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May 26, 2025
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BMW Group Plant Chennai aims to be 100% green electricity plant by end of 2020

By
The CSR Journal
-
Through a host of initiatives, BMW Group Chennai is taking an active lead towards a green and sustainable future. While significant savings have been already been achieved with dedicated efforts, the plant is committed to convert to 100% green electricity by end of the year and has launched new initiatives for water conservation and biodiversity.

CSR of BMW Group Chennai

Over the last few years, BMW Group Plant Chennai has steadily replaced conventional energy sources with sustainable alternatives. Presently, the plant takes care of upto 40% of its electricity requirements through a 1350 kW Solar Photovoltaic system. By introducing multiple simple and smart solutions, the plant has further reduced its electricity consumption. Upto 50% savings have been achieved in light usage through LED lights installation. Besides this, fresh air fans have been replaced by energy-efficient high-volume low-speed (HVLS) fans, saving 30% electricity in the ventilation system.
Thomas Dose, Managing Director, BMW Group Plant Chennai said, “Since 2007, our plant has consistently reduced its consumption of non-renewable resources through modern technology, stringent processes and efficiency. This commitment is integrated through clear actions in our business model as well as production processes and has helped us in significantly reducing our footprint. We know the challenges and are rising to meet them by continuously setting higher goals.”

Water conservation initiatives

In Chennai, water shortage is a serious issue. BMW Group Plant Chennai has been working on long-term solutions to minimise the impact by acting responsibly. The plant’s water conservation measures are based on three pillars: use of rainwater, conservation of freshwater and water treatment. It has rainwater harvesting ponds at two locations with a total capacity of 14,25,000 litres. Tanks have been installed across the site to collect rainwater for this purpose. More than 3,40,000 litres of rainwater has been collected so far and utilized for water leak test and other requirements.
Recycled water used for water testing at BMW Group Plant Chennai
Recycled water used for water testing at BMW Group Plant Chennai
The process water used in production is fully recycled at the plant’s treatment facility and fed back into the process. Water used for cleaning is also treated and reused in gardening and landscaping. Sensor-based taps installed across the plant save up to 8% water. In combination, these three pillars have helped reduce water consumption by more than 45% – from 40825 KL to 20594 KL (Period 2016 to 2019).
A new Rainwater Harvesting Project implemented at the beginning of 2020 stores up to 2,000 kilolitres and caters to upto 40% of plant’s requirements. The team is also currently working on a recharge injection well project at 10 sites in Mahindra World City which will be scaled up later. Instead of withdrawing water, this type of well injects rainwater into the ground in a controlled manner to bring the water table back to normal levels. Other water conservation plans underway include advancement in sewage treated plant in order to use the recycled water for toilet flushing and greywater utilization for landscaping.

Biodiversity initiatives

BMW Group Plant Chennai has a green area of 7.7 acres, which is around 25% of the total area. A green belt has been setup with around 2,000 trees of 31 different species as part of a biodiversity pilot project. In another recent tree plantation drive, around 4,000 local species trees are being planted in 0.5 acres at the plant with Miyawaki forest technique that helps build dense, native forests with 10 times faster growth and 30 times denser plantation than usual. This will lead to annual C02 savings of 4,000 tonnes. On World Environment Day every year, the entire team comes together to plant trees inside as well as outside the facility.
BMW Group lays equal importance on both the products and the process when it comes to green manufacturing. To achieve this, processes are optimised and investments are made in more efficient technologies. In line with ‘Design for Recycling’ approach, BMW / MINI vehicles are created in a way that their components can largely be reused or recycled efficiently throughout their whole life cycle.
Some decisive influencing factors are the choice of materials, production technologies, supplier selection, the choice of drivetrain types and the recyclability of the vehicle’s components. All BMW Group vehicles brought onto the market since 2008 meet the requirements for the recycling of end-of-life vehicles, components and materials (95% total recycling, 85% reuse and material recycling).
BMW Group Plant Chennai has implemented the Environmental Policy under the Integrated Management System which is aligned with IS0 14001: 2015 requirements. A dedicated team has been appointed to ensure environmental management and best sustainability practices. Associates are encouraged to follow and promote basic measures such as reduction of printing, switching off lights, air-conditioners, laptops when not required, appropriately segregating waste and reducing food wastage. The canteen food waste is processed and converted to manure. In 2019, 6,500 kg waste was converted to manure.
Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content.

What is the government doing for health-tech in India?

By
Kasmin Fernandes
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India had begun taking big steps to leverage technology in the healthcare sector much before the pandemic hit. In the segment of health-tech in India, polices can focus either on devices or technology or both. We take you through the public policy on this subject that has become more crucial since the spectre of COVID-19.

