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May 29, 2025
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National Nutrition Month 2020: Know Your Nutrients

By
Kasmin Fernandes
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Rashtriya Poshan Maah or National Nutrition Month 2020 as the anglicized would call it, is coming to a close next week. Nutrition has acquired more significance than ever, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Apart from exercise and good sleep, a nutritious diet forms the third leg of the immunity tripod. Immunity, of course, is essential for resisting infectious diseases.

What is National Nutrition Month?

To bring home the message of good nutrition for health and well-being, the Government of India is celebrating the entire month of September as #PoshanMaah since 2018. Accordingly, National Nutrition Month 2020 is the third month-long intensive campaign.
What makes this year special is the vigour with which various ministries and state governments are making a concerted effort. For example, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched a special campaign to end malnutrition in children. He has been supervising inter-departmental coordination. Also, he has directed district magistrates to draw up strategies. Moreover, Women and Child Welfare Minister Swati Singh is working alongside to root out malnutrition in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

Know your macros and micros

It’s a no-brainer that nutritious food is essential for leading a healthy, disease-free life. However, did you know there are two major distinctions in nutrients? Macronutrients are energy providers; micronutrients like vitamins and minerals make chemical reactions happen in your body. You need a balance of both nutrients to keep your body healthy.

What are macros?

Apart from water (which is also a macronutrient), macros are energy-providing nutrients. Your body needs energy for repairing tissues, developing muscles, to the steady beating of your heart.
1. Carbohydrates form the major component of macros. Each gram of carbs provides 4 calories of energy. Carbs are stored in the body in the form of sugar, starch and fibre.
2. Fats give about 9 calories of energy per gram, thus making them twice as rich in energy as proteins or carbs. They are essential for the body to be able to absorb fat-soluble vitamins (Vitamins A, D, E and K), as well as for making steroids and hormones.
3. Proteins provide amino acids. They constitute a major portion of the cell structure. A gram of protein provides 4 cals.
4. Water is the main component of body weight, as much as 70%. Additionally, water carries sand distributes nutrients across cells, rids the body of toxins and regulates body temperature.

What are micronutrients?

The body needs rather small amounts of these nutrients, hence their name. They don’t provide energy but rather serve the important function of enabling chemical reactions. Basically, without micronutrients, your body won’t function normally.
1. Vitamins are either fat-soluble (Vitamins A, D, E and K) or water-soluble (B-complex of vitamins and Vitamin C). Vitamins are required for good metabolism. They work in conjunction with bodily enzymes for growth. Citrus fruits are rich in Vitamin C. The B-complex vitamins are found in green leafy vegetables (spinach, broccoli, kale). Daily products and coloured vegetables, for example, are abundant in fat-soluble vitamins.
2. Minerals are important for keeping your bones healthy, your brain working properly and your heart beating. They are also essential for making hormones and enzymes.
Minerals are further divided up into macro-minerals and micro-minerals. Calcium, Potassium, Iron, Sodium and Magnesium are some of the macro-minerals the body requires in a relatively larger proportion. Copper, Zinc, Cobalt, Chromium and Fluoride are among the main trace minerals or micro-minerals.
Make sure your diet has a daily dose of both macros and micros in good enough proportions to meet your nutrient requirements.

This article is part of a series of articles on National Nutrition Month 2020

CSR: Deutsche Bank and NGO Akshaya Patra distribute 40,000 Happiness Kits to Govt. school children

By
The CSR Journal
-
Deutsche Bank and The Akshaya Patra Foundation announced the distribution of 40,000 ‘Happiness Kits’ to government school children in the cities of Bangalore and Jaipur. With schools remaining closed for over six months now due to the pandemic, these children have been deprived of their classroom activity as well as the mid-day meal they would otherwise have been served in school.

This CSR initiative, aimed at ensuring that school children do not lose out on nutrition or their education, also marks 40 years since Deutsche Bank set up its first branch in the country in Mumbai. The Bank began its partnership with The Akshaya Patra Foundation in 2014 and over the last six years has supported the latter’s mid-day meal programme across Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur and Ajmer. During this period, the Bank has supported the provision of close to 70 million mid-day meals to government school children through Akshaya Patra Foundation.

