Uttar Pradesh (UP) is the most populous state in India. Considering that the land is well drained by many rivers, the major contributor to the state’s economy is the agriculture sector. Uttar Pradesh is a state with a lot of political importance. Many of the Prime Ministers of India hail from the state of UP and many of the senior leaders of top national political parties prefer to contest election from different constituencies of UP. This often makes the state a power centre of India’s development. This has also made the state an attractive destination for various CSR initiatives by various companies.
The Uttar Pradesh state government is engaging corporates in expanding the state’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) reserves for socioeconomic development. Uttar Pradesh ranks among the top five states receiving the highest share of CSR funds from companies, alongside Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu. Mandated by Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013, certain companies are required to allocate 2 percent of their average profits from the preceding three financial years towards CSR activities.
The state’s CSR funds have shown remarkable growth, rising from Rs 148 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 1,321 crore in 2021-22, and further reaching around Rs 1,500 crore in 2022-23.
Despite the steady increase in its CSR reserves, Uttar Pradesh’s collection remains modest compared to its vast geographical size and population base, against the backdrop of India’s cumulative CSR expenditure exceeding Rs 2 trillion.
Top CSR initiatives in Uttar Pradesh
CSR of REC Limited for Education
REC Limited, a Maharatna CPSE under the Ministry of Power and a leading NBFC, through its CSR arm REC Foundation announced in March that it has partnered with the Unit of Science and Educational Development (UNISED) to support the education of 75,500 children in Siddharthnagar district of Uttar Pradesh. Under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, REC has committed financial assistance of Rs 9.91 crore towards this cause.
For this purpose, a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) has been signed between the REC Foundation and UNISED recently in New Delhi. The agreement was finalised by Bhupesh Chandolia, Head of CSR at REC Foundation, and Rashmi Kumari, Assistant Programme Director at UNISED, solidifying their commitment to improving educational opportunities for underprivileged children.
As part of this collaboration, UNISED will implement solar energy-operated smart classes and establish joyful learning resource labs in government schools across Siddharthnagar district. This initiative aims to provide students with access to modern educational tools and resources, empowering them to excel academically and creatively.
CSR of Hyundai Motor India for Healthcare
Hyundai Motor India Foundation (HMIF), the CSR arm of Hyundai Motor India Ltd. (HMIL) in June, 2023 inaugurated Telemedicine clinic in Mangalpur, Moosanagar, Rajpur, Macharehta and Pisavan villages in the Kanpur Dehat and Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh. A total of 5 telemedicine clinics are now operational in the state. The telemedicine clinics are an extension of HMIF’s social outreach initiative ‘Sparsh Sanjeevani’ that emphasizes making quality and affordable medical services accessible to rural India through technology.
The 5 new telemedicine clinics in the state of Uttar Pradesh will add to the existing network of telemedicine clinics under ‘Sparsh Sanjeevani’ already operational in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Haryana. Clinics in Maharashtra were launched last week.
The telemedicine clinics are nurse assisted clinics where the patient is first assessed by the nurse who understands the concern and then connects him/her to the right empanelled specialist, over a video call. Post consultation, the nurse writes out the prescription and dispenses the medicines. The system allows for follow ups as well. The entire service inclusive of medicines is available for just Rs 100. The clinics are linked with labs where basic pathology and blood tests can be conducted. Serious cases are referred to district healthcare centres and government run multi-speciality hospitals in the districts where the ‘Sparsh Sanjeevani’ Telemedicine Clinics are operational. The clinics are run in association with Karma Healthcare a leading social enterprise in this field.
CSR of Tata Power Solar Systems for renewable energy
Tata Power Solar Systems Limited has launched a transformative rooftop solar initiative aimed at powering every home in Uttar Pradesh (UP) with clean energy. Starting from Varanasi, the ambitious initiative of ‘Ghar Ghar Solar, Tata Power ke Sang’ promises substantial financial savings and environmental benefits for residents through state-of-the-art Rooftop Solar Solutions.
Consumers in the state can avail a maximum subsidy of up to Rs.1,08,000 on rooftop solar installation. It will comprise Central Govt. subsidy of Rs 78000 for up to 3 kW and a maximum of Rs 30,000 (Rs 15,000 per kW) for up to 3kW by the State Govt., which will be over and above the Central Govt. subsidy.
“Tata Power Solar’s commitment to quality and innovation ensures that this initiative will significantly boost the region’s energy availability and sustainability. With a robust channel partner network Tata Power is well-positioned to offer expedited rooftop solar connections to the residents of Varanasi and Uttar Pradesh,” reads an announcement.