Budget for health-tech in India

To support these initiatives, the Union Budget 2018 allocated INR 3073 crores under NITI Aayog to set up a digital economy with emerging technologies like AI, IoT, blockchain and 3D printing. At the centre, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is the nodal ministry in-charge of making and regulating policies and standards related to health and health-tech.
In terms of medical devices, the National Health Policy (NHP) 2017 encourages the domestic manufacturing of medical devices in consonance with “Make in India”. The public policy also recommends the strengthening of regulation of medical devices. Since over 70% of all medical devices are imported into India, the policy also advocates the need to incentivise local manufacturing.
While the NHP 2017 provides overarching goals related to medical devices, the Medical Device Rules (MDR), 2017, which has come into effect from 1 January 2018, provides medical device-specific legislation in India. The MDR is issued under the Drug and Cosmetics Act 1940 and it regulates specific devices intended for internal or external use in the diagnosis, treatment, mitigation or prevention of disease or disorder in human beings. Meanwhile, the Ayushman Bharat scheme was lauded by the United Nations for deploying an effective health IT infrastructure.

NHP – National Health Policy

The NHP (2017), has specified goals for the adoption of digital technologies in healthcare. These include the creation of district-level electronic databases, interoperable EHR, registries for all diseases of public importance, to link systems across health providers at State and National levels consistent with Metadata and Data Standards (MDDS) for seamless sharing of data and services and envisaging health-tech ecosystem as a Federated National Health Information Architecture. It covers:
– Digital Health Ecosystem: The policy advocates for the extensive deployment of digital tools. The policy also aims at an integrated health information system which can serve the needs of all stakeholders and improve efficiency, transparency, and patient experience. Additionally, the policy advocates the creation of registries for improved data analytics, national health information network and the use of smartphones or tablets to capture real-time data. The policy promotes the use of digital tools for generating and sharing of information about Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) services and practitioners.
– Health Information System (HIS): The policy aims for the creation of an integrated HIS. This can be created through private sector involvement in developing and linking systems into a common network/grid, accessible to both public and private healthcare providers. Such a grid would record patient lists and document diseases and health events.
– Health System Strengthening: the policy aims to strengthen existing health systems through various means such as, creating a district-level electronic database of information on health system components by 2020.
– Medical Education: The NHP recommends and calls for the strengthening of existing medical colleges to meet human resource deficits in healthcare industry. The National Knowledge Network (NKN) is proposed to be used for telemedicine, tele-consultations and access to a digital library.
– Development of Information Databases: the policy calls for the development of information databases on wide variety of areas for the use of researchers. In this regard, the NHP recommends that data for all publicly funded health surveys should be available in the public domain.

Electronic Health Standards 2016

In order to introduce a uniform standardised system for creation and maintenance of health records by healthcare providers, the EHR Standards were notified in 2013 and updated in 2016 by the MoHFW. The primary aim of the EHR standards is to ensure structural and semantic interoperability of data across systems. The EHR standards refer to the adoption of a long list of International Standards Organisation (ISO) standards. It also presents criteria to enhance functionality, utility and security of IT for health-tech in India and to support its widespread adoption.

NeHA – National electronic Health Authority

The National electronic Health Authority (NeHA) was set up in 2015 under the MoHFW. NeHA acts as an enforcement body and is responsible for the enforcement of standards and ensuring security, confidentiality, and privacy of patient’s health information and records.
NeHA is also responsible for preparing technical and policy documents relating to architecture, standards and policies for EHR. Since health is a state subject in the Constitution of India, individual State electronic Health Authorities (SeHA) are responsible for enforcing standards set out by NeHA. As patient health records and medical data get digitised, data security and privacy become the next essential step to enforce.

NDHB – National Digital Health Blueprint

In response to the formulation of the National Health Stack, the MoHFW released the “National Digital Health Blueprint” (NDHB) in 2019. Building on the goals identified in the NHP 2017, the NDHB provides specific details required for fulfilling the vision of NHP 2017. It also provides an Action Plan for realising Digital Health.

National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence

The National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence launched in June 2018 focuses on how India can leverage the transformative technologies to ensure social and inclusive growth in line with the development philosophy of the government in five sectors, including healthcare. It pointed out that the market for health-tech in India driven by AI is expected to experience a CAGR of 40%.
Application of AI in healthcare can help to improve access to healthcare facilities, particularly in rural areas. It identified some applications such as AI-driven diagnostics, personalised treatment, and early identification of potential pandemics, which can benefit India. As per the strategy document, the focus is on the potential of AI combined with robotics and IoMT to address healthcare problems through research and training, early detection, diagnostic, decision making and treatment.
In this regard, NITI Aayog is launching a programme to develop a “Biobank of Cancer”. This will be an imaging repository of annotated and curated pathology images which will be used for cancer screening and treatment.
Health is a state subject in the Constitution of India and given the quasi-federal structure of governance, if policies are formulated at the centre it is up to the state health authorities to implement them. In line with the regulations of the MoHFW, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution regulates standards related to medical devices.
Apart from this, the NITI Aayog is the nodal agency for the Ayushman Bharat Yojana. The Department of Commerce under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) is in charge of trade in health-tech products and the DPIIT under the same ministry is in-charge of FDI in health-tech and export promotion of medical devices.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), which is the nodal ministry in-charge of the “Digital India” programme, works in conjunction with the MoHFW and NITI Aayog to ensure greater digitalisation for health-tech in India.