The happiness kits contains dry ration, spices, nutritional items like jaggery and peanuts, education material and toiletries for one child for up to one month.
“Adequate nutrition and a basic education need to be seen as a fundamental right for children without which, their ability to grow into productive members of society in later years is impacted,” said Kaushik Shaparia, Chief Country Officer, Deutsche Bank India. “I am glad that our CSR partnership with Akshaya Patra Foundation is working towards addressing this challenge.”
“Hidden hunger is real and to see our people not afford two square nutritious meals a day is a travesty to say the least. With the benevolence of Deutsche Bank corporate social responsibility which has contributed generously towards this worthy cause, we have served 2 million meals to those deprived, as part of our Covid-19 food relief effort,” said Shridhar Venkat, CEO, The Akshaya Patra Foundation.
Deutsche Bank and Akshaya Patra Foundation have been working very closely together since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic to support large sections of marginalised groups, daily wage earners and economically challenged people. The support from Deutsche Bank CSR helped fund 2 million meals across Delhi, Bangalore, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Silvassa and Vadodara.

In recent years, Deutsche Bank has also supported Akshaya Patra Foundation’s mid-day meal programme – the world’s largest – by sponsoring food delivery vans, the construction of a meal kitchen in Ajmer and a reverse osmosis plant and boiler in Mangalore, among others.

Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content

CSR: Herbalife Nutrition extending $150,000 to Special Olympics Bharat for Developmental Sports programme

By
The CSR Journal
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Special Olympics Bharat launched Developmental Sports for young athletes to enable their transition to higher sport participation by learning sport specific skills. Herbalife Nutrition has extended CSR support to the tune of US $150,000 for two years from April 2020, to expand the programming across the length and breadth of the country.

What is Developmental Sports?

Developmental Sports activities can provide an age-appropriate introduction to sports for children with and without intellectual disabilities, ages 6-12 years old. Sport participation helps children develop physically, mentally, and socially and contributes to the development of long-term healthy lifestyles.
Special Olympics Young Athletes provides children with a general introduction to the fundamental gross motor movements that will help them become more successful in sport. While children can participate in Young Athletes through age seven, as children get older, they are often ready for more sport-specific coaching and instruction.

Developmental sports launch

The virtual launch on the evening of 23rd September witnessed the presence of Ajay Khanna, Vice President & Country Head, Herbalife Nutrition (India) , Dipak Natali , President & Managing Director, Special Olympics – Asia Pacific Region; Air Marshal Keelor PVSM, KC, AVSM, VrC, Founder & CEO, SO Bharat and Satish Pillai, Chairman SO Bharat, Special Athletes Siddhant Nath, Rithik Hukku and Shrey Kadian all of whom have represented SO Bharat at different Special Olympics global events. They were paired with their respective Unified Buddies who are the youth leaders without Intellectual Disabilities, a concept aligned with the mission of Special Olympics encouraging engagements between the youth with and without Intellectual Disabilities.
In the words of Ajay Khanna, Vice President/Country Head, Herbalife International India Pvt. Ltd: “Herbalife Nutrition is proud to reach out with CSR support and change the lives of the Specially-abled children and athletes, with the help of Special Olympics Bharat. Sports is a great equalizer and this organisation has been at the forefront of inspiring not only the sporting talent but also enabling attitudinal change in the communities we live in. The children are blessed with phenomenal determination, and we are happy to be able to give them a platform to shine while sending a very powerful message to the world. That resilience helps overcome all odds. Our relationship with Special Olympics Bharat exemplifies our commitment to Build Better and we look forward to continuing this deeply meaningful relationship”.
Air Marshal Denzil Keelor PVSM, KC, AVSM, VrC, Founder & CEO, Special Olympics Bharat said: “Herbalife Nutrition is an organization with a heart and this is so humbly yet passionately demonstrated in all that they say and do. I am overwhelmed to see how this partnership has grown, from supporting multiple events, to our participation in landmark global event like the Unified Cup 2018 that was held in Chicago; and now to a programme based support that would establish the athletes on a path of sports excellence.”
Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content

