed and religion in areas around which they operate. In alliance with LIC HFL, CHF has constructed water purifiers and toilets in eight schools, and over 100 students are being benefited in each school. Potable water and clean toilets are significant to good health and mental and physical development. People from remote locations usually do not have access to clean water and are prone to life-threatening diseases. To avoid such harmful scenarios, ensuring hygiene becomes a priority and our project aims at just that!



• Baby Feeding Centres: Alkem Laboratories

  
  
  
  Alkem Foundation is the CSR arm of Alkem Laboratories. It is one of India's largest generic and specialty pharmaceutical companies. With contributions and support from Alkem and the Indian Railways, CHF has built and inaugurated Baby Feeding Centres (BFC), at Boisar, Kurla and Kalyan Railway Stations. This project lies under the Public-Private Partnership category. CHF started constructing Baby Feeding Centres in India to create a safe and comfortable environment for mothers to feed their children and have the privacy of a dedicated space on railway stations while travelling either locally or for long distances. CHF started constructing Baby Feeding Centres in India to create a safe and comfortable environment for mothers to feed their children and have the privacy of a dedicated space on railway stations while travelling either locally or for long distances. The cabins are painted yellow and carry a representative logo of breastfeeding on the door. Each cabin is equipped with a seat for the mother, a fan, and a light. The cabin is well ventilated with tinted windows and curtains.
  
  Corporate social responsibility goes a long way towards generating favourable buzz about the company as a whole. It has a significant impact on brand awareness. When individuals learn about a company's CSR efforts, they instinctively generate a favourable impression of the brand. They are more likely to support brands that take a stand. Although 2% may appear to be a small percentage, huge corporations produce profits in the billions of dollars. It is a significant contribution that has a significant impact on the welfare of society and the growth of the country.