World Blood Donor Day 2020: NGOs for Blood Donation in India

By
Hency Thacker
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Every two minutes someone needs blood in India. According to a study by India Spend, India faces a shortage of 1.9 million blood units every year. This problem has reached new heights in the time of COVID-19 wherein social media is flooded with requests for blood from family members because the blood donation camps have come to a halt due to the lockdown. Some NGOs are working relentlessly in this domain to meet the demand for blood in India. One blood donation can save up to three lives and hence every donor counts. In our series on World Blood Donor Day, let us look at the top 3 Non Profits working to solve the blood crisis in India.

1. The Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) 

The first Blood Bank was started in India by Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) in 1942 at All India Institute of Hygiene & Public Health, Calcutta (West Bengal).
In 1977, the blood bank started operating from the Indian Red Cross Society, National Headquarters (IRCS, NHQ). The Blood Bank runs round the clock and provides services to needy patients.
The IRCS NHQ Blood Bank collects about 25000 units of blood annually which amounts to about 10% of the total blood collected in Delhi. The IRCS (NHQ) Blood Bank is fully equipped to collect blood at its premises and also has mobile vans, which go out frequently to hold Blood Donation Camps. In the COVID-19 enforced lockdown, IRCS started conducting blood donation camps by sending mobile vans to different areas of Delhi as early as 13th April 2020. The blood bank provides 90% of the total collection of blood free of service charges to the patients admitted in the General Ward of Govt. Hospitals in Delhi as well as to 975 Thalassemic patients registered with it (which is about 50% of all the Thalassemics in Delhi).

2. Bloodconnect

Bloodconnect started with a helpline for blood donation but now provides a 360-degree solution to the problem of blood shortage in the country.
NSS IIT Delhi launched BloodConnect on 1st April 2010 with an objective of solving the problem of blood shortage in India. India can meet all its blood needs if an additional 2% of India’s youth donates blood. Bloodconnect is completely youth-run organisation and has established a channel connecting blood donors to those who need blood
They run a 24X7 blood-helpline manned by volunteer college students who handle the request and manage the donor database. They also conduct various awareness drives in the form of street plays and competitions to encourage people to donate blood. The Bloodconnect initiative has helped save thousands of lives over the past decade

3. Sankalp India Foundation

Rakta Kranti, an initiative by Sankalp India Foundation aims to bring in 100% voluntary blood donation and ensure continuous availability of safe blood. The Sankalp India Foundation Team has collected over 100,000 units of blood since inception by organizing over 1000 blood donation camps. Sankalp India Foundation deserves special accolades for arranging 65-70% of their yearly collection during the critical blood shortage period i.e. April – July and November – January.
They also run Disha – A blood helpline which serves as the first point of contact for blood emergencies. They collate data from 65 blood banks across Karnataka on a daily basis and help people directly to the nearest blood bank.  The Emergency Team also maintains www.bombaybloodgroup.org an initiative for wholesome management of Bombay blood groups – an extremely rare blood type. The Foundation is always in the news nationally as well as Internationally for meeting the needs of this rare blood group.

CSR News: Amatra Hotels helps stranded animals

By
The CSR Journal
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Amatra Hotels, a Gurgaon-based luxury hospitality chain has initiated a CSR programme to help stranded people and animals during these challenging times of COVID-19.
Amatra has set-up a doghouse in its Amatra By The Ganges property in Haridwar to take care of several stray dogs in the vicinity who were finding it tough to get food in these times. Amatra has constructed a doghouse to take care of the animals and is providing meals, medicines, and partnering with a veterinary to take care of their health.
Amatra is putting up a CSR mechanism to set-up similar animal care facilities in all its properties that would continue even when the pandemic is over. The company has also reached out to hundreds of people in Haridwar and Mussoorie who require essential commodities like rice, wheat, pulses, and even daily use items like soap, shampoo, sanitary napkins, etc. The company has allocated staff to ensure everyone who needs help would be provided with these bags in the vicinity it operates in.
“We are here to support the animals and people who are in need during this pandemic which we all have to face together. It is to empower the community and to let people know that we stand with them together in this,” said Gaurav Taneja, Corporate General Manager, Amatra Hotels & Resorts.
Amatra is also talking to various NGOs operating in areas of animal rescue and also local NGOs to source many of their products and creating local business. Amatra is already following the COVID-19 guidelines laid by the local authorities to ensure guests are in a safe and hygienic environment.
Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content.