Top CSR Initiatives in Skill Development in India

By
Hency Thacker
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The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the way we work. In India, even before the pandemic, the issue of unemployability of youth was considerable. However, now with the new work dynamics that include remote work (work from home) and automation, the gap between the availability of jobs and compatible employees with the appropriate skill set has widened further.
The pandemic has dealt a major blow to the global economy. This has led thousands of people to lose their jobs and means of living. The unemployment numbers have shot up drastically. The need to skill more people and rehabilitate them in the economy has never been felt more before. While the government is focusing on holding the country and the economy together, India Inc. through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives has taken up the task of skill development in the country.
Some of the notable CSR initiatives in skilling include:

Industree Foundation’s POWER Project

The Covid-19 pandemic has witnessed a devastating impact globally, especially in the Creative Manufacturing sector. The impact has been direct and severe, with livelihoods and businesses grinding to a halt. Industree Foundation’s “Producer-Owned Women Enterprises” (POWER) Project, supported by USAID creates inclusive and transparent integrated value chains, with an increased degree of supply chain traceability, bringing gainful livelihoods all the way down to the source – the farming communities, thereby enabling them to opt out of existing exploitative systems and become part of a more equitable and ethical supply chain. They have been working with rural women producers in Tamil Nadu, the Kui tribe in Odisha, and the Medhar artisan community in Karnataka, to design and produce Natural Fibre and Non-Timber forest produce (NTFP), while building sustainable and equitable business models around them.
The POWER Project is aimed at improving the status of rural women in the economy by providing them with job opportunities to improve their lifestyle and move out of poverty. In collaboration with the state governments and forest departments, the program aims to strengthen these rural artisan women’s place in the marketplace. The only Indian Foundation to be funded by Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative project, the program aims to bring 6800 women into the livelihood value chain.

Sathya Sai Skill Training Centre by Srinivasan Services Trust (CSR arm of TVS Motor Company)

Srinivasan Services Trust in collaboration with Sathya Sai Seva Foundation has initiated the Sathya Sai Skill Training Centre to improve the competency of the youth members and make them employable for their self-sustainability. The training centre offers a wide range of certified training courses in electrical, plumbing, tailoring, masonry, and mechanics for the youth in the villages across Tamil Nadu. The trust conducts both theoretical and practical examinations to evaluate the performance of the participants.  After completion of 3 months of training, the beneficiaries are rewarded with certificates.  The trust also provides with certified tailoring training for young women in the age group of 18-30 in Erikuppam village, near Padavedu to improve their productivity, ensure economic empowerment and build their confidence.
The trust has been closely working with local institutes and various government departments towards imparting both soft skills and technical education to the economically weaker background across villages in Tamil Nadu.  The trust has been consistently organizing skill development programmes like training sessions, job mela, and programs with partner organizations. Such initiatives have benefitted 45000 rural youth, out of which 90% of them were employed.

ICICI Academy for Skills

ICICI Academy for Skills is the flagship initiative of ICICI Foundation. It aims at addressing identified skill gaps in urban India and providing sustainable employment opportunities to the underprivileged youth. From its first centre that was established in Jaipur in 2013, it has grown to 27 centres across 19 states and one union territory. ICICI Academy for Skills acts as a bridge between youth who are seeking employment and recruiters, by providing industry-relevant, job-oriented vocational training courses. ICICI Academy provides training in 13 courses.
Till 31 March 2020, ICICI Academy for Skills has transformed the lives of over 1.45 lakh urban youth through its pro bono skilling and placement interventions. Thus far, 42% of our beneficiaries are women. It is a matter of great pride and satisfaction for us that 100% of our trainees, who opted for job placement, have found suitable employment through ICICI Academy’s vast network of placement partners.

