Why Attach Casteism Or Religion To An Unacceptable Criminal Offence?

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April 14, 2018

Development, growth, education, women empowerment – these are the words that our politicians use when they fight elections. And these are the keywords in their propaganda that make us trust them. India is known to be the fastest growing country. But what is it actually growing in? Crime? Rapes? Murders? What exactly?

A girl gets raped by an MLA. The police do not agree to register an FIR. They do not allow her to record the name of the MLA in her statement. The girl has to take a step as extreme as self immolation to get noticed by the CM. The father of the girl who accompanies her to the court to seek justice gets framed in a fake case and gets arrested under section 25. He gets tortured and abused in lock up by the police, and succumbs to his injuries later on.

We roam around freely in the city, while trusting our police. We are content knowing, they are there to protect us if anything goes wrong. But how do we live if we get to know that our police are actually sold out to the politicians and they are actually the ones who are killing the innocent, instead of helping them. How do we trust our government if its own employees are criminals and it doesn’t take any action against them?

Our Prime Minister talks a lot about women’s rights. He has been very vocal about what kind of punishments should a rape accused be given. He believes in connecting with his subjects through weekly podcasts. Why is he silent today?

It is rightly said that Justice delayed is justice denied. How do we stand up with pride in front of the world when our country has a system so corrupt? How do we invite our friends from abroad to visit us without having a conviction of their safety? And why is it that no action gets taken unless the people are monitoring the government action? We need a government that doesn’t work because someone is looking, but because, it is its job.

The gang rape of an 8-year old has sparked rage and fury, reminding one of the Nirbhaya case in 2012. In India rape is an official crime but it is common and seen as a right of an individual to oppress. This is done on a variety of grounds, such as the armed forces getting away due to special protection, communal grounds or just blaming the very attire of a woman.

For every 15 minutes a rape case is reported in India. It is legal according to Manusmriti law to rape shudra women and considered as a dharma, as they were called as devadasis. In modern India, these vedic laws and manu laws do not exist, but the fascist upper class still has the same mindset. When killing, violence and raping are a part of one’s faith, how can you imagine a crime-free society?

A retired government official and four policemen have been charged over the gang rape and murder of an eight-year-old Muslim girl in Indian-administered Kashmir. The retired official, Sanji Ram, ordered his nephew and a policeman to kidnap the girl, Asifa, in January to terrorise members of her nomadic Bakerwal community into leaving Kathua district in the region’s mainly Hindu Jammu division, according to a court filing.

The girl was heavily sedated, kept in a Hindu temple, and gang-raped by at least three men over the course of four days in mid-January, the police said in the charge sheet made public on Tuesday. She was later strangled and her body was found in the forest near the temple.

One of the three suspected rapists was a policeman. Another officer, Anand Dutta, who was initially in charge of the investigation, took more than 1.5 lakhs in bribes to cover up the crime, according to the police. Dutta even washed the clothes Asifa was wearing at the time of her death to remove any blood or semen stains, they said. He is amongst a total of eight suspects who have been detained over Asifa’s rape and murder. All eight are Hindu.

Protests have now spread across much of Kathua. After the brutal gang rape and murder of a medical student in New Delhi in 2012, the government promised to introduce legal reforms and support services to help victims of sexual violence. The question is, where the Prime Minister and the party, which gave hope that days of crimes committed against women with complete impunity were over, by selling the slogan of “Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao”.

Only because the community was trying to be taught a lesson, did “India’s beti” and her family, have to take such a painful hit? It is absolutely imperative for leaders to come forth, speak and take strict action. Is the crime not worthy enough for a comment from the highest office, which has been silent since assuming office in 2014. Is any place safe in the country when rape is based on your religion?

All the citizens of the country have to stand together in one voice and not let our bodies pay a price due to politics, personal gains or cultural differences.

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.

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The CSR Journal Team

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US Firms’ Refuse To Join Trump In A Race To The Bottom

By

Ankush Patel, CEO, Treeni Sustainability Solutions

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April 14, 2018

A bird’s eye view of 2017 paints an interesting picture, despite the initial darkness of the year’s low points. Without doubt, there were global shocks from Trump, overall climate change, and multiple cases of Human Rights violations. However, it has also been a year where the control of sustainable practices has shifted from the hands of the larger agencies like governments and policy makers to the hands of smaller units. This year saw organisations taking a stand, saw individuals making noise about unfair practices, and a global shift towards building responsibly for the future. Business planning has grown to include considerations of human resources, environmental impact, and long-term company footprint. Of all that has happened in the sector, we look at some of the most far-reaching in this article; events that have already begun making waves.