CSR: Pandemic could devour bulk of CSR kitty in 2020, says CRISIL report

By
The CSR Journal
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India Inc appears set to spend all or most of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) kitty for the year on combating the COVID-19 pandemic, be it through contribution to the PM CARES Fund, other relief funds, distribution of food, masks, personal protective equipment for healthcare workers, or relief material to the needy.
CRISIL drew up a list of top 100 companies by revenue and CSR spend each in fiscal 2019, and checked whether they were alive to the need to alleviate the widespread distress caused by the pandemic. Of the 200, approximately 70 appeared in both lists, while 60 figured in only one. Of this total 130, 113 spent on pandemic-related mitigation, according to data available in the public domain up to May 15, 2020.
In less than two months through March 15, 2020, 84 of these companies (including support through the corporate group) had spent INR 7,537 crore on causes that can be classified as CSR spend. The remaining 29 either contributed to other funds (Rs 373 crore), and/or facilitated voluntary employee donations (Rs 84 crore) that cannot be classified as CSR spend, or donated solely in kind (food and masks), for which assigning a monetary value was difficult.
Private sector companies, public sector undertakings and foreign companies have contributed proportionately to their share in the sample. Region-wise, 36 companies in Maharashtra – which accounts for a third of all Covid-19 cases in the country – stand out because they account for 63% of the total spent.
Says Maya Vengurlekar, Chief Operating Officer, CRISIL Foundation, “Interestingly, the 130 companies analysed by CRISIL accounted for nearly 80% of the total CSR spend by all listed companies in fiscal 2019. Assuming other companies would have followed a similar path, India Inc has already allocated over 80% of the annual CSR budget to address the pandemic. This could impact spending on other areas this fiscal.”
Incidentally, the sizeable contributions have come on the back of healthy growth in CSR spending in fiscal 2019. Of the eligible listed companies, 1,276 spent on CSR in fiscal 2019 and duly reported it. Their aggregate CSR spend was Rs 11,392 crore, up from Rs 9,999 crore in fiscal 2018. On average, the spending was a touch over 2% of their average net profit of the preceding three fiscals, as mandated by the Companies Act, 2013.
Says Nitesh Jain, Director, CRISIL Ratings, “The generous contribution by India Inc to address the COVID-19 pandemic comes on the back of healthy growth of 14% in CSR spending in fiscal 2019. Five years since CSR spending was made mandatory, the number of eligible companies as well as cumulative CSR spending have increased every year, signifying improved corporate altruism and compliance.”
Indeed, over two-thirds of the companies spent 2% or more of their net profits, while 10% spent 3% or more. Around 460 did not meet the spending target, though the proportion of such companies has reduced. As was the case in the previous fiscal, education and skill development, healthcare and sanitation, and rural development accounted for 75% of what was spent in fiscal 2019. That was a 5% jump in these areas compared with the previous year. But the share of spends on environment, national heritage protection, and sports shrank.
Public sector companies, which accounted for 9% of the total number of companies, contributed 29%, while private companies, which formed a majority 85%, spent 67%. In both, around two-thirds met the mandate of 2% or more. Financial and energy companies spent way more than manufacturers.
In keeping with the trend, most companies preferred to implement their CSR mandate through non-governmental organisations or trusts in fiscal 2019, too. This, however, could change a little in days to come, given the amendment in rules proposed by the Ministry Corporate Affairs recently.
Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content.

CSR News: LAY’S and Smile Foundation join hands to thank unsung heroes

By
The CSR Journal
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In the face of the current challenging times, numerous unsung heroes continue to work relentlessly. It’s the behind-the-scenes efforts of farmers, truck drivers, factory workers, salespeople, retailers, and delivery executives that has ensured that millions of consumers continue to receive consumer products every day across the country. Recognizing their dedication and commitment LAY’S has rolled out a special initiative for these unsung heroes and has partnered with Smile Foundation to provide hygiene kits to over 40,000 families.
These hygiene kits contain masks and sanitizers, to support these heroes as they continue to work hard in these unprecedented times. This association comes at the back of the brand’s recent campaign, aptly titled #Heartwork, a heartfelt and emotional ode to each such hero.
Santanu Mishra, Co-Founder and Trustee, Smile Foundation said, “Smile Foundation is happy to partner with LAY’S on this initiative of providing Hygiene Kits to the community. Having worked in the field of health for over a decade now, we realise the importance of raising awareness around the problem of sanitation among the people working in the industry supply chain. They have been the unsung corona warriors, who have been working constantly despite the challenges. If they are healthy, the whole chain stays active. We urge people to support us, support them.”
Expressing his thoughts on the association, Dilen Gandhi, Senior Director and Category Head – Foods, PepsiCo India said, “This association with Smile Foundation, our NGO partner, is an extension of our gesture to express sincere gratitude towards farmers, truck drivers, retailers, and all other unsung heroes. Despite facing numerous hurdles, these heroes have continued with their daily jobs relentlessly and brought joy to millions of consumers across India.”

Call to Action

LAY’S and Smile Foundation are also calling out to people across India to support this special initiative by contributing to the #Heartwork of all these unseen heroes. A special microsite theheartwork.support has also been created to channelize contributions towards this program. The association also aims to mobilize participation from partners across the industry to come together for this cause.