GAIL Kaushal

Enabling and empowering the marginalized, so that they become agents of change lies at the very heart of GAIL’s Skill development centric initiatives. GAIL in the past year operated two GAIL Institute of Skills (GIS) in Nagaram, East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh and Guna, Madhya Pradesh. Out of the 88 candidates trained in trades of Industrial Electrician (Oil & Gas), Industrial Welder (Oil & Gas) and Draughtsman Mechanical, 67 have been placed in their respective job sectors. Skill training in trades such as welding technician, industrial electrician, customer-care executive, unarmed security guard and CNC machining technician have been provided to 344 candidates with a placement rate of 70%.
GAIL is the nodal PSU for Skill Development Institute, Raebareli, the first skill academy set-up in the Hydrocarbon Sector in the state of Uttar Pradesh. GAIL is currently supporting establishment and operation 06 Skill development Institutes in Raebareli (UP), Bhubaneswar (Odisha), Kochi (Kerala), Vizag (Andhra Pradesh), Ahmedabad (Gujarat) and Guwahati (Assam), jointly promoting it with other PSUs. A total of 2322 candidates have been trained in the 06 SDIs through GAIL’s proportional contribution of Rs. 23 crores in FY 2019-20.
In line with the business verticals of the company, GAIL has partnered with Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology (CIPET) to train 221 candidates as ‘Plastic Products manufacturing Operators’.

Tata Power TPSDI

Tata Power, through its skill development endeavour, Tata Power Skill Development Institute (TPSDI), strives to bridge the skill-gap in the Indian power sector and allied industries while training youth with employable skills. Recognizing this effort, TPSDI was conferred with the Best Project in the Education & Skill Training category at the 2019 CSR Journal Excellence Awards as well as the 2019 Global Training & Development Leadership Awards.
The award recognises the impact of TPSDI’s training programs that enhance the skills of the trainees and thus their employability. Since its establishment, TPSDI has trained more than 43,000 people. TPSDI’s robust training programs have resulted in skill gain and the ISO:29990 certified Institute has a rigorous process that tracks the effectiveness of its training by not only assessing the skills and knowledge gained by the trainees but also by monitoring them when they secure employment. TPSDI currently provides placements to 75% of the eligible youth trained at the Institute.
The Institute provides modular training and certification across a wide range of employable skills. TPSDI was launched on Feb 9, 2015 as part of Tata Power’s Centenary Year celebrations by the Tata Group Chairman. TPSDI, currently has five training centres across India leveraging the facilities of Tata Power. Apart from Tata Power, TPSDI also trains engineers and technicians from other organizations and offers courses for engineering college students, enabling them to acquire skills that bridge the gap between academics and industry. The Institute consciously works towards providing greater access to its courses to the members of disadvantaged sections of the society and those in the below-poverty-line (BPL) category.

Tech Mahindra SMART Centres

SMART centres train youth from economically weaker sections of the urban community with the requisite employability skills through a structured training program, ensuring that they are placed in suitable dignified jobs. The program places great emphasis on foundational skills for a job such as Spoken English, Basic IT and Workplace Readiness. In SMART, there are a total of 15 domains and 63 courses that the students can opt from SMART, SMART+ (for persons with disabilities) and SMART-T (Technical) Centres.
The SMART program offers vocational training in diverse domains across the service as well as the manufacturing industry. The program provides training in courses such as Foundation skills and domain-specific areas that are aligned to the QP (qualification pack) and NOS (National Occupation Standards) as specified by the Sector Skill Council.
The Training Manuals are detailed and easy to comprehend. A robust system of regular assessments and certification on successful completion of the training is an integral part of the program. Youth graduating from SMART centres are successfully placed in the service and manufacturing sectors. The SMART program has a live Management Information System that helps in monitoring and evaluation of quantitative and qualitative data across all locations.

Nayara Energy Harnessing Women Power through Micro-Enterprises

Nayara Energy, a new-age downstream energy company has been consistently working towards increasing the education and livelihood index in communities near the refinery in Vadinar, Gujarat. The Company incessantly work towards sustaining its legacy of inclusive development and being a responsible “neighbour of choice” for the communities around its refinery. The company believes that women need to be at the forefront of driving change in the communities. Therefore, it supports and facilitates micro-enterprises, empowering women in the community to make informed financial decisions for their households.

