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  • Muthoot Finance hikes CSR spend to Rs 174 crore for FY27

    Muthoot Finance hikes CSR spend to Rs 174 crore for FY27

    Muthoot Finance, India’s largest gold loan non-banking financial company, said on Monday it will boost its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spending to Rs 174.03 crore for fiscal year 2027, extending programmes in healthcare, education and housing to underserved communities nationwide.

    The Muthoot Finance CSR outlay follows FY26 spending of Rs 106.42 crore, which the company said reached approximately 3.37 million beneficiaries through initiatives spanning education, healthcare, livelihood support, community development and sports promotion.

    “At Muthoot Finance, we believe sustainable growth must go hand in hand with meaningful social impact,” Managing Director George Alexander Muthoot said in a statement.

    He said the FY26 results reflected the company’s commitment to underserved communities through healthcare, education, housing and social inclusion programmes.

    Education remained a central focus of the Muthoot Finance CSR strategy, with flagship programmes including the Muthoot M. George Excellence Awards, higher education scholarships and the Muthoot Shiksha Jyothi initiative supporting nearly 11,900 students, including first-generation learners, the company said.

    Muthoot Finance has also established several educational institutions, including Sanskara School in Kochi, the Muthoot Institute of Technology and Science, and the newly launched Kalaivani School in Tamil Nadu.

    On healthcare, the company said its Muthoot Snehasraya programme and related interventions benefited more than 100,000 people in FY26 through medical outreach, rehabilitation support and community healthcare services.

    The company’s housing initiative, Muthoot Aashiyana, has built more than 270 homes for vulnerable and disaster-affected families since its 2018 launch, providing shelter and stability to underserved households, Muthoot Finance said.

    Muthoot Finance also expanded its Soundscape Project, which provides digital hearing aids to children with hearing impairments, reaching 267 beneficiaries across Kerala, Hyderabad and Mumbai.

    Separately, the company’s prison rehabilitation programme, Radio Parvaaz, supports emotional wellbeing and informal learning among inmates, alongside initiatives for children of incarcerated parents.

    Other community programmes included Box of Hope for fisherwomen’s livelihoods, a maritime safety programme for coastal communities in Tamil Nadu, and Pedal for Progress, which distributes bicycles to tribal students.

    Deputy Managing Director George Muthoot George said the company aims to move beyond addressing immediate needs toward empowering communities for long-term self-reliance.

  • Uttar Pradesh to plant 35 crore saplings on July 12

    Uttar Pradesh to plant 35 crore saplings on July 12

    Uttar Pradesh will launch a massive plantation drive on July 12, aiming to plant 35 crore saplings in a single day as part of the state’s Vriksharopan Mahabhiyan 2026 campaign, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Friday.

    Reviewing preparations via video conference, the CM said the Uttar Pradesh plantation drive was intended to function as a public movement rather than a routine government exercise, with success measured by sapling survival rather than volume planted alone, an official statement said.

    The state has set a target of raising green cover to 15% by 2030 and 20% by 2047, the statement said. To meet that goal, authorities plan to plant 35 crore saplings annually over the next five years, a pace they say could help absorb nearly 72 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.

    The CM directed departments to complete verification of plantation sites, ensure sapling availability, carry out geo-tagging and arrange irrigation ahead of the drive. He called for participation from citizens, students, farmers, elected representatives and voluntary organisations.

    Officials from the departments of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Rural Development, Agriculture, Horticulture, Panchayati Raj, Revenue and Urban Development presented their action plans during the review.

    The CM also directed that beneficiaries of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme be linked to the campaign, and said a mix of fruit-bearing, shade-giving, medicinal and timber species should be planted.

    State data show Uttar Pradesh added about 3.38 lakh acres of forest and tree cover between 2017 and 2023, with total cover rising to 9.96% from 9.18% over that period. The state has planted 242 crore saplings since 2017, compared with 51.48 crore between 2009 and 2016, according to the review.

    The campaign also includes several themed initiatives — Mission Chhaya, Samaras Van, Samriddhi Van, City Van, Kapi Van, Maharshi Charak Aushadhi Van, Urja Van, Pauranik Van and Aviral Dhara Van — designed to support biodiversity, reduce heat stress and promote agroforestry across the state.