Corporate Drive for Better Disclosure

Early in the year, we saw BlackRock Inc, an entity with massive clout; the world’s largest asset manager, put pressure on companies to explain their approach to including climate change, and sustainability practices into their business plans. Within a very short span of time, it was the business owners and established corporates that spoke up in favour of building for sustainability. A notable example is that of McDonald’s, which has been working towards finding more sustainable practices to produce their beef. However, they recently launched a new push towards understanding how they can also create impact to soil quality, and create overall impact to productivity while maintaining soil health. Closer to home, the focus on environment has definitely sharpened, with the Delhi smog situation, and more, and the collective global move towards change has sped up in the latter part of 2017.

Explosive growth in EV

One of the major development in the push for sustainability was the explosion of electric vehicles, influenced by the fore-runner in the effort; Tesla. With the launch of their electric semi truck in the latter part of the year, Tesla took the push for sustainable practices to a new high. Once the model was launched, it didn’t take corporates long to sign up. Besides PepsiCo and UPS, Global logistics player, DHL Supply Chain has placed an order for ten Tesla Electric Class 8 Semi Trucks, which they aim to test by 2019. The longer-term impact of this will not only be environmental, but also quality of life of their drivers and talent retention in a tight labour market. The electric vehicle market has received a huge impetus from the widespread acceptance and adoption of the push for more corporate responsibility driven business practices.

In India companies such as NTPC Ltd, Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (Bhel) and Power Grid Corp. of India Ltd, are all working towards building for EVs, to remain relevant in the evolving energy landscape of the country and the world. The Ministry of Heavy Industries has also given its approval to the introduction of EV-based public transportation systems in 11 cities across the country, and players such as Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Honda, etc are all working towards the effort.

China’s leadership in green finance

A week after the US withdrawal from the Paris Accord, Beijing hosted a high-level international forum for energy ministers. The Chinese officials not only declared that their targets basis the Paris Agreement would be met within time, they also took a global leadership position in support of clean energy. From the largest user of energy resources, and the largest polluter, China repositioned themselves as a proponent of environmentally sound practices. China also created financial incentives and a financially-driven effort towards sustainability, by financing the treatment of agricultural waste, banks being encouraged to explore new financing mechanisms, including emissions trading and water use permits, and options of credit and special funds for environmentally friendly industries. Additionally, with a focus on green bonds, China’s green bond issuance exceeds that of any other country or supranational organisation. The efforts undertaken by China set an example of a new path to industry development; not only for developing nations like India, but also for nations wherein the shift to sustainability is underway. China has created a realisation that it’s not about massive overhauls, but the smaller tweaks in the systems that make all the difference. Additionally, their diversification of effort also opens the doors for more innovative thinking when fitting sustainability into their business plans; a model which can be adapted to multiple economies across the world.

Micro grids enabling renewable energy

With the focus on reducing fossil fuel usage, and the explosion of EVs, obviously, the next focus will be electricity. As more energy use gets hooked to the grid, the grid needs to be greener, more resilient, and reliable so we can depend on it at all times including during the increasing natural disasters. Enter the microgrid, which can be built to rely on greener fuel sources, and jump in to augment the bigger electrical grids. With smart use of technology like IoT, Machine Learning, and Big Data, these grids can be built for a much stronger contribution to the overall energy requirements.

Global power and automation player ABB is looking at India as a potential location for its microgrid solutions. Akin to their solutions implemented on Robben Island in the Cape of Good Hope, they aim to try a similar approach with Indian island locations like Lakshwadweep, Elephanta, and Andaman & Nicobar. These will be built to withstand the weather conditions which tend to be erratic in these areas, resulting in a robust microgrid being developed with a significant impact on programs such as the Sagarmala port development project, etc.

US firms refusing to join Trump’s race to bottom

With the most powerful and influential country in the world denouncing the Paris Climate Accord, one would think this set the stage for a huge setback in the push for sustainability. However, after the declaration, with a public announcement, large companies like Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Gap Inc., and many others not only demanded that Trump reconsider his choice, but also declared their support for the Paris Climate Treaty.