PM CARES Fund is an oxymoron where CSR donations disappear

By
Kasmin Fernandes
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In an earlier editorial on the future of CSR funding in post-lockdown India, we had raised doubts over the transparency of the PM CARES Fund. Turns out, The CSR Journal is not alone. Trinamool Congress leader and MP, Mahua Moitra, broke the internet with her intelligent critique on this same Central government scheme in the Lok Sabha on Saturday.
She slammed the Indian government for matter-of-factly accepting donations from Chinese companies, the gag on Right to Information on its spend and called PSUs “courtiers of the Emperor” for trying to appease the Centre by funnelling crores of public funds into this “black hole”.
Essentially, Moitra did exactly what the opposition is supposed to do; hold up an honest and enquiring mirror to the people in power.
Moitra shot into the spotlight in June 2019 for another acerbic speech in the Parliament. Her 7-point list on the chaos that “early fascism” can lead to, caught the attention of international media as well. Moitra is no puppet in Parliament. She was an investment banker before she became a political leader. So, her grasp on the monetary angle of the Fund comes from a place of knowledge.

PM CARES Fund, an oxymoron

Moitra talked about the “unfair treatment” of contributions to the state relief funds for COVID-19 activities. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has expressly declared that corporate contributions for COVID-19 relief to local and state governments do no qualify as CSR while those to PM CARES do. This includes public funds from PSUs that have spent as much as 80% of their annual CSR budget on it.

“It diverts funds from local communities into this dark hole where not even a speck of light can enter. Coal India has committed Rs. 221 crore to a fund, while it cannot contribute to the state relief funds of West Bengal and Jharkhand, where it has 90% of its operations… it’s almost like the courtiers of the emperor are competing with each other to give gifts to the emperor with public funds,” Moitra said.

Such a biased directive completely disincentivises CSR contribution. Moitra talked about how Finance Minister Sitharaman talked about middle-class citizens donating what little savings they had, but was “strangely silent” on the 38 PSUs doling out over Rs. 2,100 crores to PM CARES. Private companies are behaving in much the same way. They are pouring the majority of the monies from the CSR budget allocation into the Centre’s Fund so that compliance on spending is taken care of.
Restricting RTI on PM CARES prevents citizens and corporates from finding out exactly where and how their donations are being spent. Where does that leave room for equal and fair distribution of resources across the length and breadth of the country?

CSR: PokerBaazi and Friendicoes feed New Delhi’s stray animals

By
The CSR Journal
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Amidst the ongoing global pandemic, Delhi’s oldest animal shelter Friendicoes has collaborated with online poker brand PokerBaazi.com to provide crucial aid to stray animals left unattended during the crisis. This initiative is a part of the #FeltsForStrays campaign that was started by PokerBaazi on 24th March 2020 and is continuing to feed and provide aid to animals on the street.
Under this drive, companies have been providing food to about 600 stray dogs, cows, monkeys and horses on a daily basis around the streets of New Delhi. With a contribution of over 10 lakhs made by the PokerBaazi.com community through both, citizen and corporate social responsibility (CSR) to support the cause, this campaign has helped the homeless animals who were struggling to meet their daily food requirements.
Geeta Seshamani, Vice President at Friendicoes said, “We are living in a really challenging situation and the world is witnessing a crisis like never before. We often ignore other creatures who are co-existing with us on this planet and are dependent on us. We are really grateful to PokerBaazi.com for being cognizant about the needs of stray animals around the city and extending the required support. We are positive that this CSR initiative will help us spread awareness about the cause and thereby inspire many others to help the ones in need.”
Mandy Seth, President of Friendicoes added, “Our teams try their best to cover as many streets in Delhi as possible from Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, to Netaji Nagar, Sarojini Nagar, Devli Khanpur, Sarai Kale Khan, I.T.O, etc. We find hungry animals at the railway stations, markets, and many other commercial places. Fortunately, we have found many courageous dog feeders who have started coming out in the streets. We plan to continue our commitment till the situation is back to normal again.’’
PokerBaazi has also tied up with DYWA during the initial lockdown period and raised around 10 Lacs by organising a special tournament series on the app to support the underprivileged sections of our society by providing assistance and relief in a multitude of different spaces.
Continuing the spirit of helping the COVID warriors, Anirudh Chaudhry, Co-Founder & COO at PokerBaazi.com said, “I have always been an animal lover and wanted to do something for the animals that have been left to fend for themselves and I realised that these innocent souls were overlooked upon in this unprecedented time of crisis. While everybody is dealing with their own share of struggles, stray animals too are impacted by the shutdown as earlier they could find food in a bustling busy city. The PokerBaazi community is fortunate enough to be in a position to make a sizable impact and when we came to know about Friendicoes, we were eager to help out. We were delighted to know that we were able to become a part of a concert campaign dedicated to helping out these voiceless animals and will continue to do whatever we can in the future.”
Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content