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

Rotary Organisation Launches Rs 200 Cr Fundraiser For Children in Need

By
The CSR Journal
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Highlighting Rotary’s service horizon that stretches from a newly born child to the elderly with special focus around the holistic development of children, “Chhoti Si Asha” a fund-raiser for the future of disadvantaged children, has been launched as a joint initiative by Rotary India, Rotary Club Of Bombay and Wizcraft International.
The needs of children as the most disadvantaged have become urgent in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Championing one of the key Rotary beliefs that children are our future and they deserve a better world than what we have, the “Chhoti Si Asha” fund-raiser is focused and committed to immediate relief projects as well as the creation of long-term projects in the area of nutrition, health, education and skill development. Rotary India and Rotary Club of Bombay have committed resources and effort across different platforms to deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic with a major focus on children. Some of the major initiatives of Rotary include Teach, E-Learning, Asha Kiran for schooling the economically disadvantaged, Polio Eradication and Pediatric Heart Surgeries.
Designed as a people’s initiative, Chhoti Si Asha- For Children in Need, the virtual fund-raiser event, would be a three-hour program, promoted on various media platforms and streamed LIVE on  Sunday, 28th June 2020. The virtual fund-raiser event program would include messages, high-quality performances of some of the most talented Indian stars. Singing, dancing, comedy and poetry, alongside heartfelt appeals by celebrities would be featured as part of the entertainment program. Most importantly, the program would also shine a light on the real-life heroes, highlighting their Real Stories celebrating their humanitarian work and their change-making efforts. Furthermore, supporting the people’s initiative would be key government dignitaries as well. Chhoti Si Asha will also showcase the work done by COVID warriors and health workers sharing how the country stepped up celebrating the spirit of solidarity and togetherness.
Through the efforts of the fund-raiser event, Chhoti Si Asha- For Children in Need, a minimum of Rs 200 crore would be committed towards the work being undertaken for COVID-19 relief.
Speaking on the initiative, Rotary International President Nominee, Shekhar Mehta said, “Rotary is celebrating 100 years in India. So our initiatives too have become big in Literacy, Water and Sanitation, Health, Environment and Disaster management. Our COVID related work is at Rs.200 crore including Rs.105 crore to the PM CARES Fund. “Chhoti Si Asha” is our effort to help children with education, nutrition and health. Under our Building the Nation initiative Rotary India has partnered with Government of India to help provide online content for class 1 to 12 for several crore children.”
The primary mover of this initiative, Rotary Club of Bombay, is led by its President Preeti Mehta and Past President, Sandip Agarwalla. Preeti Mehta said, “I am extremely delighted that our 91-year-old Rotary Club of Bombay is playing a pivotal role in this fund-raiser. It has been our consistent view and approach to removing the tag of ‘underprivileged’ from all our poor young and that is our privilege. The crying need of the hour is to ensure that our children emerge, not only literate but truly educated and developed in a healthy and holistic way to lead a fulfilling life. We are reminded of our people’s President late A. P. J. Abdul Kalam’s book ‘Ignited Minds’.”
Speaking on the initiative, Sabbas Joseph, Co-Founder & Director, Wizcraft International, said “We are humbled to partner with the Rotary team to create the Chhoti Si Asha fund-raiser for children in need. We are committed to employing our ideas, experience and relationships towards leading the initiative for the benefit of children who represent our future and help avert the human tragedy that’s unfolding.”
This is a people’s initiative and everyone would be able to support and donate through a donation link during the event and all funds will go directly to projects related to children and COVID-19 relief.
Rotary India and Rotary Club of Bombay are committed to working across different aspects to deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. 3 lakh Rotary families and their partner organisations are committing large resources towards the work that is underway:
Donations to PM Cares Fund
Rs.105 crores
Projects at the ground level across India valued at
Rs.100 crores*
Through the funds being raised, the following work is underway:
1. Short and long-term projects to benefit children in the areas of nutrition, health, education and skill development.
2. Providing 1 crore Masks
3. Medical supply and equipment worth Rs.25 crores
4. More than 100,000 PPE kits
5. More than 100 lakh people would be provided with meals, shelter and medical facilities.
Keeping in mind the long-term impact of COVID-19, there is a genuine need for huge financial support as we combat the challenges thrown at children and disadvantaged people across our country.
Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content.

India’s First Solar-Powered Ferry – Cost Effective and Environment Friendly

By
Hency Thacker
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India has always been leading the world in terms of problem solving and innovation. With innovations like Ecoclean 2300 for purifying the sewage water or Waste decomposer for waste management, Indians have time and again proved their worth by providing cost-effective and energy-efficient solutions for community problems. This quality has always managed to earn global appreciation for the countrymen. One such innovation is Aditya – India’s first solar ferry that has managed to sail its way into the nomination list of a global contest.

What is Aditya?