The author, Ankush Patel is the Co-founder & CEO of Treeni Sustainability Solutions, an organisation committed to helping companies reimagine and embrace sustainability.

Views of the author are personal and do not necessarily represent the website’s views.

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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सलमान सिर्फ हीरो नहीं बल्कि एक सोशली रिस्पांसिबल सिटीजन भी है।

By

Rahuldeo Sharma

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April 13, 2018

इस बात से बिलकुल इंकार नहीं किया जा सकता कि सलमान खान अपने करियर के शुरवाती दौर में सुपरस्टार तो बन गए लेकिन वो ये स्टारडम पचा नहीं पाए, सलमान का मतलब ही कॉन्ट्रोवर्सी हो गया था।काले हिरण का शिकार हो या फिर हिट एंड रन मामला, हीरोइनों के साथ मारपीट या फिर फ़िल्म इंडस्ट्री के दूसरे हीरो को धमकी, इन सारे झमेलों से घिरे सलमान खान को एक वक़्त में ऐसा लगा कि वो गलत कर रहे है। पिता सलीम खान की नसीहतें और अपनी गलतियों के एहसास ने सलमान खान को बदलकर रख दिया, सलमान खान ऐश्वर्या के साथ मारपीट और विवेक ओबेरॉय को धमकी के बाद फिर किसी विवाद में नहीं फंसे। शुरवाती दौर में सलमान खान और विवादों का चोली दामन का साथ रहा, लेकिन वक़्त के साथ सुधरे सलमान एक के बाद एक हिट फिल्में करते गए और व्यक्तिगत जिंदगी में आये ठहराव ने सलमान खान को “बीइंग ह्यूमन”बना दिया। सलमान खान अब बिलकुल बदल चुके थे, कटरीना के साथ डेडिकेशन और फिल्मों पर सलमान ने अपना पूरा ध्यान केंद्रित किया और एक ज़िम्मेदार नागरिक की तरह समाज में सुधार के लिए काफी काम करने लगे। गैलेक्सी अपार्टमेंट के सामने हर दिन सलमान के फैंस तो जुटते रहे लेकिन अब सलमान खान से मजलूम और गरीब लोग मदद की गुहार भी लगाने लगे थे, और झट से सलमान खान उनकी मदद भी कर देते।

सलमान खान अब ना सिर्फ अपने स्वार्थ को त्याग कर सामाजिक जिम्मेदारी निभाते है बल्कि सामाजिक जनभागीदारी में वो मसीहा बनकर उभरे है, ना सिर्फ सलमान खान के फैंस उन्हें भगवान मानते है बल्कि आम जनता भी सलमान खान द्वारा निभाये कॉर्पोरेट और सिटीजन सोशल रिस्पांसिबिलिटी के कायल है, सलमान खान बीइंग ह्यूमन ट्रस्ट के जरिये निस्वार्थ भाव से सीएसआर की अपनी जिम्मेदारी निभा रहे है। सलमान खान की समाज के प्रति जिम्मेदारी सलमान को दूसरे सेलेब्रिटीज़ से जुदा करती है, सिटीजन सोशल रिस्पांसिबिलिटी को सलमान खान ने बखूबी निभाया है और यही कारण है कि सलमान खान पर जब भी संकट के बादल मंडराते है देश भर में दुआओं का दौर शुरू हो जाता है। हिट एंड रन मामले के दरमियान सलमान खान के घर के बाहर मजमा जुटा तो इस बार भी सलमान खान जब जोधपुर काले हिरण शिकार मामले में दोषी पाए गए और जब दो दिन जेल की सलाखों के पीछे रहे तब भी सलमान खान के फैंस उनके घर के सामने डटे रहे। भले ही दो दशकों से सलमान खान काले हिरण और हिट एंड रन का दंश झेल रहे हो लेकिन इन सब के दरमियान सलमान खान का दम और सिक्का दोनों चला है। सलमान खान वो हथियार बन गए जिसके बिना बॉलीवुड अधूरा है, सलमान खान का फिल्म में होना यानि फिल्म के सुपरहिट होने की गारंटी, लेकिन बीते कुछ सालों से सलमान खान की पिछली गलतियों ने उन्हें अदालतों और जेलों के चक्कर काटने पर मजबूर कर दिया है, हिट एंड रन मामले में सलमान खान को राहत मिली लेकिन काले हिरण मामले ने सलमान खान को एक बार फिर से सलाखों के पीछे ढ़केल दिया। जितना सलमान खान अपने फैंस के मुरीद रहते है उससे कहीं ज्यादा फैंस सलमान खान के लिए बेताब रहते है, और इसकी प्रमुख वजह है सलमान खान का समाज के प्रति कमिटमेंट।

