Executive Programme on Strategic Nonprofit Management in India

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July 25, 2018

Ashoka University’s Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP) in partnership with the Harvard Business School (HBS) Executive Education and Dasra will be hosting the second cohort of its flagship executive programme on Strategic Nonprofit Management in India from July 29 to August 2, 2018 at the Ashoka University Campus, Sonepat.

The programme will be spearheaded by V. Kasturi Rangan, Malcolm P. McNair Professor of Marketing and Co-chair of the Harvard Business School, Social Enterprise Initiative and Vikram S. Gandhi, Senior Lecturer of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, who will deliver classes to senior leaders of nonprofit organisations operating in South or Southeast Asia.

Launched in 2017, the programme explores best practices in nonprofit strategy, leadership, and governance, to prepare participants to build a high-performance organisation. It is the only programme for the nonprofit sector in India today that brings faculty from Harvard Business School (HBS) to India to facilitate sessions using the HBS case study methodology.

The curriculum will focus on planning for scale, performance measurement and improvement, and adopting a disciplined approach to strategy, governance, and operations to help emerging leaders at the forefront of the nonprofit sector drive meaningful social change.

Who will attend this programme:

Senior leadership, trustees and board members of nonprofits and foundations in India
Executive directors, chief executive officers, and other leaders responsible for shaping the mission, direction, and policies of their organisations

Admission to the programme is based on professional achievement and organisational responsibility. No formal educational requirements apply.

The Strategic Nonprofit Management—India programme presents a new platform for executives to sharpen the organisation’s mission and strategy, design effective operational models, raise funds, and strengthen governance and leadership. Key lessons will come into focus as the classes will be constructed according to the critical challenges of the respective organisations. Return to work will mean building a high-performance organisation that can fulfill its mission, expand its scope, and achieve its potential.

Date: July 29 to August 2

WABAG CSR project to benefit 250 farmers and 350 hectares of farm land

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The CSR Journal

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July 25, 2018

WABAG has launched Pro-Poor and Pro-Farmer project at Sokkan Odai, Killai, Chidambaram Taluk, Cuddalore District under CSR program. This project aims at restoring traditional irrigation through structural renovation in Sokkan Odai, part of Cauvery river drainage system. This would facilitate sustainable crop production in both flood and drought situations. Activities include channel de-silting, pipe outlets on channel banks, creation of farm ponds for water storage and bio mass production on the channel banks. The total project outlay is around INR 20 lakhs which is fully funded by WABAG.

The project is executed by Hand in Hand India, a reputed social development organization. As part of Sustainability Plan, Sokkan Odai Conservation Committee has been formed consisting of beneficiary farmers to take ownership of the community assets post project completion. This WABAG CSR project would benefit around 250 farmers and 350 ha. of farm land, supporting livestock rearing and livelihood enhancement of the local farming community.

This project was conceived by the Agricultural Engineering Department of the Cuddalore Collectorate and implemented by WABAG with the support of Government, NGO and the Killai farmers.

WABAG had earlier built a drinking water treatment plant at MGR Thittu, Killai village at a cost of INR 30 lakhs as part of Tsunami relief and rehabilitation apart from Community Centre at Mudasalodai in partnership with an Austrian NGO. Last year, WABAG renovated two ponds – one at Adivarahanallur and another at Thethampattu, Cuddalore District at a cost of INR 10.30 lakhs as part of watershed development plus program.

Designer Babies, The Ethics and Morals of Gene Editing

By

Kasmin Fernandes

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July 25, 2018

In a scenario that sounds eerily like a science fiction movie plot, designer babies could soon become an everyday reality. Families will conceive children through genetic selection – choosing superior characteristics and reducing susceptibility to genetic diseases. Britain’s most respected medical body has given the green light to genetically engineering embryos for non-medical reasons. The Nuffield Council on Bioethics said that there should be no fundamental moral bar to parents genetically modifying their children, provided certain criteria were followed.

The discussion about the ethics of designer babies has been brought into sharp focus by this news and the development of a technology called Crispr-Cas9 that “makes it remarkably simple to directly tinker with the human genome (the DNA sequence) of an early embryo”, says Wired magazine. When combined with IVF, these new genetic tools allow scientists to change the DNA, which is the blueprint of a human embryo, when it consists of just one or a few cells.