Aditya is India’s first solar-powered ferry and the largest solar-powered boat in the world. The ferry that is operating between Vaikkom and Thavanakkadavu in Kerala, was launched in November 2016 and started its services in 2017. It is operated by the Kerala State Water Transport Department (KSWTD) and built by Navalt Solar and Electric Boats, Kochi.
Aditya is powered by a motor that can source energy from solar panels, batteries, and generators, therefore, does not create noise or air pollution. It has a very low per km energy cost which comes up to just Rs. 180 per day in energy cost, compared to about Rs. 8,000 for a diesel-run ferry of similar size. The significant reduction in the cost is very unusual for a high technology product such as Aditya. Considering the cost-effectiveness and the use of clean energy, it has high financial viability with zero pollution vessels.
According to Sandith Thandassery, the founder-CEO of Navalt Solar and Electric Boats and a naval architect graduated from IIT-Madras, the public transport solar-electric ferry, has proven its performance in three years by transporting 11 lakh passengers and clocking a distance of 70,000 km, without a single drop of fossil fuel, saving 1 lakh litres of diesel.
Recently, Aditya has been shortlisted for the Gustave Trouvé Award as the only entrant from Asia. It is among 12 such ferries that have been shortlisted for the award across the world. Gustave Trouvé Award is an Electric Boat Awards that were instituted in memory of Gustave Trouvé, a French electrical engineer and pioneer in electric cars and boats, with over 75 patents in his name.

बाल मजदूरी निगल रहा बचपन

By
Rahuldeo Sharma
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किसी ने क्या खूब कहा है कि मेरी मजबूरी को और मजबूर बनाया… जिंदगी जीने के लिए मदद मांगी, जब दुनिया से… तो उसने मजदूर बनाया…कुछ यही कहानी है हर उस मासूम की जो ना चाहते हुए भी मजदूर कहलाने लगा है, बाल मजदूर। जिस वक़्त हम और हमारा समाज हमारे बच्चों को सुनहरे भविष्य के लिए तैयार करता है, समाज के कुछ दरिंदे इन बच्चों के भविष्य को धुंधला कर देतें है। इनके कोमल हाथों में कलम पकड़ाने की बजाय ये लोग इन्हे हथौड़ा और फावड़ा पकड़ा देतें है।

कलम की बजाय हाथों में हथौड़ा और फावड़ा

बचपन, इंसान की जिंदगी का सबसे हसीन पल, न किसी बात की चिंता और न ही कोई जिम्मेदारी। बस हर समय अपनी मस्तियों में खोए रहना, खेलना-कूदना और पढ़ना, लेकिन सभी का बचपन ऐसा हो यह जरूरी नहीं। गरीबी, लाचारी और माता-पिता की प्रताड़ना के चलते ये बच्चे बाल मजदूरी के इस दलदल में धंसते चले जाते हैं। इन बच्चों का समय स्कूल में कॉपी-किताबों और दोस्तों के बीच नहीं, बल्कि होटलों, घरों, उद्योगों में बर्तनों, झाड़ू-पोंछे और औजारों के बीच बीतता है।

क्यों मनाया जाता है विश्व बाल श्रम निषेध दिवस

बच्चों को उनके बचपन से वंचित करना सबसे बड़ी क्रूरता है। पढ़ने और खेलने की उम्र में वे काम कर अपने जीवन का महत्वपूर्ण समय यानि बचपन खो देते हैं। भले ही इसके खिलाफ आवाज़ें उठती हों, लेकिन अभी भी लाखों बच्चे बाल मजदूरी (Child Labour) के दलदल में फंसे हुए हैं। इसी से लड़ने के लिए विश्व बाल श्रम निषेध दिवस (World Day Against Child Labour) मनाया जा रहा है।

कब मनाया जाता है विश्व बाल श्रम निषेध दिवस

बच्चों को बाल मजदूरी के दलदल से निकालने के लिए हर साल 12 जून को ‘वर्ल्ड डे अगेंस्ट चाइल्ड लेबर’ मनाया जाता है। इसकी शुरुआत वर्ष 2002 में अंतर्राष्ट्रीय श्रम संगठन (International Labour Organisation) द्वारा की गई थी। दुनिया भर में इसे मनाने का मुख्य उद्देश्य बाल मजदूरी की बड़ी समस्या पर सबका ध्यान केंद्रित करना है, ताकि बच्चों के आर्थिक शोषण को खत्म किया जा सके।

क्या कहते है बाल मजदूरी के आकड़े

आंकड़ों की बात करें तो आज भी दुनिया भर में 152 मिलियन बच्चों को बाल मजदूरी करने के लिए मजबूर किया जाता है। अक्सर उनसे खतरनाक काम भी कराये जाते हैं। एक तरफ हम उज्जवल भविष्य की बात करते हैं वहीं बड़े पैमाने पर बच्चे बाल मजदूरी का शिकार होते हैं। पढ़ाई और खेलकूद के समय में वे काम में अपना बचपन गंवा देते हैं। बाल मजदूरी के कारण उनका बचपन तो खराब होता ही है, साथ ही साथ भविष्य भी बर्बाद हो जाता है। सरकार को इसके लिए कड़े कदम उठाने की जरूरत तो है ही, लेकिन जिम्मेदारी हम सब की भी बनती हैं क्योंकि उनसे मजदूरी कराने वाले लोग में से होते हैं और अक्सर हम भी इसके खिलाफ आवाज नहीं उठाते।