Residents in Uttar Pradesh can benefit from local subsidies provided by the state government, making solar adoption even more attractive. These subsidies, combined with significant savings on electricity bills, offer substantial financial relief to homeowners.
Switching to solar energy offers tremendous economic advantages. A typical household installing a 3 kW solar rooftop with an initial investment of around INR 1.08 lakh (subsidy of INR 1.08 lakh can be claimed) can generate 12 units of electricity daily, translating to approximately 360 units per month. With the average electricity tariff in Varanasi, this setup can save residents up to INR 27000 per year on their electricity bills.
CSR of Balrampur Chini Mills to empower women
Balrampur Foundation, a not-for-profit initiative aimed at fulfilling the social responsibility of Balrampur Chini Mills Limited, under its CSR initiative has set up ‘The Shakti Room’. Inaugurated by Vineet Jaiswal, Superintendent of Police, Gonda in Uttar Pradesh in March this year, the Shakti Room initiative is primarily a Women Force and Safety Centre.
Situated at the police office premises, this newly built district centre is expected to aid women affected by cybercrime or other harassment issues and will provide legal information and resolutions for women-related issues. A lady police officer will be present every day in The Shakti Room to help the victims of cybercrime and other women and to handle other women harassment issues. The Shakti room will not only act on the complaints received from women but also stand beside them to ensure their social rights.
The initiative was undertaken, to alleviate incidents reported in the Annual Report of The National Crime Records in India which showcased a huge surge in crimes against women. Similarly, there has been a marked increase in Cybercrime offences which suggest the need for more robust cybersecurity frameworks and strategies to combat these frauds. The Shakti Room would not only help women facing such issues but also enable, guide and educate women about how to tackle such crimes and take actions.
HDFC Bank Parivartan
AROH Foundation and HDFC Bank, under the Holistic Rural Development Project “Parivartan”, have adopted 15 villages in the Pindra block of Varanasi.
The objective of the project is to develop the adopted villages into self-sustaining model villages. This includes raising the physical, socio-economical index for an estimated population of 22,610 and improving the village ecosystem. The prime focus is to enhance human capital by providing better opportunities in skills and livelihood, Education, Health and Sanitation, Water and Natural Resource Management, Financial Literacy and Inclusion and realignment and community-led institutions.
The project Parivartan inculcates an organic approach to recycle and rejuvenate existing resources, create FPOs, SHGs, JLGs, linkages & convergence to create synergy to develop villages into self-sustaining entries models. The project adopts a bottom-up approach with an adequate focus on micro-planning through a participatory approach ensuring the involvement of different stakeholders in the development process, which eventually also ensures the sustainability of the impact.
Besides bringing a positive transformation in people’s lives, the project is a step to support the Government in achieving the national goals of Doubling Farmer’s Income, Swachh Bharat Mission, Make in India, Beti Bachao- Beti Padhao, etc., while also contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Aviral – Reducing Plastic Waste in the Ganga project
Alliance to End Plastic Waste (the Alliance) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), launched the Aviral – Reducing Plastic Waste in the Ganga pilot project. This CSR initiative aims to reduce the amount of plastic waste entering the environment in the northern Indian cities of Haridwar and Rishikesh.
Aviral seeks to pilot an approach to address waste management challenges. In particular, it will focus on strengthening an integrated plastic waste management system. Following the two-year pilot in the two cities, the partnership aims to scale this initiative across partnering cities in India.
Apart from these initiatives, it has been reported that the New Indian Express is undertaking the development of Shankaracharya Samadhi at Kedarnath in Uttarakhand, while the Hinduja Group is taking up ghat development work in Haridwar and Rishikesh. Bajaj electricals is undertaking plantations at Varanasi, Fatehpur, Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Pratapgarh, Ballia and Mau in Uttar Pradesh. Amer Maritime will take up ghat development in Kanpur, HCL has plans for the holistic development of ghats in Varanasi, bioremediation, tree plantation community development and Ganga Gram development. Reliance Industries has plans for ghat development at Varanasi, Allahabad, Delhi, Haridwar, Kedarpuri and Rishikesh. These projects are at various procedural stages.
River Ganga is the longest river in the country flowing over 2510 kilometres of mountains, valleys and plains. It is not only considered to be the most sacred river by the Hindus but is also a cause of livelihood for many Indians. It is therefore very important to rejuvenate the river that is synonymous with India and its culture.
