Corporate Social Responsibility & Senior Citizens.

Corporate Social Responsibility & Senior Citizens.                        M.V.Ruparelia.

Ministry of Corporate Affairs has notified more comprehensive revised Guide Lines for Corporate Social Responsibility in this month of July, 2011, keeping in view the feed back received on earlier Guide Lines of 2009. There are many aspects of CSR but we will see only one aspect of Activities for Social and Inclusive Development:

``Depending upon their core competency and business interest, companies should undertake activities for economic and social development of communities and geographical areas, particularly in the vicinity of their operations. These could include: education, skill building for livelihood of people, health, cultural and social welfare etc., particularly targeting at disadvantaged sections of society.``

 In 2009, the Government had made it mandatory for all Public Sector Oil Companies to spend 2% of their net profits on CSR. All Public Sector Undertakings were required to spend 2 to 5% of their net profits. For Private Sector, guidelines were laid down that companies with net profit of less than US$ 22.5 million will earmark 3-5 per cent of profit for CSR, companies with net profit of between US$ 22.5 million - US$ 112.5 million, will utilize 2-3 per cent for CSR activities and companies with net profit of over US$ 112.5 million will spend 0.5-2 per cent of net profits for CSR.

As per Times Survey, 2008, lack of understanding, inadequately trained personnel, non availability of authentic data and specific information on the kinds of CSR activities, coverage, policy etc. were the factors affecting the CSR programmes. The organizations surveyed felt that NGOs ought to be more involved in project implementation, providing voluntary support to corporate agencies, monitoring and regulation.

Senior Citizens form almost 10% of the total population of the Country- 37% is Below Poverty Line and more than 33% belong to Lower Income Group and the financial position of these 70% is very fragile and needs help of Corporate World. This is all the more necessary, as most of the States including our Most Progressive State of Maharashtra have miserably failed to implement the National Policy of Older Persons, 1999 even after 12 YEARS! The entire Senior Citizen Community & their Organizations have declared 16^th August, 11 as `Solidarity Day` for awakening State & Central Government to look after their Elders. UNO is also watching the progress and forcing the Governments to implement the provisions of Madrid Declaration to which India is also a party.

Corporate World should use the major portion (if not, at least 10%) of their CSR Funds on their most neglected Elders, who without their fault but due to ageing and social environment face health and financial problems. All NGOs working for Senior Citizens must highlight the plight of Elders of their area to Public & Private Sector Undertakings, Corporate Houses, Big Businessmen including Shopping Malls, Hospitals, Trusts etc in respect of various matters. 

The following aspects may be considered for utilization of CSR Funds by all concerned:-

i)                    Let Corporate World adopt needy Senior Citizens of an Area and help other Senior Citizens through C.S.R.: There are many Senior Citizens, who are facing financial problems and some are not able to meet two ends meet. Big Corporate Houses can adopt an area of their choice after surveying the number & need of such Senior Citizens. Such elders can be given their monthly requirements of food, clothes and very essential necessities. Their services can be utilized in some way, as possible. They should also look after their own retired employees and provide them proper facilities, as a welfare measure.

ii)                  They should create a Health Welfare Fund. Provide Convalescent Homes, Holiday Homes, Day Care Centres etc. Provide health care facilities in Vrudhashrams.

iii)                 They should provide opportunities for second careersand activity centres to keep them active. Provide Machinery to utilize and maintain their mental health by holding competitions by way of Essay writing, Quiz, Brain Storming Sessions etc at District, State & Centre level periodically on subjects of social & national interest to get views & guidance from Think-Tank of the Nation. Fix quota for them for nomination in their Advisory Committees.

iv)                They should create health awareness literature for preventive measures & healthy life style and make them easily available. 

v)                   All private hospitals given free land or special concessions by Govt must treat Senior Citizens free or at concessional rate and beds earmarked, in addition to quota fixed in the Trust Act.

vi)                Corporate sector, trusts, Associations  of Doctors, Associations of Chemists etc should set apart certain funds for medical treatment of needy Senior Citizens and give medicines at concessional rates.  Adoption of certain number of needy Senior Citizens for periodical treatment, supply of medicines, necessary vitamins etc by such parties will go a long way to meet with health problems of needy Senior Citizens.

vii)              Every Corporate Body, Business House and if possible, every Employer should  provide health facilities to all their surviving retired employees and their spouses on par with serving employees. They must raise the pension, where it is paid, on every revision of pay-scale of the post on which the employee had retired on the same principle, as envisaged by Supreme Court and accepted by Vth Pay Commission for Central & State Govt Retired Employees. Where pension is not payable, ex-gratia pension, as paid to Govt Employees retired on SRPF, should be paid to all surviving retired employees/spouses. This will give immediate relief to large number of retired persons and it will not be a financial burden on Employers in the booming economy.

viii)            NGOs working for Elders must meet all Corporate Houses, Private & Public Sector Organizations, other big businessmen in Malls, Big Bazaars, Big Shops of their areas to get needy deserving Sr Citizens (even though not below poverty line but having limited resources) adopted on long term basis for free or concessional rate their monthly requirement of groceries.

ix)                Corporate Houses, Big industrialists, Trusts, Municipality etc should  provide  Day Care Centres, Vrudhashram, Convalescent Home, Holiday Home etc in the locality of their working with active partnership in management of NGOs of the area.