In a society like India where sex determination before birth is banned because of strong cultural preferences for the male child, the era of designer babies could lead to a further deterioration of the sex ratio. Instead of having to determine gender once the embryo is conceived, parents could choose to engineer it before conception and evade the law.

Although technical hurdles remain, “advances in gene editing mean that it is possible to contemplate a time when embryos can be modified so that genetic diseases, or even genetic predispositions to disease, are eliminated”, reports The Times, a scenario you witnessed in 1997 science fiction film Gattaca.

Upsides

– Since many diseases are caused by a single genetic mutation, those in favour ask why we shouldn’t edit the DNA of an embryo or the sperm and egg to remove the mutation entirely. “In effect, this would remove a fault from humanity forever,” says The Times. John Harris, a bioethicist at the University of Manchester, says: “The human genome is not perfect. It’s ethically imperative to positively support this technology.”

– Those in favour of designer babies argue that these scientific advances can be regulated in order to avert potential doomsday scenarios. “I still think you can try to regulate the technology,” Arthur Caplan, founding head of the Division of Bioethics at New York University, told USA Today. “It would be nice if we had an international group; set out some rules. It would be great if the scientific community – with religious and ethics and legal leaders – would set up some rules of how to operate. It would be nice if journal editors would say, ‘We’re not publishing anything unless these rules are followed.’”

– In the US, a poll found that 83% of people thought genetic modification to make designer babies more clever would be “taking medical advances too far”, according to MIT Technology Review, published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. However, proponents of genetic engineering argue that higher IQ is exactly what we should be considering. Nick Bostrom, an Oxford philosopher best known for his work on the risks of artificial intelligence, wrote in a 2013 paper that even a small number of “super-enhanced” individuals could “change the world through their creativity and discoveries, and through innovations that everyone else would use”.

Downsides

– There is the possibility that people will use the technology of designer babies for “enhancements”, rather than fighting disease. “The more control people have over the ability to design their children, the bigger the moral questions that raises – up to and including, who decides what constitutes a genetic problem that needs to be ‘fixed’?” said American TV host John Oliver on his show.

– Another issue with designer babies is that of practicalities. Doctors say that just because we can change a gene does not mean we know what that change will do. “Most diseases are not caused by a single gene but many. Changing lots of genes could have lots of effects elsewhere,” reports The Times.

– Any ethical debate “will also naturally run against practicalities like funding”, says The Independent. Many patients are subject already to a postcode lottery in accessing fertility treatment based on their local NHS funding, and “gene editing could initially be out of reach for all but the richest”, adds the newspaper. Acknowledging this problem, panel chair Professor Yeung said that if funding inequalities “were to exacerbate social injustice, in our view that would not be an ethical approach”.

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Justice Served To Abusive Sons Of The Elderly

By

Kasmin Fernandes

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July 24, 2018

Elderly people can now be rest assured and live in a safer environment at home. No adult child can force his senior citizen parents to allow him to stay in their house. A senior citizen can appeal with the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act (Senior Citizens Act), 2007 to evict abusive adult children if required. The Bombay high court recently clarified this position in a case that was no less sensational than the storyline of Bollywood film Baghban which starred Hema Malini and Amitabh Bachchan as an ageing couple.

The case in question was brought by a son against his aged mother for having initiated maintenance and eviction proceedings against him and his family under the Senior Citizens Act, 2007. After she filed a complaint against her son and his family, the Tribunal for Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens had ordered the eviction of her son and his family, invoking Section 4 of the Act. Section 4 casts a duty on adult children/ grandchildren to maintain senior citizens.

73-year old Lilabai Shivaji Mane submitted before the High Court that she wanted her son and his family out of her house on account of the mental and physical violence meted out to her by the son and his wife. However, the son pointed out that none of her complaints had yielded any result, therefore, Domestic Violence cases filed by his mother was dismissed.

Justice RD Dhanuka of Bombay High Court found no merit in any of these defences. The Court upheld the Tribunal’s eviction order and directed that the son and his family vacate his mother’s house within two weeks. Liberty was also given to the senior citizen to use police assistance to carry out the eviction, if necessary.