देश में 1 करोड़ बाल मजदूर

2011 की जनगणना के मुताबिक देश में 5 से 14 वर्ष की उम्र के 1.01 करोड़ बच्चे बाल मजदूरी करते हैं। हालांकि 2001 के मुकाबले यह आंकड़ा कुछ कम हुआ है, लेकिन यह संतोषजनक नहीं है। 2001 में 1.26 करोड़ बच्चे मजदूरी करते थे। भारत से बाल मजदूरी को खत्म करने के लिए नियम और कानून तो हैं, लेकिन उनका सख्ती से पालन नहीं होता है। अगर लोगों में जागरूकता बढ़ाई जाए और कानून का सही तरीके से पालन हो, तो देश से बाल मजदूरी को पूरी तरह खत्म किया जा सकता है।

बच्चियों को घर में ही जबरन कराया जाता है बाल मजदूरी

भारत में बाल मजदूरी की समस्या सदियों से चली आ रही है। कहने को भारत देश में बच्चों को भगवान का रूप माना जाता है फिर भी बच्चों से बाल मजदूरी कराई जाती है। बाल मजदूरी से बच्चों का भविष्य अंधकार में होता जा रहा है। कहने को सरकारे बाल मजदूरी को खत्म करने के लिए बड़े-बड़े वायदे और घोषणाएं करती हैं। फिर भी सिर्फ होता है ढाक के वही तीन पात। इतनी जागरूकता के बाद भी भारत देश में बाल मजदूरी का खात्मा दूर-दूर तक नहीं दिखता है। इसके उलट बाल मजदूरी दिन-ब-दिन बढ़ती जा रही है। मौजूदा समय में गरीब बच्चे सबसे अधिक शोषण का शिकार हो रहे हैं। आलम ये भी है कि जो गरीब बच्चियां होती है उनको पढ़ने भेजने के बजाय घर में ही बाल श्रम यानि घरेलु काम कराया जाता है।

बाल मजदूरी पर क्या कहता है कानून

बाल मजदूरी बच्चों के मानसिक, शारीरिक, आत्मिक, बौद्धिक एवं सामाजिक हितों को प्रभावित करती है। जो बच्चे बाल मजदूरी करते हैं वह मानसिक रूप से अस्वस्थ रहते हैं और बाल मजदूरी उनके शारीरिक और बौद्धिक विकास में बाधक होती है। बच्चों को उनके अधिकारों से वंचित करती है जो कि संविधान के विरुद्ध और मानवाधिकार का सबसे बड़ा उल्लंघन है। भारत में 1986 में बाल श्रम निषेध और नियमन अधिनियम पारित हुआ जिसके अनुसार खतरनाक उद्योगों में बच्चों की नियुक्ति गैरकानूनी है। भारतीय संविधान के मौलिक अधिकारों में शोषण और अन्याय के विरुद्ध अनुच्छेद 23 और 24 को रखा गया है अनुच्छेद 23 के अनुसार खतरनाक उद्योगों में बच्चों के रोजगार पर प्रतिबंध लगाता है और संविधान के अनुच्छेद 24 के अनुसार 14 साल से कम उम्र का कोई भी बच्चा किसी फैक्ट्री या फिर खदान में काम करने के लिए नियुक्त नहीं किया जाएगा और ना ही किसी अन्य खतरनाक नियोजन में नियुक्ति किया जाएगा और कानून 1948 के तहत 14 वर्ष से कम उम्र के बच्चों के नियोजन को निषिद्ध करता है। फिर भी इतने कड़े कानूनों के होने के बावजूद होटलों और दुकानों में बच्चों से दिन रात काम कराया जाता है और विभिन्न कानूनों का उल्लंघन किया जाता है।
वर्तमान में भारत देश में कई जगह पर आर्थिक तंगी के कारण मां-बाप ही थोड़े पैसों के लिए अपने बच्चों को ऐसे ठेकेदारों के हाथ बेच देते हैं जो अपनी सुविधानुसार उनको होटलों, कोठियों व अन्य कारखानों आदि में काम करने पर मजबूर कर देते हैं और उन्हीं होटलों, कोठियों और कारखानों के मालिक बच्चों को थोड़ा बहुत खाना देकर मनमाना काम कराते हैं और घंटों बच्चों की क्षमता के विपरीत या उससे भी अधिक काम कराना, भरपेट भोजन ना देना और मन के अनुसार कार्य न होने पर पिटाई करना, यही बाल मजदूरों का जीवन बन जाता है। खतरनाक काम करते-करते बच्चों का यौन शोषण भी होता है। यह बच्चे कैंसर और टीबी जैसी गंभीर बीमारियों से ग्रसित भी हो जाते हैं। इनका जीवन जीते जी नरक बन जाता है।