Mega Man Made Forest drive sets new world record

By
The CSR Journal
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A new world record was set on Sunday at Wada near Mumbai with 1,99,936 trees planted in a single day. This monumental feat was supported by over 200 local volunteers: adivasi tribes, local villagers and farmers who worked hard to dig each and every pit for 10 days prior. The layout was neatly planned and saplings sat beside every pit – ready for plantation.
From a Bikers Club of 15 who rode to Wada on their superbikes to a 13-year-old schoolgirl to a 78-year-old teacher, they all gathered from different walks of life to help in planting saplings. In the midst of the event, the village sarpanch visited the plantation site to extend his support. The event commenced at 6 am and was joined by local volunteers as well as 30 volunteers from the city who went to Wada for a ‘Mega Man Made Forest’ by the Treebox Initiative in collaboration with Rotary District 3141. Veteran Bollywood actress Juhi Chawla was the brand ambassador for the event.
Harsh Vaidya - treeboxHarsh Vaidya, Founder, TreeBox Initiative says, “It’s indeed a dream come true seeing so many like-minded Mumbaikars joining hands to make this city a greener place. I would like to thank every person who sponsored a tree towards making of Mega Man Made Forest and, most importantly, the local villagers and the tribal community who made this feat possible. We continue to pledge that in a decade, we look forward to growing 1 crore trees in and around Mumbai.”
The event ended at 6 pm with a record total of 1,99,936 native trees planted on the day, officially making it into the World Book of Records, UK. The Mega Man Made Forest event got together the largest plantation drive, securing green coverage for future generations.
Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content

We Need to Focus on Holistic Healthcare: Upasana Kamineni Konidela of Apollo Foundation

By
Hency Thacker
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Upasana Kamineni Konidela is Vice-Chairperson CSR of Apollo Foundation. She is a next-gen entrepreneur from the Apollo Hospitals Family who believes in creating socialistic sustainable businesses that create a meaningful impact and also give back to society as a whole.
The Apollo Hospitals Group spearheads many breakthroughs first-of-its-kind initiatives in healing India; two of which are: The Apollo Foundation and Apollo Life. The former believes in identifying, diagnosing, treating and educating people in need of medical care. On the other hand, Apollo Life is about making Urban India and the Indian workforce increase their productivity and manage their wellbeing harmoniously.
Since Upasana started Apollo Life using herself as an example and incorporating best wellbeing practices from around the world to help increase the productivity of Corporate India, Upasana firmly believes that the world can #HEALININDIA through #transformUrself.
Excerpts from an exclusive video interaction with Upasana Kamineni Konidela.

The healthcare systems across the world are currently facing a major overload as they strive to manage COVID and non-COVID patients. How is Apollo as a Healthcare service provider coping with this crisis?

COVID-19 is an unknown virus that has attacked our civilisation. Doctors, scientists, hospitals, are all learning new things about the virus every day. If we consider these aspects, I think the virus is being tackled in the best way we can. The government has taken every measure it can to contain the spread of the pandemic. There are thousands of perspectives that the government or hospitals have to consider before making a decision. The decision-makers are under a lot of pressure to take correct actions. Taking this into consideration, I think, we have done a great job in handling the pandemic.

What role can healthcare providers play at a time like this to provide a best-case scenario for the citizens?

Every hospital across the world is doing their best to help the patients. Patients are not being denied from treatment because of lack of financial resources. But there are a limited number of beds, and it is very difficult to increase the capacity at such short notice. These limitations should be kept in mind before blaming the healthcare providers for not doing enough.

There has been a surge in cases of mental trauma among the youth of India, as per a report. However, addressing this is difficult because of the stigma around mental health disorders. What needs to be done to remedy this in your opinion?