Coincidentally, the same ruling was passed in similar cases at Delhi, Punjab and Haryana high courts earlier this year. The Delhi HC found that the local government had allowed a senior citizen to complain to district authorities to evict abusive children only from a self-acquired property, despite the fact that the Senior Citizens Act makes no such distinction and gives protection to parents even in rented accommodation. The High Court ruling came while hearing an appeal filed by an alcoholic man, who had challenged the tribunal’s order to evict him for a Civil Lines residence where his parents live.

For a nation that prides itself in family values and respect for elders, there are too many instances of abusive children to ignore. The elderly are already dealing with the health, societal, financial and psychological issues of ageing. For them to survive mental and physical torture from their own children who they’ve loved and raised is unfair. This ruling is one step in the direction of justice for this section of society.

It’s time entitled sons realised that being biologically related doesn’t give them the right to privilege or property if they don’t honour their duties within the family.

CSR: Superstitions In India

By

Hency Thacker

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July 24, 2018

It has been almost two decades since we have entered the 21st century. Science has advanced so much that humans are actually exploring space tourism. Technology has touched almost everyone in some or the other way. About half a billion people in India have access to internet which has simplified dispersal of information. However, many people still believe in absurd superstitions and go out of the way to adhere to them.

Superstitions are wide spread social problem in India since ancient days. Superstitions refer to beliefs which cannot be explained scientifically and are attributed to supernatural occurrences. The origins of some of these superstitions have logic behind them, but over time this logic has been forgotten and the superstitions are still blindly followed.

Most Indians would be familiar with superstitions such as, not passing by the road that a black cat has crossed, or not cutting thy nails after sunset, or applying kohl to a new born baby to protect them from evil eye. These superstitions if followed religiously might not cause much harm. However, there are other superstitions that would cause real damage to life, and perhaps hold us back from becoming a developed nation.

The Delhi Mass suicide case was one of the results of blind superstition where 11 members of a family from Delhi committed suicide by hanging themselves. According to the preliminary investigation, religious notes were found by them, which talked about attaining salvation and the days which are auspicious to give away life.

Menstruating women are not allowed to enter the kitchen or temple. The belief prevailed from older times when the women were supposed to not move around so that they can get adequate rest. However, this logic is forgotten and women are made to work rigorously outside the kitchen. They are made to eat in separate utensils and sleep on a different bed away from any family members. The biggest hypocrisy is that a temple that considers menstruating women divine and has a sculpture of a menstruating vagina inside the temple, does not let menstruating women to enter the premises of the temple.

It is believed that rural India is the breeding ground for superstitions. However, even a metro city like Mumbai is not immune to these toxic practices. In fact, the city’s transport network is full of posters advertising quacks who can solve anything from love problems to business disputes. Superstitions are generally due to lack of education but statistics in India tell a different story. In spite of three quarters of Indians being literate according to the 2011 census, Superstitions have a stronghold on majority of India’s population.

These customs are century old practices and now overlap the religion and culture of an individual. This has created a sensitive situation wherein the law grants it as a fundamental right of “Freedom of Religion”. The rising level of stress has also contributed to the growth of superstitions as people tend to look out for alternate means to get relief.

There has been some success in eradicating certain superstitions. Recently, an MLA from Andhra Pradesh ate, bathed and slept at a crematorium for two days to combat superstitions in his constituency. However, on the other hand, a certain chief ministerial candidate in India’s most populous state refused to visit a city because of the history of people having visited the city and losing the elections. Politicians represent the people and they need to take steps to ensure that they lead by example in brandishing such beliefs and customs.

The country has been successful in eradicating the practice of Sati and human sacrifice in spite of their prevalence throughout India few decades ago. The government is also working towards eradicating the evil dowry system, that has cost many young women their lives.

Maharashtra government has passed a law which criminalises practices related to black magic, human sacrifices, use of magic remedies to cure ailments and other such acts which exploit people’s superstitions, in the year 2013. However, under pressure from religious organisations, the list of banned activities under the law has continually reduced over the years.

India is a Multicultural country where religion is a sensitive issue. However, perpetuating these superstitions holds the country back from becoming a superpower that it deserves. It is necessary to remove these superstitions, the steps taken to curb them cannot be drastic. It is important for people to understand the repercussions of following the superstitions. For, it is the people that make or break the country.