  • IIT Kharagpur study proves speed management cuts crashes

    IIT Kharagpur study proves speed management cuts crashes

    New research from IIT Kharagpur has proved that scientific speed management interventions can significantly cut fatal crash risk, fatalities and crash severity on Indian highways, offering crucial evidence for policymakers as India seeks to halve road crash deaths and serious injuries by 2030.

    The findings were presented at a high-level road safety dialogue organised by the Road Safety Network (RSN) in partnership with IIT Kharagpur, as the country continues to grapple with a severe road safety crisis. More than 1.8 lakh lives were lost in road crashes in 2024.

    The study, carried out on a 51-km stretch of National Highway 16 between Balihati and Kolaghat in West Bengal, examined how design-based speed management measures affected vehicle behaviour and crash outcomes.

    Researchers found the interventions cut operating speeds by 39-45% for cars, 29-33% for heavy vehicles and 18-28% for two-wheelers.

    The study also recorded significant reductions in fatal crashes, fatalities, crash severity and the likelihood of a crash turning fatal at locations where speed management measures were applied.

    Speeding remains a leading cause of road crashes in India. According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ Road Accidents in India 2024 report, over-speeding accounted for 62% of all road crashes and more than one lakh fatalities nationwide. Pedestrians, among the most vulnerable road users, accounted for 20.6% of all crash fatalities.

    Prof. (Dr.) Bhargab Maitra, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Kharagpur, and a Road Safety Network member, said the Safe System approach recognises that while people make mistakes, roads, policies and systems must be designed so those mistakes do not result in death or serious injury.

    He said scientific speed management is central to this approach, and that aligning speeds with road function and the needs of all users, particularly vulnerable ones, significantly improves safety outcomes. He called for greater emphasis on evidence-based interventions as India pursues its road safety targets.

    The findings were unveiled at a dialogue convened by RSN and IIT Kharagpur at the IIT Kharagpur Research Park, bringing together government officials, public health experts, researchers and road safety practitioners to discuss evidence-based approaches to reducing fatalities and serious injuries.

    RSN also presented recommendations to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and state and local authorities to strengthen speed management nationwide.

    These included rationalising speed limits based on road function and user risk, adopting context-sensitive speed zoning, strengthening infrastructure and access control, expanding technology-enabled enforcement, improving crash data systems and enhancing coordination across transport, enforcement, health and urban development sectors.

    The recommendations stressed aligning speed management policies with the safety needs of vulnerable road users to support India’s road safety goals.

  • HCLFoundation seeks NGO applications for Rs 24 Crore HCLTech Grant Edition XII

    HCLFoundation seeks NGO applications for Rs 24 Crore HCLTech Grant Edition XII

    HCLFoundation has invited applications from non-profit organisations across India for Edition XII of the HCLTech Grant, Rs 24 crore initiative targeting transformative rural development across four themes — water, biodiversity, health and education.

    The corporate social responsibility arm of global technology company HCLTech is accepting submissions at www.hclfoundation.org/hcltech-grant until June 30, 2026, the Foundation said in a statement on Thursday.

    Four winning organisations, one from each theme, will receive Rs 5 crore each. Eight additional NGOs will receive Rs 50 lakh each for proposed projects across the same categories.

    “Some of the most transformative solutions emerge from grassroots organisations deeply connected to the communities they serve,” said Dr Nidhi Pundhir, Director, HCLFoundation.

    “Through this edition of HCLTech Grant, we aim to provide a platform for NGOs to unleash their potential, scale innovative ideas and create sustainable change.”

    The HCLTech Grant has to date reached 2.3 million lives across 61,000 villages in India. Funded initiatives have resulted in the planting of more than three lakh saplings, rejuvenation of over 68,300 hectares of land and a reduction of more than 67,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Total commitments under the programme now exceed ₹203 crore.

    Winners of Edition XI included Gramin Vikas Vigyan Samiti from Rajasthan, Live Foundation from Jharkhand, Goodwill Foundation from Mizoram and Mahila Jan Adhikar Samiti from Rajasthan, each receiving Rs 5 crore for projects spanning water harvesting, biodiversity conservation, healthcare access and gender equality through education.