सलमान खान जब भी कोई इंटरव्यू देते है, काले हिरण और हिट एंड रन मामले को अपनी जिंदगी का सबसे बुरा एहसास मानते है, 20 साल का इंतजार, 5 साल की सजा फिर 50 घंटे में जमानत के बाद घर पहुंचने पर सलमान का जोरदार स्वागत हुआ। अगर अतीत की बात करें तो जोधपुर कोर्ट ने काला हिरण शिकार मामले में सलमान खान को दोषी पाया था और पांच साल की सजा सुनाई थी, इस केस में कोर्ट ने अन्य आरोपियों सैफ अली खान, नीलम, तब्बू और सोनाली बेंद्रे को बरी कर दिया था, सजा सुनाए जाने के बाद से ही सलमान खान जोधपुर की सेंट्रल जेल में थे, जिसके बाद सलमान खान को बेल दे दी गई। इस पूरे मामले में फिल्मस्टार तो कई थे लेकिन सिर्फ और सिर्फ सलमान खान की ही चर्चा हुई, शायद यही कारण है कि सलमान खान भले ही कानून की नज़र में अपराधी और दोषी हो गए लेकिन सलमान खान अपने फैंस के लिए रुपहले परदे के ही नही बल्कि असल जिंदगी में भी सलमान हीरो है।

CSR: Gardening For Mental And Physical Health

By

Hency Thacker

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April 13, 2018

Gardening is the new cool hobby that everyone should adapt. Plant cultivation is a necessity for existence of life. However, with rapid urbanization, the green cover of every city is reducing in size.

India is second largest populated country in the world. And the population keeps growing unchecked. With growing population, the demand for resources also grows. However, their availability is limited. The food system in India is suffering because of the increasing population.

Industrialization is farming has made it expensive for small scale farmers. In order to meet the demands, the farmers are forced to adapt these new equipments that are not really tried and tested. This forces them to go under debts. It also ruins the quality of the soil in a longer run. Farmers even end up using chemical fertilizers and pesticides in high amounts to increase the production of their produce and earn more money to get rid of their debts. In the end, it is not just them, but everyone that suffers. Because the food produced in this manner is not really healthy.

Home gardening is a concept that could solve many problems. It can ensure us of the quality of food we eat, because we exactly know where it came from. Also, since we are used to the soil of the place we live, it is healthier to eat the food grown in that soil rather than that of somewhere else.

Gardening is also considered as a healthy exercise everyone should practice. Daily gardening chores like watering, weeding, trellising, mulching, and harvesting are great ways to augment an exercise regimen. Although, most of the time gardening is not a substitute for focused cardio and strength training, but it combines low-impact exercise with other benefits. Studies have also shown that staying in a natural environment, reduce stress, lower blood pressure and improve concentration.

Gardening is often considered to be therapeutic by many. The activity of gardening is compared with meditation or praying because of its peaceful nature. Gardening is also a doable contribution everyone can make to protect the environment. However, if that is not a good enough motivator to garden, we recommend you to try it out once, for your personal peace of mind and health.

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.

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The CSR Journal Team

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Strengthen PPPs To Accelerate Sustainable Development

By

The CSR Journal

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April 13, 2018

Future technologies and innovative financing have the potential to transform and accelerate sustainable development, but better policies and regulation are needed to ensure all benefit equally from these new advances. This was one of the main conclusions of the recently held annual Asia-Pacific Business Forum (APBF).

Senior policymakers and private sector representatives came together, to discuss how innovation, technology and financing can help solve environmental and social problems in the region while also supporting equitable growth.

Innovations discussed included green financing, impact investment, FinTech, and artificial intelligence and their potential to lower costs, increase efficiency and help Asia and the Pacific leapfrog to the new economy. The region offers many examples of new technologies improving access to healthcare and education, supporting more efficient manufacturing and enabling more sustainable cities. Business practices linked to smart energy solutions, risk management systems for disaster risk reduction, and ways to advance impact entrepreneurship were also discussed. The accompanying challenges were the right governance structures, access to infrastructure and cybersecurity, and financial literacy.