Thank you for reading the story until the very end. We appreciate the time you have given us. In addition, your thoughts and inputs will genuinely make a difference to us. Please do drop in a line and help us do better.

Regards,
The CSR Journal Team

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Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana For Girl Child Has Wider Appeal

By

Kasmin Fernandes

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July 23, 2018

If you’re the fortunate one to be the parent (or guardian) of a girl child under 10, put the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana at the top of your investment priority list. The government has slashed the minimum annual deposit requirement for accounts under the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana to INR 250 from INR 1,000 earlier, a move that will enable more number of people to take advantage of the girl child savings scheme.

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) is a government savings scheme that is designed to create a separate corpus for the girl child. It allows the parents/guardians of the girl child to save for meeting expenses at the time of her education or marriage, officials from the Centre for Investment Education and Learning (CIEL) told The CSR Journal.

Good news for parents

The government has amended the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana Rules, 2016, to state that the minimum initial deposit to open the account would be Rs 250. The minimum deposit that has to be made in the account annually thereafter too has been lowered to INR 250 from INR 1,000.

Union Minister Arun Jaitley in his 2018-19 Budget speech had said that Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme, launched in January 2015, has been a “great success”. Till November 2017, more than 1.26 crore accounts have been opened across the country in the name of girl children, securing an amount of Rs 19,183 crore, Jaitley had said.

What is the scheme about?

Under the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ initiative, the Sukanya Samriddhi account was launched in January 2015. Under the scheme, a parent or legal guardian can open an account in the name of the girl child until she attains the age of 10 years. As per the government notification on the scheme, the account can be opened in any post office branch and designated public sector banks.

The deposits made to the account, and also the proceeds and maturity amount, would be fully exempted from tax under section 80C of the Income Tax Act. The minimum deposit that needs to be made every year is now INR 250, while the maximum is INR 1.50 lakh. There is no limit on the number of deposits either in a month or a financial year.

The interest rate on Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana is revised every quarter, just like other small savings schemes and PPF. For the July-September quarter, the rate has been fixed at 8.1%

As per the scheme, the account will be valid for 21 years from the date of opening, after which it will mature and the money will be paid to the girl child in whose name the account has been opened. Deposits can be made up to 14 years from the date of opening of the account. After this period, the account will only earn interest as per applicable rates.

Who can open SSY account?

The SSY account can be opened by the legal or natural guardian in the name of the girl child. The account can be opened only up to the age of 10 years from the date of birth of the girl child. SSY accounts can be opened at the post office or a bank that offers the facility of the scheme.

Forms and documents

A Sukanya Samriddhi account opening form must be filled by the guardian to open the account.

The following documents need to be provided:

a) Birth certificate of the child in whose name the account is being opened. Proof of guardian’s address. Proof of guardian’s identity. Contributions

b) Initial investment can be made in cash or cheque for a minimum Rs. 1,000. A minimum of Rs 1,000 and a maximum investment of Rs. 1,50,000 can be made annually in the SSY account up to the end of the 15th year of opening of the account.

Account operations

Until the age of 10 years, only the guardian is allowed to operate the account. After completion of 10 years, the girl can operate the account herself. However, deposits can be made only by the guardian.

Withdrawals

Up to 50% of the accumulated corpus can be withdrawn after the girl has completed 18 years of age to meet her education or marriage expenses. The Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana account will mature and close when the girl completes 21 years of age or till her marriage date, whichever is earlier.

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यूपी – अब सरकार बताएगी कहाँ करें सीएसआर फंड का इस्तेमाल

By

Rahuldeo Sharma

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July 23, 2018

कॉरपोरेट सोशल रिस्पॉन्सिबिलिटी समाज के लिए वो जिम्मेदारी है जिसका इस्तेमाल समाज में बदलाव लाने के लिए देश के औधोगिक घराने लगातार कर रहे है, सीएसआर के तहत इसका फायदा जरूरतमंद और गरीब तक पहुंचाने की कोशिश हमेशा से रही है, लेकिन जहां देश में करप्शन की जड़े इतनी मजबूत होती जा रही है वही सीएसआर में भी करोड़ों के वारे न्यारे की खबरें हम अक्सर सुनते रहते है। अब देश की सरकारें भी सीएसआर की ताकत को समझ रही है। स्वच्छ भारत मिशन के तहत हो रहे शौचालय निर्माण और दूसरी अन्य विकास योजनाओं को रफ्तार देने के लिए उत्तर प्रदेश सरकार अब कॉरपोरेट सोशल रिस्पॉन्सिबिलिटी फंड का इस्तेमाल करेगी। इसके लिए राज्य सरकार की तरफ से एक सीएसआर पोर्टल भी बनवाया जा रहा है।

