Agriculture & Rural Development

PSU companies get a bad rap for starving NGO partners for funds, underspending from their corporate social responsibility budgets and burying projects in red tape. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has been coming down hard on cases of underspending in CSR as was the case with BPCL and Bharat Electronics. However, not only has...

The locust swarms currently plaguing our nation pose an unprecedented threat to food security and livelihoods. It’s the worst desert locust outbreak India has witnessed in 27 years, and could leave lakhs of Indians struggling to feed themselves in the coming months because of the double threat of coronavirus.  Locust swarms have already destroyed vegetation...

Since 1983, the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme India (AKRSPI) has been at the forefront of uplifting marginalized communities with a network of community-led institutions, employees, and on-ground volunteers in 2,200 villages across the states of Gujarat, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. Over the last 37 years, the grassroots nonprofit organization has impacted the lives of...

Have you heard of Victory Gardens? During the Second World War, folks were encouraged to create backyard vegetable and herb gardens to have local produce when German bombing and blockades stressed the supply lines. Canada had created these too during WW1 — these were called Victory Gardens or food gardens for defence which defined colonial...

Given the importance of water and sanitation to the economy and sustainable development, corporates have taken up projects in CSR for water security that make a larger impact on a region’s watershed and neighbouring communities. CSR for water security Between 2014 and 2018, Indian industry spent a total of INR 605.45 crores on providing safe drinking...

The global telecom industry observes World Telecommunication Day 2020 today. The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on telecom and brought with it a host of opportunities as well, as this video depicts: https://youtu.be/j4_ZHvms4Us Theme for World Telecommunication Day 2020 This year's theme “Connect 2030: ICTs for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” highlights the ICT (Information and Communication...

Water-positive CSR needs more attention. Providing access to water to rural communities through CSR directly aligns with supporting UN’s Sustainability Development Goal 6 for the year 2030. Given the importance of water for life and society, it is natural that this is identified as a central issue for companies to manage responsibly through their...

Much before corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions were made mandatory by the Companies Act of 2013, HDFC Bank was following board-approved targets and contributing to social causes. HDFC Bank CSR spend was INR 443.8 crores during the year ending 31 March, 2019, bettering the FY18 performance by 20%, according to the company's integrated Annual...

Remember the 80s song Mile Sur Mera Tumhara which became an anthem for national integration? Well, the creators of that iconic track—lyricist Piyush Pandey and composer Louiz Banks—are collaborating on water movement 'Paani Ka Teeka'. Among the top Indian musicians joining the water consciousness project are tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, ghazal legend Pankaj Udhas,...

With a view to further extend support to farmer produce organisations (FPOs) in Gujarat, the Ahmedabad branch of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) is in talks with CSR arms of major industrial houses including Reliance, Tata and Ambuja. Nabard is already giving financial assistance of up to ₹16 lakh to FPOs that...

Nation building is not possible without transforming India’s villages. The vast majority of rural communities depend heavily on rain-fed agriculture for their livelihoods. The availability of water and the quality of soil therefore dictate their economic health. But with the right resource management and agricultural techniques, along with skilling and training, vulnerable communities can...

Manohari Doss, leader of the Tamil Nadu Labour Union (TNLU) has been recognised as one of 17 transformative Asia Pacific women leaders at the UN – ESCAP, Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference, in Bangkok last November. She was invited to speak as a panellist at the launch of the report 'Pathways to Influence: Promoting the Role...