“Technology and innovation coupled with modern financial services, including green financing and new financial technologies, will be critical to close key development gaps in the Asia-Pacific region,” says United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the ESCAP, Dr. Shamshad Akhtar.

She emphasised that by strengthening and deepening partnerships between the public and private sectors the region will be better positioned to leverage the rich potential of these emerging technologies.

It is critical for governments, the private sector and other actors to work together to put in place the right policy frameworks and enabling environment, including financing structures and education systems, to enable the rapid scaling–up of innovative technologies and solutions that can advance sustainable and inclusive development in the Asia–Pacific region.

Dr. Victor K. Fung, Group Chairman of the Fung Group noted, “Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 will require massive efforts and huge investments in everything from infrastructure and renewable energy to social safety nets and environmentally friendly production processes. This will require strong collaboration between public and private sectors, to ensure the right policies and incentives are in place.”

Mr. Paul Chan Mo–po, Financial Secretary, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China added that innovation and technology was the most powerful driver of the global economy in an increasingly globalised, technology-transforming world.

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.

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The CSR Journal Team

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Enabling Make In India For CSR

By

Hency Thacker

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April 12, 2018

Contribution from the manufacturing sector to India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has remained stagnated at around 16% for the past 25 years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Make in India on 25 September 2014, to curb the situation and turn India into a manufacturing hub of the world. He also introduced ZED (Zero Defect, Zero Effect) on the 68^th independence day of India, in order to encourage manufacturing of environment friendly products of utmost quality.

The Gross Value Added (GVA) at basic current prices from the manufacturing sector in India grew at a CAGR of 4.34 per cent during FY12 and FY18 according to the second advance estimates of annual national income published by the Government of India. Quarterly GVA at basic prices from manufacturing sector grew by 10.92 per cent in the third quarter of FY18.

The Government of India aims to increase the share of manufacturing sector to the gross domestic product (GDP) to 25 per cent by 2022 under the Make in India initiative. This will also create 100 million new jobs by 2022.

In support of these initiatives of the Government of India; MyEasyISO has announced its newest corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative. The organization will be offering world-class software to manage Quality – Health & Safety – Environment management systems complimentary & free of cost to deserving companies & private organizations in India. This would help them implement ZED framework better and become more competitive. Along with ZED initiative, any global organisation, establishing its operations in India as a part of Make in India scheme will also be eligible for this program.

In order to take advantage of this opportunity, MEMEs need to make an application to MyEasyISO at info@myeasyiso.com with a brief description of their business and why should they receive the complimentary subscription and license of this business management software, which is used by thousands of organisations across more than 100 countries.

Globally organisations have saved more than 65% of the resources using MyEasyISO to manage their business processes when compared with operating them manually. Higher efficiency, collaboration, access control, employee friendly interface and matured GRC framework supported by a team of business management specialists and experts have enabled companies to be more proactive, improve quality, reduce defects and enhance their market share.

Effivity Technologies Pvt. Ltd will be investing 120,000 US $ as a part of this CSR initiative. The offering will be available to 100 organisations which may be either ZED assessed/certified or any micro small & medium organisation in India who want to improve their performance, productivity & profitability.

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.

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The CSR Journal Team

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CSR: Downsizing The Brain Drain India Faces

By

Neha Bilandani

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April 12, 2018

At some point we have all wondered, what if IIT graduates would rather stay back instead of going outside for easy opportunities? What if they would rather help solve massive problems than do it for someone else? What if they rather help develop our country than help others push further ahead?

The challenge is so acute that even the government had to launch, the Prime Minister Research Fellowship this month in order to stop the brain drain. IdeaForge is an entity, which helps citizen to stay back and help the country become self-reliant in being able to create cutting edge unmanned systems. The main idea is to create an environment, where people would rather stay in the country then go outside in search for an easier path to success.

Major Manish, does a routine surveillance patrol with his platoon. He is armed by an eye in the sky, “The Naitra Drone”. Naitra helps the platoon to scan the area ahead and look for a possible ambush or to scan for militants. This has aided the forces in being able to detect the Naxals digging roads to bury landmines, saving dozens of life from a future attack.