गौरतलब है कि इस पोर्टल पर राज्य सरकार हर जिले के प्राथमिकता वाले काम को लिस्ट करेगी, ताकि निजी कंपनियां सीएसआर फंड के जरिए ये काम करवा सकें। हर जिले के प्राथमिकता वाले कार्यों को तय करने के साथ ही राज्य सरकार कंपनियों को यह भी बताएगी कि किस जिले में कौन सा काम करवाया जा सकता है। इसके लिए दो कमिटियां बनाई जाएंगी। जो इन कार्यों की मॉनिटरिंग करेंगी और निजी कंपनियों द्वारा करवाए जाने वाली कार्यों में आ रही दिक्कतों को दूर करेगी। इसके लिए जिलों में डीएम की अध्यक्षता में एक डिस्ट्रिक्ट लेवल कमिटी बनेगी जबकि प्रदेश स्तर पर एक स्टेट लेवल कमिटी बनाई जाएगी।

दरअसल कई कंपनियों को यह पता नहीं होता कि जिलों में कौन सा काम सीएसआर फंड के जरिए करवाया जा सकता है। यही वजह है कि जिलों में होने वाले काम की लिस्टिंग सीएसआर पोर्टल पर होगी। सरकार के इस निर्णय से स्वच्छ भारत मिशन के तहत हो रहे शौचालय निर्माण, सड़क का निर्माण, स्ट्रीट लाइटें लगाना, स्कूल का निर्माण, कम्यूनिटी सेंटर का निर्माण जैसे कामों में रफ़्तार मिलेगी।

नियमों के मुताबिक कंपनियों को अपने प्रॉफिट का 2% हिस्सा सीएसआर फंड में देना होता है। आंकड़ों के मुताबिक 2016-17 के दौरान अकेले यूपी में सीएसआर फंड के तहत 351 कंपनियों ने 120 करोड़ रुपये का योगदान दिया। यूपी से पहले गुजरात, उड़ीसा, महाराष्ट्र, आंध्र प्रदेश जैसे राज्य सीएसआर फंड के जरिए विकास से जुड़े कई काम करवा चुके हैं। राज्य सरकार को उम्मीद है कि इसका बेहतर इस्तेमाल करके विकास कार्यों को रफ्तार दी जा सकती है। इन सब के बीच ये सवाल उठना लाज़मी है कि क्या सरकार की दखलंदाजी से सीएसआर फंड का सही इस्तेमाल हो पायेगा। अमूमन राजनीतिक नफ़े नुकसान को लेकर पहले भी यूपी की सरकार पर विकास कार्यों को लेकर लाँछन लग चुका है, कई ऐसे मामले पहले भी उजागर हुए है जहां राजनीतिकरण के चलते विकास कार्यों की फजीहत भी हुई है। जाहिर है सीएसआर फंड का इस्तेमाल अगर बिना राजनीतिक दबाव, बिना नफ़े नुकसान और बिना दखलंदाजी के जरूरतमंदों तक पहुंचे तभी जाकर सीएसआर फंड सार्थक होगा।

CSR: Conservation Of The Taj Mahal

By

Hency Thacker

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July 23, 2018

India is a vast country with a rich and varied heritage. It is blessed with number of monuments that are appreciated throughout the globe. Taj Mahal, the monument that represents undying love of Shah Jahan for his late wife has been named as one of the seven wonders of the world.

These monuments, that represent India’s culture, host thousands of tourists every year. However, these national treasures do not get the care and maintenance that they deserve.

Taj Mahal, one of the most celebrated monument in the world, draws about 70,000 visitors on a daily basis. The 17^th century monument has suffered a lot over the years because of pollution. Yamuna river that flows by the Taj, carries contaminated water and sewage from factories. The waters of Yamuna when touches the marble of Taj ends up polluting the monument as well. According to environment activists, the pollution around the river has attracted lot of insects. This has caused the marble of Taj covered with insect dung and change its colour from while to green.