    HCLFoundation also announced the HCLTech Grant Edition XII Pan India Symposiums 2026, scheduled in Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Nagpur and New Delhi, to bring together NGOs, government bodies, corporates and policymakers on the role of CSR in nation building.

    HCLFoundation has positively impacted over 8.4 million lives through long-term programmes in education, health, sanitation, skill development, environment and disaster risk reduction.

  • West Bengal CM launches 1.1cr tree plantation drive

    West Bengal CM launches 1.1cr tree plantation drive

    West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday pledges a massive West Bengal tree plantation campaign named ‘Ekti Gaach Mayer Naame’, targeting 1.10 crore trees by March 2027, while raising alarm over rapid concretisation of Kolkata and shrinking green cover.

    Speaking at a state-level World Environment Day event at Nalban in Bidhannagar, Adhikari said unchecked urban expansion under the previous regime had turned Greater Kolkata into a “concrete jungle”, ignoring mandatory green space norms in construction projects.

    “Greater Kolkata region is gradually turning into a concrete jungle… We have created vast stretches of concrete and will have to pay the price for this injustice in the future,” he said.

    Adhikari announced that the new government would strictly enforce rules requiring at least one-third of construction project areas to be maintained as green spaces. He also expressed concern over declining forest land in North Bengal and its impact on ecological balance.

    The West Bengal tree plantation initiative, coordinated by the forest department, will involve large-scale sapling plantation across the state over the next 10 months. The drive was symbolically launched with Adhikari planting an indigenous sapling along the Nalban waterbody, followed by the release of fish fingerlings to restore aquatic ecosystems.

    The Chief Minister said educational institutions, clubs and social organisations forming eco-clubs would receive financial assistance from the state government. He urged citizens, especially the youth, to make environmental protection a way of life beyond just observing Environment Day.

    Senior officials, including the chief secretary and department heads, along with 50 student ‘environment ambassadors’ under Mission LiFE, participated in the event.

  • Andhra CM Naidu leads bicycle ride in Vizag on World Environment Day

    Andhra CM Naidu leads bicycle ride in Vizag on World Environment Day

    Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu led an Andhra CM bicycle ride in Visakhapatnam on Friday to commemorate World Environment Day and promote sustainable living.

    Donning a light green cap, Naidu pedalled from Andhra University to a nearby hotel where he was scheduled to attend a workshop on seafood exports. Public representatives, officials and local residents joined the Chief Minister on bicycles.

    “Today is Environment Day and to increase awareness among people I will travel on a bicycle. Cycling should become a lifestyle,” Naidu told reporters before starting the Andhra CM bicycle ride.

    The Chief Minister directed officials to transform Andhra University into a net-zero campus and commits to developing solar energy and planting trees across its 450-acre land bank. He highlighted the environmental imbalance evident from rising temperatures and frequent cyclones.

    Naidu also pledged a dedicated cycling track in Visakhapatnam, increasing the port city’s green cover to 50 per cent, and measures to reduce pollution from the port and other institutions.

    Source: PTI

  • Rajasthan CM launches greening campaigns on World Environment Day

    Rajasthan CM launches greening campaigns on World Environment Day

    Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Friday launched two major greening initiatives — ‘Hariyalo Rajasthan’ and ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ — by planting a banyan sapling at the World Forestry Arboretum in Jhalana on World Environment Day.

    Extending greetings on the occasion, Sharma urged citizens across the state to actively participate in plantation drives during the upcoming monsoon season and contribute to environmental conservation.

    The chief minister said the state government is committed to a clean environment and sustainable green development. He emphasised that collective efforts are key to nature conservation, water preservation, afforestation and maintaining ecological balance.

    “We must work together to make Rajasthan environmentally strong and secure a better future for coming generations,” Sharma said.

    He highlighted ongoing initiatives such as ‘Vande Ganga’ for water conservation and ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ for widespread tree plantation. The state budget for 2026-27 has set a target to plant and conserve 10 crore saplings to transform Rajasthan into a green state.

    Sharma stressed the importance of public participation in environmental protection, water conservation and increasing green cover.

    Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel, Forest Minister Sanjay Sharma, MP Manju Sharma and senior officials were present on the occasion.

