An Corporate Social Responsibility In An Era Of COVID-19

In the webinar, speaker taught us the definition of the CSR and the role played by them in the protection of the environment and  the various schemes implemented by them for the benefit of the Schedule caste ,the schedule tribe or the backward class people by providing education ,  facilities which they are lacking in their areas or the development of the rural area. The corporate social responsibility sometimes goes beyond the efforts taken by the regulators of it. Many examples were given by the speaker to make the participants understand the importance of the CSR and also when the companies are eligible for claiming the corporate social responsibility from the government was explained. Under the section of the companies act 2013 the corporate social responsibility is being explained and  the exceptions. 

• Eradicating hunger, poverty and malnutrition, promoting health care including preventive health care and sanitation  contributing to the Swachh Bharat Kosh set-up by the Central Government for the promotion of sanitation and making available safe drinking water.

• Promoting education, including special education and employment enhancing vocational skills especially among children, women, elderly and the differently abled and livelihood enhancement projects.

• Promoting gender equality, empowering women, setting up homes and hostels for women and orphans; setting up old age homes, day care centres and such other facilities for senior citizens and measures for reducing inequalities faced by socially and economically backward groups.

This was the period where the Covid-19 came into play 

• 23.03.2020 : Funds may be spent for various activities related to COVID-19 under item no. (i) to (xii) of Schedule VII relating to promoting health care, including preventive health care and sanitation and disaster management (including State Disaster management Fund).

• 28.03.2020: Contribution to PM cares fund shall qualify as CSR expenditure under item (viii) of schedule VII

                   Salary of Employees during lock-down and payment to casual / contractual workers NOT CSR. Any ex-gratia payment is made to temporary / casual workers / daily wage workers over and above the disbursement of wages, specifically for the purpose of fighting COVID-19 , the same shall be admissible towards CSR expenditure as a one time exception provided there is an explicit declaration to that effect by the Board of the Company, which is duly certified by the Statutory Auditor. 

And then few examples about the MNCs and the Indian based company the strategy they are using to make awareness about the social distancing .