The pollution caused because of factories and oil refineries around Taj has caused its colour to turn yellow and lose its lustre over the years. A beauty treatment in form of mud masks is applied on Taj once in every few years, to clean up the walls. However, too much scrubbing is also going to harm the monument in a longer run.

Other than these, the thousands of vandalizers in the country who end up carving quotes, names or even vulgar words on the walls of precious monuments are always there in India. When the foreign tourists see the Indians disrespecting the national monuments, they do not care to respect them either, leading them to participate in polluting the monuments.

The Chief Minister of the State where the Taj is situated, refused to allocate any funds for the maintenance of Taj stating that it does not represent India’s culture. The monument was excluded from the tourist booklet released by the government, that extolled all the tourist destinations of Uttar Pradesh.

Supreme Court of India, disappointed with lethargic way of State and Federal government’s methods of dealing with conservation of Taj, has asked to seek foreign help if necessary to protect the monument. However, things would be very difficult as long as we as citizens do not raise our voices and take action towards protection of our historical heritage.

Thank you for reading the story until the very end. We appreciate the time you have given us. In addition, your thoughts and inputs will genuinely make a difference to us. Please do drop in a line and help us do better.

Regards,
The CSR Journal Team

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Parkinson’s Predicted To Be of Concern Among Elderly

By

The CSR Journal

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July 23, 2018

Parkinson’s is set to become a nightmare in healthcare. Although India is touted as the youngest nation, the country is bound to age rapidly post 2020. In fact if United Nations estimates are to be believed, between 2015 and 2030, the number of older people is projected to grow by 64%. This does not bode well, especially when there is minimal focus on elderly population and their healthcare in the country.

Parkinson’s disease, which has higher incidence of onset after the age of 60 years, has low prevalence today, but is looming to become a major healthcare challenge tomorrow. Awareness and capabilities to manage patients with Parkinson’s disease is highly limited in the country, so to say even the symptoms are neither recognized nor known by public at large.

Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease

“There is a serious lack of awareness about Parkinson’s disease or its management in India. Caused by progressive damage to parts of brain over many years, the disease shows symptoms of involuntary shaking of body parts of the body, slowing movement, and stiffness in muscles. People suffering from Parkinson’s disease also experience depression and anxiety, have the sense of losing balance, memory, and sleep. It remains the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and most common movement disorder, and its onset usually is on people older than 60 years of age” said Dr Bhushan Nilkanth Joshi, Consultant Neurologist, Columbia Asia Hospital, Pune.

As of 2015, India is home to 11.6 crore elderly, which stands to be 8.9% of total population. By 2030 and 2050, the share of elderly population will increase to be around 13% and 20%, respectively.As per the last census, with more than 1.11 crore people older than 60 years, 9.9% of the population of Maharashtra is elderly.

Parkinson’s disease treatment

“In comparison, there a limited number of specialized tertiary care providers in the state which can spread awareness around the management of disease. For example, the Centre of Excellence in Neurosciences at our hospital provides comprehensive, compassionate and timely treatment to the patients, with special capabilities in treating movement disorders as that of Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s being a progressive disease worsens with age to a point when performing activities of daily living becomes increasingly difficult. As of now, a cure is non-existent. Through supportive therapies such as physiotherapy, medication, and surgery when necessary, family members and patients are trained to manage the disease,” said Dr Bhushan Nilkanth Joshi, Consultant Neurologist, Columbia Asia Hospital, Pune.

With no national registry, there is no clear visibility of the exact prevalence of the disease in the country, barring a few pocketed studies. Despite being a young population, India remains an aging nation, a fact which cannot be ignored. It is important that the country creates avenues and capacities to deal with the challenges of elderly.

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Sanitary Pads Exemption From GST – Yet Another Case of a Last-minute Fix

By

Balbir Singh Aulakh

-

July 22, 2018

In a judgement made by the Goods and Service Tax (GST) Council, as part of its 28th Meeting, sanitary napkins were exempted from being taxed – after a year in protests, this is a welcome change, making the product cheaper compared to its current pricing. Though, various other materials that go into making the final product will be taxed.

