CSR in India: Much ado about nothing?
As any CauseBecause (CB) reader would know, we have been publishing a series of write-ups on CSR activities of the major industries in the country. The idea was to take a closer look at some of the big names in these sectors and
Saving women, empowering no one
During my time covering CSR across organisations of all types and hues, I have learnt two things: 1) keep your expectations low when fielding questions to them, and 2) everyone wants to ’empower’ women. The latter has, over the past many years, become
CSR awards: Race to the bottom?
There is perhaps no industry that is immune to the charms and seductions of an award. Ranging from the prestigious ones like the Nobel prizes for real, transformative achievements, to glitzy ones like the Oscars, there are awards ‘honouring’ companies of every possible
Ecofeminism and why you should care about it
Feminism is a beautiful enabler. The very fact that this author is free to write this article without resorting to a masculine pseudonym shows how far we have come from the days of George Eliot. Whatever your understanding of the term ‘feminism’ (basic
Environment and climate change – why Indians don’t care and why they should
Earlier this year, a lot of Indians heaved a sigh of relief when Delhi was downgraded by WHO from the top spot to the 11th position in the world’s most polluted cities list. It was one of those rare times when the word
Things NGOs do for the sake of religion, in the name of religion
Think of NGOs and the mental image is usually of hard-at-work, dedicated people doing all they can to alleviate the suffering of others – animals, plants, environment and fellow humans. One usually doesn’t associate NGOs with divisive concepts such as religion. Secularism is
Interlinking of rivers, or the fallacy of development agendas
Governments in India may be known for their deep-seated corruption, megalomaniac leaders, and a tendency to divide and rule, but there’s no shortage of big, pompous projects. The Delhi” Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), part of the current government’s flagship programme Make in India,
The disunited state of CSR in India
Ratified by that organisation which lends credibility to any pronouncement, the United Nations, corporate social responsibility (CSR) done the right way should lead to a triple windfall: increased profits, environment protection, and an equitable society. Leaving aside the compatibility issues of an inherently
The Stairs way to heaven, or something like it
Sports in India is a bit like politics. Everyone has an opinion on it but that’s about it. We all know that one colleague who can rattle off every possible statistic on Tendulkar, the friend who can convincingly argue that Messi’s right foot
A tale of two tea gardens
With so many thrilling incidents, premeditated or otherwise”depending on whom you ask”happening every other day, it is little wonder the recent news on the BBC exposé on Assam’s famed tea gardens and the Munnar agitation has passed by most Indians. Social media was