IdeaForge’s drones are capable of flying for more than 60 minutes, the highest capability in less than 3 kgs. The help them dominate an area of more than 5kms in radius. A jawaan carries the platform in his backpack and can deploy it in any terrain he might encounter. With little training he’s able to operate the system with full confidence because he knows that the platform takes care of itself in the air. The key task is to focus on what he can and wants to see. Such missions happens everyday today.

“It all started in the year 2000, when I joined IIT Bombay, with the dream of being able to implement my own ideas. But in the initial years, I hardly found people interested or excited about hands on work. It was not until I met my team-mates and found an oasis. One of us even came up with the idea of creating and flying a hovercraft over the Powai lake right next to our campus. From the first prototype that we built in 2004, to the one you might have seen in the movie “3 Idiots”, says Ankit Mehta, Co-Founder and CEO – ideaForge & Winner – MIF Awards 2018.

In 2009, the world’s smallest and lightest autopilot was built and delivered it to the DRDO Labs for their UAV programs. The country’s first fully autonomous micro UAV was launched too.

Since then 100 of these platforms have been delivered to the armed forces, competing against global vendors yet bagging majority of this opportunity in this space in our country. The Indian government plans to buy nearly 3 billion dollars worth of UAVs over a period of next 10yrs in various categories.

In the Uttrakhand disaster; the equipments have been flown over dozens of sites, where rescuers had not been able to reach. When a tigress became a man-eater in UP, the government spent crores of rupees in search of the tigress, but eventually when the drones was put in service, the tigress was located in one night.

“Today, our platforms are also used for industrial and agricultural applications. I am glad that platforms such as Marico Innovation Foundation Awards are recognising are helping us spread awareness with regards to our innovation. But, when I look back, I believe that being a part of the IIT ecosystem, was our great privilege. And building our IdeaForge, is our means, and our way of giving back,” reminiscences Ankit Mehta.

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.

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The CSR Journal Team

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Improving The Eco Balance Of Water Treatment Systems

By

Neha Bilandani

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April 11, 2018

A public water system is referred to certain utilities and organisations which provide drinking water. Designing water systems are usually a tedious process. It is crucial to simulate complex plant designs including a combination of several treatment steps in a single design process. This helps to save trickling water which is lost extensively in the middle stages.

Lanxess has enhanced its LewaPlus software for designing water treatment systems. With this 2.0 release, users can combine per drag and drop different technologies in one design. “Because modules can be added to a project via drag and drop, LewaPlus 2.0 is now even more intuitive to use than existing programs on the market,” says Dr. Jens Lipnizki, Technical Head at Lanxess.

The water analysis calculated by the individual modules is automatically taken over as feed to the subsequent module. During the design process, the user can change the design of the system via drag and drop.

With the upgrade, calculations can be made for designs that not only treat the purified stream of water, but also the so-called retentate (where water does not pass through the membrane). As a result, environmentally-friendly overall concepts can be calculated in order to significantly reduce the volume of wastewater produced in practice.

The intuitive design is a comprehensive tool for planning and designing an industrial water treatment system. As a result, users can precisely plan important factors such as operating costs, power consumption, and water quality. One module can even be used to model a CCRO system (closed circuit reverse osmosis). This helps to enhance the ecobalance of water treatment through the use of either ZLD (zero liquid discharge) or MLD (minimal liquid discharge) treatment processes.

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.

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CSR: Water ATMs For Drinking Water In villages

By

Hency Thacker

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April 11, 2018

Availability of clean and safe water is fundamental to human existence. India houses maximum number of people in the world who do not have regular access to clean drinking water. Lack of clean water for consumption can give rise to various water borne diseases.

According to a report by the United Nations, more than three million people in the world die every year due to water borne diseases, including 1.2 million children. In India, over one lakh people die every year of water borne diseases. Cholera, Typhoid, Gastroenteritis and Diarrhea are just some of the examples of these water borne diseases that erupt every year during monsoon and summer in India, thanks to the poor quality of drinking water and sanitation.

As a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, APM Terminals Pipavav has installed Water ATMs in 12 villages around the port to provide access to safe and clean drinking water.

Water ATM is an automated water vending machine that dispenses clean RO filtered chilled drinking water. These are installed to increase and cultivate the habit of consuming clean water and reduce the maladies caused by water sanitation like jaundice, diarrhea, typhoid etc.