Previously, sanitary pads were taxed under the bracket of 12 per cent, which has now been cut down to zero. When asked about the changes in price reduction, Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Railways, Coal, Finance & Corporate Affairs stated the calculations have provided that the input tax credit is about 3 to 4 per cent, with the Government ensuring a lower price for the end product.

“For instance, exempting sanitary napkins from GST – which are currently taxed at 12 percent – should reduce their cost. However, the reduction may not be the entire 12 percent as credit on inputs would not be available, and become a cost,” said Abhishek Jain, Partner, EY India. (via Bloomberg Quint)

The domain of health and sanitation is an important area of intervention and to deliberate meaningful steps to tackling major challenges, particularly in the context of menstruation. In terms of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spending, it was reported in April 2018, according to data analysed by CII, that Health and Sanitation projects amount for 25.2 per cent of the spending a done by India Inc. (1,552 companies) in fiscal 2017.

While, there are no specific tax exemptions when it comes to CSR spending by corporate houses, existing areas in Schedule VII including “contributions to Prime Minister’s Relief Fund, scientific research, rural development projects, skill development projects, agricultural extension projects, etc.” (via Ministry of Corporate Affairs) are exempted under the Income Tax Act, 1961.

The manner in which the decision on Tuesday by the GST Council took place continues to highlight our misconduct with understanding the household challenges, and that lies closer to the empowered women, we want to see as an inclusive society. In our vision and interests to create areas of greater female participation, why is it that such basics of life – to one’s health and sanitation requirements – need to see the courts, countless protests on streets, arguments and challenges that hardly justify the greater cause. This is another incident, and there is a long list, wherein we have failed to identify our core problems, much of which has to deal with an ongoing hardship with agendas and moral as well as social stigmas very much ingrained inside us.

It brings and raises the questions again about similar problems, we have now been so ‘accustomed’ to. The result is not the only matter in question here, because it is the process through which we have reached here that has brought us with a grave picture of our reality, making us closer and only accepting to choices we have made in coming this far.

While much has to be seen, in the coming time, in what ways will certain decisions made by the Government as well as private and non-government organisations can bring the desired implications to consumer products in a socially scalable manner, we deal with areas that are left out of discussions time and again. For example: Gender Budgeting.

In bringing ‘necessary products’ at affordable market prices to consumers, there are a host of challenges that brings greater implications for the manufacturer and end customer. While tackling this, the GST Council should be required to come up with solutions to problems that are not just long-overdue, but answers sustainable enough to fight the bigger battles present in the country’s social structure.

With inputs from The Wire, The Indian Express and Business Insider

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Upsides

Downsides

It’s time entitled sons realised that being biologically related doesn’t give them the right to privilege or property if they don’t honour their duties within the family.

Good news for parents

The government has amended the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana Rules, 2016, to state that the minimum initial deposit to open the account would be Rs 250. The minimum deposit that has to be made in the account annually thereafter too has been lowered to INR 250 from INR 1,000.

What is the scheme about?

The interest rate on Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana is revised every quarter, just like other small savings schemes and PPF. For the July-September quarter, the rate has been fixed at 8.1%

Who can open SSY account?

The SSY account can be opened by the legal or natural guardian in the name of the girl child. The account can be opened only up to the age of 10 years from the date of birth of the girl child. SSY accounts can be opened at the post office or a bank that offers the facility of the scheme.

Forms and documents

A Sukanya Samriddhi account opening form must be filled by the guardian to open the account.

The following documents need to be provided:

a) Birth certificate of the child in whose name the account is being opened. Proof of guardian’s address. Proof of guardian’s identity. Contributions

b) Initial investment can be made in cash or cheque for a minimum Rs. 1,000. A minimum of Rs 1,000 and a maximum investment of Rs. 1,50,000 can be made annually in the SSY account up to the end of the 15th year of opening of the account.

Account operations

Until the age of 10 years, only the guardian is allowed to operate the account. After completion of 10 years, the girl can operate the account herself. However, deposits can be made only by the guardian.

Withdrawals

Up to 50% of the accumulated corpus can be withdrawn after the girl has completed 18 years of age to meet her education or marriage expenses. The Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana account will mature and close when the girl completes 21 years of age or till her marriage date, whichever is earlier.

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