We are all going through a difficult time. We are not used to staying confined indoors or avoid socialising. This situation has certainly increased anxiety and depression among people. I think this should not be taken lightly. It is important for people to understand the gravity of mental health illnesses and seek advice from a clinically certified expert instead of relying on self-acclaimed mental health experts on social media.
On an individual level, we need to stay strong and positive. Therefore, each of us needs to make an effort to make a habit of being positive. We need to make an effort to define what is important for us and act on our priorities, to grow stronger.

According to a report by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, COVID-19 has undone global healthcare development of 25 years in just 25 weeks. What kind of capacity building will India require to rebuild itself in this regard?

I think we need to approach healthcare more holistically. Allopathy and doctor’s advice addresses on half of the health issues.  For the rest, we need to find what works for us and adopt it to stay healthy or to recover faster – be it Yoga, Ayurveda or any other form of healing. This kind of holistic approach is required for the world to lead a better and healthier life. I think India can lead the world in this matter and the world can heal in India.

What kind of policy measures from the government might help faster recovery in your opinion?

The government is already doing a great job by promoting AYUSH and Yoga. However, in order to ensure that more and more people benefit from this, insurance coverage for these products and services needs to increase. So if the government promotes such insurance products, it will be very beneficial to the masses. In addition to this, if the wellness services are not taxed, they would be accessible to more number of people and would improve the overall health scenario of the country.

How can citizens of India contribute on an individual level to help the nation get out of this hopeless situation?

We are all sailing through stressful times. Amid this, instead of harbouring negativity, citizens can do their best to spread positivity. Because we need more strength and positivity at this time. For this, every individual needs to strive to be happy and positive. They need to be generous to themselves as well as to others. They need to question the beliefs that do not make sense. They need to strengthen their inner selves, their relationships and their character. For this, I would suggest everyone to do what makes you happy. To learn, unlearn, relearn and keep repeating the cycle till you are the best version of yourself in the given circumstance.

MP Suresh Prabhu: It is critical to have not just a green recovery, but also an inclusive one

By
The CSR Journal
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The ongoing pandemic has evoked multiple discussions, which alluded to developing a rapid recovery plan for building long-term resilience. In this regard, Suresh Prabhu, Member of Parliament, said, “The pandemic has reinforced the links between health, environment and the economy. The ongoing crisis also demonstrated that governments and individuals can come together and initiate strong and rapid action in the face of an overwhelming challenge. The decisions taken today can provide immediate relief, and secure a lasting economic recovery, increase community resilience and ensure a long-term pathway to sustainable development.”
Prabhu was speaking at the opening of a virtual conclave on ‘Re-emerging and Resilient India’. The Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC), an international non-profit organization, hosted the conclave in partnership with USAID, CEEW, TERI, P4G, and India Climate Collaborative.
The aim of the online conclave was to bring representatives from the government, international organizations, think tanks, industry leaders, academicians, and practitioners together. The agenda was to discuss various perspectives, challenges, and highlight successful interventions on the ground that can be replicated at scale, to speed up the localization of several initiatives and implement them seamlessly.
Apart from Suresh Prabhu, the virtual conclave hosted thought leaders including Ramona El Hamzaoui, Acting Mission Director, USAID/India; Deepali Khanna, Managing Director, Asia Regional Office, The Rockefeller Foundation; Ajith Radhakrishnan, Country Lead, 2030 Water Resources Group; Aditi Maheshwari, Director, Climate Action, UN Secretary General Executive Office; Ian de Cruz – Global Director, P4G Partnering for Green Growth & Global Goals among others.
virtual conclave panel
The CSR Journal columnist Anirban Ghosh from the Mahindra Group was also part of the panel
Vivek P. Adhia, Country Director-India, Institute for Sustainable Communities said, “This is the opportunity for India to take action and achieve long term sustainable development. At this point, it is critical to have not just a green recovery, but also an inclusive one. As manufacturing expands in the country, boosting growth – practices that enable better access to clean water, clean air and secure livelihoods, can play an important role in building resilient communities and a resilient nation. We call for a calibrated approach that enables coordinated action focusing on the environment while reaping social and economic benefits.”
Speaking of how sustainable recovery could be envisioned and realized for India, Dr. Arunabha Ghosh, Founder-CEO, CEEW, said, “The pandemic brutally exposed the fractures that existed in our system. We need to understand that success in managing such a crisis depends on a robust policy framework and the way it is implemented. The COVID-19 pandemic gives us an opportunity to shape the economic recovery in a manner that would deliver a new social contract between the state, the citizen and the enterprise, one that rests on two pillars: commitment to jobs, growth, and sustainability; and a razor-sharp focus on tail-end risks.”
Manish Bapna, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, World Resources Institute (WRI) spoke about the importance of acting now, and for India to proactively collaborate on the global recovery process. “The world is facing multiple crises, and it is critical that we see them as interconnected and address them together. The COVID-19 pandemic, the economic crisis, and climate change all hit the most vulnerable the hardest. Just as these crises have overlapping effects, we need to pursue solutions that simultaneously deliver short-term benefits while tackling the underlying drivers of social exclusion and environmental degradation. This is a once-in-a-generation moment to redesign our economies and societies to be more resilient, more sustainable and to leave no one behind,” he said.
Re-emphasizing ISC’s commitment towards India and the approaches to resilient recovery, Deeohn Ferris, President, Institute for Sustainable Communities added, “ISC is supporting communities around the world to help them address environmental, social and economic challenges to build a better future, shaped and shared by all. In response to COVID-19, we are even more determined to enable communities, women, farmers, cities, and factories in Asia and the United States to not just bounce back, but to advance towards a more resilient and equitable society.”
Earlier this month, ISC in collaboration with Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS) initiated a new dialogue series titled ‘Water and Livelihood Security: The Foundation to Make India Atmanirbhar’ where experts deliberated on the importance of water for overall human development is even more relevant and ways to improve water and livelihood security in India.
Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content

