Where is this useless, meandering talk on sustainability taking us?

Aug 22, 2016

‘Why worry about minor little details like  clean air, clean water, safe ports and the safety net when Jesus is going to  give the world an “Extreme Makeover: Planet Edition” right after he finishes putting Satan in his place once and for all?’

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Things NGOs do for the sake of religion, in the name of religion

Things NGOs do for the sake of religion, in the name of religion

Jun 15, 2016

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

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CSR and sustainability in India: Conversations, interactions, ideas, points of view, and challenges from Silver Circle Meet, Mumbai

CSR and sustainability in India: Conversations, interactions, ideas, points of view, and challenges from Silver Circle Meet, Mumbai

May 16, 2016

It happens often. We talk, tell ideas, tinker with thoughts, meet people and pursue some, believing that we can make some difference together. And then we move on. We move on into the routine, the regular work”home life, the to-do-list life, consuming, observing,

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CSR: Four and a half ways companies (mis)use funds

CSR: Four and a half ways companies (mis)use funds

May 16, 2016

As is wont with Indian laws, with good intentions come expected transgressions. The 2013 CSR ruling is generally considered to be a right step towards a more equal society (with the occasional grumblings of some senior corporate officials and   self-styled pundits) but

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Interlinking of rivers, or the fallacy of development agendas

Interlinking of rivers, or the fallacy of development agendas

Apr 12, 2016

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,

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Delhi”Mumbai Industrial Corridor: Development dilemmas

Delhi”Mumbai Industrial Corridor: Development dilemmas

Mar 7, 2016

Forget about chasing unicorns (of the other kind). The  real action in India is in the manufacturing and   construction sector. The former is slated to receive a huge fillip in terms of investment with the government throwing its significant weight behind it

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The disunited state of CSR in India

The disunited state of CSR in India

Feb 9, 2016

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

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Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and the idea of sanitation

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and the idea of sanitation

Jan 19, 2016

Okay, the government has promised a Clean India by  2019. And it has asked corporate groups to pitch in. It’s not a random mandate,  by the way. Contributing to Swachh Bharat Abhiyan qualifies as legitimate  corporate social responsibility (CSR) spend as per the

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A tale of two tea gardens

A tale of two tea gardens

Oct 22, 2015

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

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Volkswagen – how to not get away with cheating

Sep 30, 2015

Volkswagen (VW) is the second largest carmaker in the world”first, if one measures by the number of cars sold”and is the shining beacon of German excellence. Or rather was, as it recently suffered the kind of ignominy that is the nightmare of every

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