This is with reference to ‘Who’s afraid of CSR’ by Mathangi Swaminathan and Vamsee Prateek G (July 2). CSR is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model. It aims to embrace responsibility for corporate actions and encourage making a positive impact on the environment and stakeholders.
Many of our corporates view the CSR Act as an impounding set of rules that reduce the profitability of the corporate. Some corporate heads go beyond the stipulation to help the poor and underprivileged — stellar examples would be Azim Premji of Wipro, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw of Biocon, the Tatas, the Birlas. According to Forbes , Mazumdar-Shaw has pledged to give away 75 per cent of her wealth, currently estimated at $625 million. She has also donated about $33 million to various causes since 2005. Premji, ranked as India’s third richest person with a fortune of over $13 billion, has said he will donate $2.2 billion, or a 12 per cent stake in Wipro, to a trust to fund his education-focused Azim Premji Foundation. The current CSR spending by the Tata and Birla groups were well beyond the 2 per cent profit stipulated under the CSR Act. This is very encouraging.
If Corporate India sincerely engages in CSR, it can bring about a paradigm shift in the lives of millions. As pointed out, pharma companies providing medicines at heavily discounted rates to the needy and poor is a novel idea. It is advisable for companies to run their own CSR initiatives rather than handing over funds to NGOs. Every company-initiated programme or activity will bring it closer to the real beneficiaries, and the goodwill it generates will impact the benefactor’s business growth, spread and image.
CG Kuriakose
Kothamangalam, Kerala
BSNL’s promises
Anupam Shrivastava, the chairman and MD of BSNL, says BSNL is a partner in the Centre’s ambitious Digital India programme. Recently initiated programmes are free all-India roaming and free night calling from the landline. Wifi hotspots and next-generation net-work (NGN) exchanges are booster plans. Special camps are planned to make people aware of online recharge of mobiles, payment of utility bills, and internet banking. High speed internet services will be made available to all gram panchayats and there will be almost 100 per cent broadband coverage. There’s plenty to look forward to. Will we have to wait very long?
TV Jayaprakash
Palakkad, Kerala
Out with VIP culture
The VIP culture widely prevalent in India is just the tip of the iceberg. Research conducted in North America to ascertain why immigrants from Asia achieved lower success in their parent professions reveals that in Asia, a person acquires more social powers with higher rank in government or business, whereas in North America, rising up the professional ladder makes very little difference at the social level.
There is a story about the CEO of an American IT company who went to India to sign some deals with the CEO of an Indian IT company. As it was time for the American to catch his flight back home, he requested his Indian counterpart to expedite the work. The Indian assured him not to worry because, thanks to his clout, he had got the airport manager to delay the flight and assure him the American would be allowed to board without going through lengthy security checks.
People enjoying status and privileges depending upon caste, category and class is deep-rooted in our system. In light of the recent media drive against VIP culture, will it help end this attitude? I applaud the guts of this person who made a video while stopping the cavalcade of a higher-up and asking his gunman and driver that why they weren’t wearing their seat belts. They didn’t have any answer.
I was at an office on work. The person I was supposed to see was on leave. When I asked for a substitute, I got a mocking smile. “What’s there to smile? You are meant to serve the public,” I said. Immediately someone was put on the job. We must all start questioning the working of government. Awareness is our weapon.
Sukhdeep Singh
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