During the first year of the project significant decrease in diarrhea, stomach pain and joint pain etc is reported in the project areas.

“United Nations has recognized the access to clean water as a basic human right,” said Keld Pedersen, Managing Director, APM Terminals Pipavav. “We understand the importance of hygienic water for the overall health of villagers and are happy to be a part of this initiative.”

The Water ATMs are installed for the villagers in Juni Mandardi, Ningala, Jolapur, Hadmatiya, Untiya, Juni Barpatoli ,Navi Barpatoli, Khumbhariya, Mota Agariya, Rajparda, Chatadiya and Navi Mandardi so far.

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.

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The Power Of Films To Bring Social Change

By

Prerana Langa, CEO, Yes Foundation

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April 11, 2018

Entertainment, perception, emotions and outlook are some of the terms that can be associated with media. The amplifying power of media and its influence on society is undeniable; especially, Visual media combined with the easy access to Social Media has unleashed the power of imagery. Leveraging Visual media, particularly videos, to highlight a social issue can reap far-reaching benefits in a short span of time given its wide acceptance amongst today’s youth. It is not uncommon to find heartwarming stories of resilience, courage and determination from the nooks and corners of India.

Leena Kejriwal’s fight against Human Trafficking

Leena Kejriwal, a Kolkata based photographer, would often volunteer at Hamari Muskaan, a Non-Profit organisation which works with the children of sex workers to prevent the next generation from entering the industry. It was then that Leena met Jaya, a former sex worker who was sold to a brothel at Sonagachi in Kolkata under the pretence of giving her work.

Her short film led to Leena’s extensive and widely-recognised public art campaign against human trafficking, MISSING. The artwork consists of larger-than-life silhouettes of young girls placed against the urban skyline representing the millions who ‘disappear’ from their homes into the shadowy world of trafficking. The campaign also inspired a game app, MISSING, which features Champa, a character fighting against traps of prostitution and trafficking. The film won the NASSCOM Indie Game of the Year Award and has over half a million organic downloads in 70+ countries. Leena was able to crowd fund INR 16 lakh for Hamari Muskaan with more financial aid came pouring in from around the world.

Ravi Iyer’s support to ‘Probably Paradise’

Ravi Iyer, a filmmaker, made a film on ‘Probably Paradise’ – a shelter for terminally ill animals run by the inspirational Roxanne, now in her mid-60s, who looks after abandoned and geriatric animals, making their last days dignified. The shelter rests on a 1.5 acre plot in Karjat. While volunteers and supporters of the shelter visit often, maintaining the shelter is not an easy task with increasing number of animals every day.

The time spent with Roxanne has turned Ravi and his team into active supporters of the shelter. They used their film to raise funds and have set up a solar electricity system there. Ravi’s hear film enabled Roxanne to reach out to more volunteers and donors for Probably Paradise.

Ravi, continues to make short films for Roxanne as well as other Non-Profits. “It’s definitely had an impact on us. Not only has this experience made us realise the power of films to bring out such stories, but also there lies a huge potential to sensitise people, garner their support and further these causes. Ever since we’ve made the film, there are a lot more Non-Profits who have approached us. People have become more aware of animal rights, animal care.” adds Ravi.

Meghathithi Kabeer’s campaign to clean river Yamuna

New Delhi-based filmmaker and environmentalist, Meghatithi Kabeer made a film on the extraordinary work of Sanjay Kumar and his team of Gotakhors (divers). The divers selflessly work to clean the river Yamuna, recently declared dead by the United Nations. Meghatithi’s film has not only created awareness but has also given the Yamuna gotakhors nationwide recognition and support from the government and corporates.

Apart from screening the award-winning film in several international film festivals, Meghathithi has recently launched the ‘I am Yamuna’ campaign to amplify on-ground efforts for the river. He has also set up a tea stall around the river to create employment for divers (gotakhors). Today, Meghatithi continues to mobilise people for the Gotakhor’s cause and work towards conserving environment.

Prerana Langa is the CEO of Yes Foundation, social development arm of Yes Bank. She developed YES! i am the CHANGE, a mindset transformation project, innovatively using the medium of films to ignite the spirit of driving positive social change amongst the youth enabling them to become agents of social change.

Views of the author are personal and do not necessarily represent the website’s views.

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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