बाल मजदूरी के खात्मे के लिए सरकार के साथ समाज का साथ भी जरुरी

बड़े शहरों के साथ-साथ आपको छोटे शहरों में भी हर गली नुक्कड़ पर कई राजू-मुन्नी-छोटू-चवन्नी मिल जाएंगे जो हालातों के चलते बाल मजदूरी की गिरफ्त में आ चुके हैं। बाल मजदूरी को जड़ से खत्म करने के लिए जरूरी है गरीबी को खत्म करना। इन बच्चों के लिए दो वक्त का खाना मुहैया कराना। इसके लिए सरकार को कुछ ठोस कदम उठाने होंगे। सिर्फ सरकार ही नहीं आम जनता की भी इसमें सहभागिता जरूरी है। हर एक व्यक्ति जो आर्थिक रूप से सक्षम हो यदि ऐसे एक बच्चे की भी जिम्मेदारी लेने लगे तो सारा परिदृश्य ही बदल जाएगा।

CSR funding in post-lockdown India

By
Kasmin Fernandes
-
As India gradually unlocks and the private sector gets accustomed to the ‘new normal’, where does corporate social responsibility (CSR) stand? Let’s take stock of CSR funding in post-lockdown India.
The economic recession we are experiencing due to the pandemic has already seen company stocks performing poorly across the board, from the SME startups to multinational conglomerates. Apart from advertising and marketing, the departments to take the worst hit are the CSR teams who’ve been asked to curtail their budgets. 

Post-lockdown India

With salary cuts and layoffs being announced in the most valued of employers including Reliance Industries, The Times of India, Air Asia and the like, management teams are busy putting out fires. It’s understandable that they’d rather put the house in order than consider allocating funds for philanthropy, responsible businesses and community development. There are tough decisions to make. The complete stoppage of all economic activities since March 2020 has impacted even the usually solid F&B industry.

PM CARES, really?

Amidst the pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the cute-sounding PM CARES Fund (or Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund). Why did we need a separate fund for the national disaster that is the COVID-19 crisis, when the PM National Relief Fund already existed to which corporates and individual persons can donate as well? 
There was initial confusion over the tax relief for donations towards PM CARES. Perhaps to loosen the purse strings of the mighty India Inc., the government declared on March 31 that contributions to PM CARES will be exempt under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act. The monies started pouring in from all quarters of the corporate bandwagon. The government then went on to amend the company law whereby these contributions from industrialists would qualify as CSR spend! 
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has changed Schedule VII of the Act – which pertains to CSR activities – to provide for this. In Schedule VII, item (viii), after the words ‘Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund’ the words ‘or Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund)’ have been inserted.
In effect, a major chunk of a company’s CSR funding will be directed towards the national fund, adversely affecting the money that would be spent on CSR projects in education, farmer welfare or rural development. 
Bear in mind that State Relief Funds for COVID-19 cannot be claimed as CSR spending by companies, indirectly compelling industrialists to choose PM CARES over relief funds in their home States.
In a swift move, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel depicted the lack of transparency here. He went public with details of the contributions made to the chief minister’s relief fund. Days later, he asked the Centre to return CSR donations made by companies from his State to PM CARES. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has also demanded on audit, and asked that the accounts be made public.

CSR and the economic slowdown

Financial experts predict that the economic slowdown India is currently experiencing will deepen in the coming months. Naturally, lower profits will reduce budgets for CSR funding in post-lockdown India. The coronavirus pandemic has left CSR team heads struggling to justify their activities beyond food distribution and relief. Companies won’t be as invested in corporate citizenship as they were in the last financial year. 
Consulting firm FSG interviewed 18 CSR heads/ CEOs and 22 NGOs that work as implementation partners. According to the FSG report about the impact of COVID-19, traditional CSR funding is set to drop by 30%-60%. Social projects will be severely impacted, with corporates prioritising local relief work and food distribution.

What should NGOs do?

There is a feeling of uncertainty among NGO partners who depend on corporate funding for projects varying from digitising government schools to water conservation in draught-prone villages.
Although financial decisions are being made by CSR committees comprising directors who have little contact with the people on ground, CSR teams and their heads will stick to contractual commitments they’ve made to nonprofits. However, it’s the verbal and informal agreements they might not be able to keep. Smaller nonprofits will find it harder to find new donors.
Social distancing isn’t going anywhere. CSR professionals, volunteers and staffers at humanitarian organisations, especially those on-ground, will have to devise new modes of work and delivery. If a community you work in, becomes a coronavirus cluster, how would you reach out to the people? Would digital remote programmes work? 
NGOs need to consider how to optimise resources and cut costs with funds drying up while still maintaining their key components in core areas. Corporates will probably focus more on COVID-19 relief measures, so they need to plan their projects in a way that includes the crisis. For instance, if you work with artisans in a rural area, you could commission them to create art and craft that raises awareness about handwashing and social distancing. 
There’s no doubt that CSR funding in post-lockdown India will be vastly different. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every part of our lives, for good or bad, and the CSR domain is no different. 
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