  • Kharge accuses Modi govt of dismantling forests on World Environment Day

    Kharge accuses Modi govt of dismantling forests on World Environment Day

    Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday used World Environment Day to launch a sharp attack on the Modi government, alleging it is dismantling forests and weakening India’s environmental governance framework.

    In a post on X, Kharge claimed natural forests are being steadily eroded while the government uses “manipulated definitions and selective accounting” to project an illusion of progress.

    He alleged that nearly 1,91,922 hectares of forest have been cleared in the last 11 years and over 1.6 crore trees destroyed since 2014.

    Kharge highlighted specific projects: the Great Nicobar project threatening nearly 10 lakh trees, mining in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh’s Hasdeo Arand felling lakhs more, and highway expansions in multiple states destroying additional forest cover.

    He criticised the India State of Forest Report for including plantations, orchards and commercial tree cover in “forest cover” figures, arguing this masks the loss of dense, biodiverse natural forests.

    “This government has weakened and dismantled India’s environmental governance framework built over decades,” Kharge said.

    He credited earlier Congress-led governments with creating key laws such as the Wildlife Protection Act, Forest Conservation Act, Forest Rights Act and the National Green Tribunal, which he said the current government has diluted through faster clearances and regulatory relaxations.

    Kharge called for environmental policy based on rule of law, community participation and recognition that ecological protection and development are interconnected.

  • McDonald’s for youth empowerment program creates 1500 jobs in Delhi NCR

    McDonald’s for youth empowerment program creates 1500 jobs in Delhi NCR

    McDonald’s India – North and East has achieved a major milestone in McDonald’s for Youth Empowerment program, creating meaningful employment opportunities for over 1500 young individuals across Delhi NCR.

    Implemented in partnership with local NGOs and community organisations, the flagship McDonald’s for Youth Empowerment initiative has provided first-job opportunities to youth from less privileged backgrounds in Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad.

    The program delivers structured training through McDonald’s global curriculum, covering customer service, communication, restaurant operations, food safety, teamwork, and professional development – equipping participants with transferable skills for long-term career growth.

    Rajeev Ranjan, Managing Director, McDonald’s India – North and East, said, “Through McDonald’s for Youth Empowerment, we have supported over 2,500 young individuals in taking their first steps into the workforce. This powerful initiative transforms lives and builds stronger communities.”

    Rajesh Soundararajan, Director, Katha, added, “Our partnership with McDonald’s has successfully connected youth with meaningful employment, fostering confidence and financial independence.”

    The McDonald’s for Youth Empowerment program has expanded across multiple states including Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. McDonald’s now plans to scale the initiative further and invites interested NGOs to collaborate by reaching out at hiring.ngo@del.in.mcd.com.

  • NEEV Summer relief deploys 60 vans for heat relief

    NEEV Summer relief deploys 60 vans for heat relief

    NEEV Foundation has launched a powerful NEEV Summer Relief campaign, deploying 60 relief vans across six states to combat extreme heat conditions affecting millions of outdoor workers.

    The initiative provides clean, cold drinking water at high-footfall public areas and directly to frontline workers including traffic police personnel, delivery executives, construction workers, street vendors and autorickshaw drivers. Alongside water, the vans distribute ORS pouches and protective caps to help replenish minerals and counter heat exposure.

    Recognising the impact on all living beings, NEEV Foundation has also installed water tanks for stray animals and placed bird feeders and water trays across multiple locations.

    “The thirsty always come to the well. This summer, we decided to take the well to the thirsty,” the Foundation stated.

    Mr. Vivek Patni, Director – Wonder Cement and Founder of NEEV Foundation, said, “India’s summers are becoming increasingly harsh for people who spend most of their day outdoors. Through this NEEV Summer Relief campaign, we wanted to create immediate, accessible relief for those who keep our cities functioning despite extreme weather conditions.”

    He added, “Sometimes the most meaningful interventions are the simplest. We hope this campaign encourages citizens to participate in small acts of care and collective compassion.”

    The NEEV Summer Relief drive, titled “Iss Garmi, Farq Nazar Aayega,” is being implemented across Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Maharashtra.

    The seasonal campaign forms part of NEEV Foundation’s broader development mandate, which includes women skill development under Hunar, community infrastructure through Sanrachna, education under Udaan, healthcare via Arogyam, and sustainability under Eco Green.