Canara Bank is a public sector bank under the control and ownership of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India. The bank was founded by Shri Ammembal Subba Rao Pai in July 1906, at Mangalore, Karnataka. After nationalization in 1969, the bank attained the status of a national level player in terms of geographical reach and clientele segments. In June 2006, the Bank completed a century of operation in the Indian banking industry.
As part of their Corporate Social Responsibility, the bank aims to integrate environmental, social and governance objectives, established in line with national priorities for inclusive development.
Major CSR initiatives of the bank include training unemployed rural youth, providing scholarship to meritorious underprivileged girl students, renovation of schools and providing infrastructural facilities to the needy educational institutes, providing primary healthcare especially in remote and backward areas, arranging for clean drinking water, undertaking various community development initiatives, empowerment of women, Swachh Bharat, sports and other social initiatives. While development and welfare programmes in India address all the citizens, the primary focus is on the disadvantaged, marginalised and excluded.
The bank also implements sustainable initiatives like installation of solar panels, solar power plants, grids etc. for environment protection.
Highlights
The CSR initiatives of Canara Bank are focused mainly at the grassroot development of underprivileged/underserved / underdeveloped population. The bank is involved in organising various activities under our Corporate Social Responsibility, under different sectors, like, Health, Education, Poverty Eradication, Rural Development, Environmental Protection, Swacch Bharat etc.
Canara bank has sponsored and co-sponsored 74 training institutes, which have trained more than 11.34 lakh unemployed youth so far.
The bank has donated four hi-tech, custom-built, solar-powered Retail Mobile Marketing Vans to assist women entrepreneurs, SHGs and artisans in marketing their products.
Canara Vidya Jyothi Scholarship scheme aims to empower underprivileged meritorious girl students. During FY 2022-23, over 10,000 students have been benefitted from a total amount of Rs 4 crore.
Major initiatives of the Bank under CSR have been the setting up of Trusts and Institutions which have created an impact in serving the people and society at large. These include Canara Centenary Rural Development Trust and Canara Financial Advisory Trust. The bank continues to actively fund and also involve in the activities of these Trusts under its CSR. In addition, Canara Bank has facilitated setting up of Canara Golden Jubilee Education Fund and Canara Relief & Welfare Society.
The bank has also been partnering with likeminded organisations for CSR activities in the area of livelihood creation, education, health and environment and participated in meaningful activities.
Education
Canara Bank has taken up several initiatives to promote education and skill development across the country. It has contributed towards providing infrastructure to schools, books and school essentials for students, setting up of Digital classrooms, computer laboratories, libraries etc.
Canara Vidya Jyothi Scheme
The Scheme is formulated to provide scholarship to meritorious underprivileged girl students since 2014-15. The Scheme is implemented through the Rural, Semi-Urban and Urban branches of the bank.
The scholarship amount is Rs 2500/- each for students from class 5th 6th & 7th and Rs 5000/- each for students from class 8th 9th & 10th standard. Budget allotted for the FY 2022-23 was Rs 400 lakh. Total number of SC/ST girl students benefitted during FY2022-23 till 31st March 2023 was 10620 as per the bank’s annual report.
Financial Literacy Centres
Canara Bank has set up Canara Financial Advisory Trust (CFAT) in 2010 for spreading financial literacy through Financial Literacy Centers across the Country. During the CFY 2023-2023, our FLCs have conducted 22,095 camps and 17.58 lakhs persons were educated. Out of this 9.17 lakh women and 6.31 lakh SC/ST candidates have benefitted.
Healthcare
Canara Bank has financed in providing high-tech ambulances in rural areas. It has also supported in providing basic healthcare facilities like hemodialysis unit in Ameni Island (Lakshadweep), supported Indian Red Cross Societies, Civil Hospitals, Sankara Eye Hospital, Polyclinics etc. with ambulances, ultrasound machines, surgical equipment. The bank also provided affordable and quality ATR drugs for AIDS treatment to District hospitals in rural areas.
Poverty and Nutrition
The bank has undertaken several initiatives to alleviate poverty and improve nutrition, for example, providing food and nutrition to underprivileged children through Akshaya Patra Foundation.
Environmental Protection
Canara Bank has undertaken initiatives to protect the environment and promote sustainability. These include installation of solar panels, solar power plants, grids etc. in Govt schools, Shree Padmanabha Swamy Temple (Kerala), Rumtek Monastery (Sikkim) etc. to promote environment protection. The bank has also assisted Zilla Panchayat, Kolar for Bund and Channel development works under Mission Amrit Sarovar.
Water and sanitation
The bank has taken up initiatives to support the Swachh Bharat Mission, such as building toilets in rural areas, providing water purifiers in schools etc. Under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the bank has provided E-garbage collectors and jetting machines to Municipal Corporations and Gram Panchayats.
Persons with Disabilities
The bank has taken initiatives to empower PWDs by providing tactile devices for visually impaired customers, foot abduction braces for Club foot, providing transportation van to children with special needs.
Rural Development
Canara Bank has undertaken initiatives to promote rural development and create employment opportunities through pre-recruitment training in Siddipet district (Telangana), providing free bicycles to girl students, construction of bus shelters, livelihood generation for women entrepreneurs etc. It has also set up Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs) to provide training and credit to rural entrepreneurs.
As part of Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, the bank has set up Self-Employment Training Institutes for Skill Development (38 RSETIs, 3 ATIs & 5 CBIITs) across the country for skill & entrepreneurship development of people from marginalised section of society. These RSETIs impart free skill development training to poor people and build their capacity for gaining sustainable livelihood. The bank is also co-sponsoring 27 RUDSETIs across the country. The budget allotted for the FY 2022-23 was Rs 7100 lakh.
Women empowerment
As part of their Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, the bank has set up a Women Empowerment Section at its Head office in Bengaluru. The bank has also formed the Centre for Entrepreneurship for women, at 24 of its Circle Offices across India, which offer counselling services to women, both existing and prospective entrepreneurs, organises seminars on important topics related to women’s issues, conduct Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Development Training programmes, Entrepreneurship Awareness programmes and also organise exhibition-cum-sale of products manufactured by women entrepreneurs.
The budget allotted for the FY2022-23 is Rs 100.00 lakh. Total Number of CED Programmes conducted: 417 and number of women benefited during FY 2022-23 till March this year was 28596.
Conclusion
During the FY 2022-23, under the Sustainable Development & Corporate Social Responsibility (SD &CSR) initiatives, the bank has spent Rs 47.51 crore to various sectors like Skill Development, Financial Inclusion, Women Empowerment activities, Education, Environment Protection, Health, Poverty & Nutrition, Persons with Disability, Rural Development, Swachh Bharat, Sports and other Sectors.
