OPINIONS

India has taken massive strides towards progress in various fields. However, this progress has come at a price. A silent new war has taken birth in the Indian subcontinent – the war of drugs. India shares a very long border with countries like Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Since these adversaries cannot resort to direct conventional...

When I was growing up in Varanasi in the ‘80s, a vacation typically meant visiting relatives in other towns or a must-see tourist destination – the Taj Mahal, Golconda Fort, the Pink City and so on. Times are changing. I see today’s leisure travellers looking for personal experiences like engaging with locals to eat their...

“It is our responsibility as businesses to deliver ambitious solutions and technologies to bring us low-carbon, inclusive and sustainable growth.” - Paul Polman According to the renowned environmental author and journalist Andrew Revkin, the author of Weather: An illustrated history, the relationship between climate change and humans has evolved. This relationship has been one dimensional for...

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) is well known for waking us to the grim realities of our learning system. What has changed from the early years of ASER, when its findings were viewed with scepticism, is that now there is general acceptance of the learning crisis. However, little has changed in the...

By Anuja Bansal, Secretary General, SOS Children’s Villages of India The social development sector is looking forward to the Union Budget 2019-20. There should be a separate Care programme extended to children who do not receive adequate parental care in India. This is extremely crucial towards protecting the rights of these children who are most...

We received good news recently that India had climbed 23 points to the 77th rank (out of 185 countries ranked) in the Ease of Doing Business index. The World Bank ranking, however, only looks at issues related to corporate experience with government regulations—such as ease or difficulty in starting a business, obtaining a construction permit, getting...

The evolution of theoretical thought on CSR can be viewed through three stages: philanthropy, evolution from philanthropy to value creation and shared value. The latest view of creating shared value can be regarded as the integration of CSR into corporate strategy. By conceptualizing CSR as a source of competitive advantage, Michael E. Porter and...

In a country where females constitute over 48.18% of the total population, equal opportunities is the topic of discussion amongst various conversation groups. On the occasion of National Girl Child Day, there is a need to redefine the parameters of equality, education, healthcare and safety of the girl child. National Girl Child Day is...

After his experiences facilitating healthcare in the villages of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Maharashtra Dr Anantpal Singh writes about Maharashtra in his series. One of the world’s most spectacular and resounding Hindu spiritual tourism destinations, famous for “The Holy Golden Triangle” is the beautiful state of Odisha. This state is famous for its beauty, serenity, and...

This is the Social Development space, dude! Don’t you get it, we are driven by passion and sweat and the human touch. The cold tendrils of Technology have no place here. Thus went the reprise when I started working in the Social Development space, not such a long time ago, as a matter of fact....

“Are you implementing a local / specific solution or are you willing to subsume your approach in a collaborative approach?” “Do we work with governments or do we create a parallel delivery mechanism?” “When do we build a solution ground up and when do we adapt from other similar projects?” “Is your mandate limited by...

Usually when conversations happen on CSR in India, it is often seen that the topics being discussed are community development, with programmes like education, health-care, sanitation, livelihood.... and of course, the newer kid on the block, the CSR law. It is interesting how when you expand the acronym, CSR becomes Corporate Social Responsibility, and...