Rintu Rathod’s New Chocolate Sculpture Aims At Raising Awareness On Childhood Cancer

By
The CSR Journal
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Celebrity Food sculpture Artist Rintu Rathod, in association with Access Life today unveiled her chocolate sculpture ‘Care is bigger than cancer’ as part of the awareness programme in connection with the International Childhood Cancer Awareness month observation. September is designated as the childhood cancer awareness month. It is observed in various fashions to honour and remember the children fighting the deadly disease and to raise awareness on the subject.
The sculpture that depicts a sleeping infant in an open palm is a representation of the children who are battling cancer and their caregivers be it parents, doctors, volunteers or others. It denotes the support and safety that a child feels in the arms of their caregiver. Designed by Rintu Rathod, the sculpture weighs 20 kg and is 2 feet long, 1.5 feet wide and 10 inches high. It is wholly made out of chocolate, with gold dusting on the palms to highlight the golden ribbon that represents childhood cancer.
“We connect Chocolate with childhood, it is incomplete without chocolates and sweets. But the children with cancer are not allowed to enjoy this. By creating this sculpture in Chocolate, I wanted to highlight the plight of the children who are deprived of little pleasures of a childhood. September is the childhood cancer awareness month and I am trying to create awareness and emphasis on the importance of helping the children and their family to get necessary treatment and support to bring them back to normal life. Access life is striving to do that. It is a free shelter for these kids and their families who come to Mumbai for treatment” said Rintu Rathod while unveiling the sculpture.
“September is the international month of raising awareness on Childhood Cancer. It is our constant endeavor to support and raise awareness on this topic and get as much as help to serve these children. The time is especially crucial as COVID has drowned all conversations around pediatric cancer patients. Many children are left with minimal to no treatment due to lockdown. It is imperative that we keep supporting this cause to ensure these children also get their fair chance at a normal childhood like any other child.” said Girish Nair, Founder & Chairman, Access Life Foundation.
Access Life also does various other activities in connection with Childhood Awareness Month, including the prestigious annual lighting up of Mumbai’s architectural marvel, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) and  Municipal Corporation buildings in golden colour that signifies the need for awareness about Childhood Cancer. This year marked the fifth consecutive year of illuminating the iconic structures for the cause.
Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content
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