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UP CM visits HCL’s COVID control centre in GB Nagar

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today visited the IT firm HCL Technologies supported, 24×7 Integrated Control Centre in Gautam Buddha Nagar that has responded to 2.5 lakh citizen queries on COVID-19 in the last four months

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today visited the IT firm HCL Technologies supported, 24×7 Integrated Control Centre in Gautam Buddha Nagar that has responded to 2.5 lakh citizen queries on COVID-19 in the last four months.

The Centre which has been operational since April 3, 2020 is one of the first such centres in Uttar Pradesh and has played a critical role in responding to citizen queries in the wake of the pandemic, the company said in a statement.

HCL set up the “all in one” control room, reachable on toll free number 18004192211, at one of its facilities in Noida, with support from the GB Nagar district administration, the police, the health department and both Noida Authority and Greater Noida Authority.

The centre has responded to 2.5 lakh citizen queries since it began operations,it said.

The data analysis of the call volume, the company said reveal that over majority of the calls received have been food related (60 percent) with callers requesting for information on ordering groceries online or dry ration and cooked meals support.

The Control Room also responded to 15 percent queries related to Health Services, including questions around e-pass for hospital visits, ambulance related services and pharmacy options.

About 21 percent of the total calls were related to other queries including information on masks and sanitizer availability, ATM accessibility etc. Remaining 4 percent calls were police related.

HCL employees have been supporting the call centre operations on 24×7 basis while keeping in mind the required social distancing norms.

According to HCL, the centre’s focus has also been on screening callers and queries before referring them to a team of doctors appointed by the government for further course of recommendation.

About 12 percent of the total health related calls received were therefore, referred for doctor consultation.

The control Centre also included processes for following up and reporting of all unconfirmed, suspected, foreign return cases as well as mobile tracking and monitoring for all home and hotel quarantine cases basis inputs from official government authorities, it added.

August 8, 2020
Jubilant Life Sciences presents 1,000 vials of Remdesivir to UP CM

Drug firm Jubilant Life Sciences today presented 1,000 vials of antiviral drug Remdesivir that it sells under the brand name ‘JUBI-R’ to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The drug is being made available to over 1,000 hospitals

Drug firm Jubilant Life Sciences today presented 1,000 vials of antiviral drug Remdesivir that it sells under the brand name ‘JUBI-R’ to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The drug is being made available to over 1,000 hospitals providing COVID-19 treatment in India through the company’s distribution network, Jubilant Life Sciences said in a statement.

“Remdesivir is an effective medicine in the treatment of severe COVID-19 cases. In this critical situation, I am pleased that this medicine was made available by Jubilant in the quick time of two and a half months,” the company quoted the CM as saying.

“It gives us immense pleasure and satisfaction to present ?JUBI-R’, the life-saving medicine, to Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath,” Jubilant Life Sciences Chairman Shyam S Bhartia said.

The company is donating 1000 vials of JUBI-R through its CSR arm, the Jubilant Bhartia Foundation, he added.

In May 2020, Jubilant entered into a non-exclusive licensing agreement with Gilead Sciences, Inc., that granted it the right to register, manufacture and sell Gilead’s investigational drug remdesivir in 127 countries including India, the company said.

August 8, 2020
ICICI Lombard donates 7,000 raincoats, 15,000 face masks to traffic police in & around Mumbai

As Mumbai experiences heavy rainfall amid COVID-19 pandemic, private sector insurer ICICI Lombard General Insurance today said it distributed 7,000 raincoats and 15,000 face masks to traffic police officials in the financial capital

As Mumbai experiences heavy rainfall amid COVID-19 pandemic, private sector insurer ICICI Lombard General Insurance today said it distributed 7,000 raincoats and 15,000 face masks to traffic police officials in the financial capital, Navi Mumbai, and Thane.

The company, in a statement, said it has distributed N95 masks which are washable and reusable, while the raincoats are made of 100 percent pure polyester fabric and are fully sealed, waterproof and moisture resistant for complete protection from the rains.

Speaking on the initiative, ICICI Lombard Executive Director Sanjeev Mantri said the traffice police personnel are braving unpredictable city rains amid the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure smooth traffic flow. It is they who ensure round the clock road safety and make sure that the city keeps moving.

Considering the need to protect these ‘Guardians of Road Safety’, he said, “We have come forward and distributed raincoats and masks to the traffic police personnel. This initiative is a natural extension to our commitment to road safety. It is our small token of gratitude for their relentless contribution and a salute to their spirit.”

Maharasthra Police Joint Commissioner (Traffic) Madhukar Pande expressed gratitude towards ICICI Lombard for providing Mumbai Traffic Police 5,000 rainwear and 10,000 N95 masks.

ICICI Lombard through its flagship CSR Campaign “Ride to Safety” works towards the safety and well-being of people on 2 wheelers. It focuses on children as pillion riders and provides them specially designed ISI marked helmets. In the recent years, it has expanded the scope to distribute helmets among parents as well, to provide protection to the entire family and encourage helmet usage.

August 7, 2020
Lupin spends only 62% of prescribed CSR budget in FY’20

Drug maker Lupin spent Rs 34.2 crore on corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities in the 2019-20 fiscal, only about 62 percent of the prescribed CSR budget. During the year, the company ought to have spent Rs 55.51 crore on CSR activities

Drug maker Lupin spent Rs 34.2 crore on corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities in the 2019-20 fiscal, only about 62 percent of the prescribed CSR budget.

“During the year, the company ought to have spent Rs 55.51 crore on CSR activities. The actual spend was Rs 34.2 crore,” the company said in its annual report.

Despite best efforts, the company has been unable to execute its ambitious plan of setting up a state-of-the-art JCI and NABH accredited hospital in Mumbai as it could not identify a suitable plot, it said.

Lupin however said “it aims to continuously increase its CSR spend and is constantly exploring new areas/activities, particularly deeper sustainable projects to accelerate the spend.”

During the 2020-21 fiscal, the company will also make CSR spends towards the relief efforts for mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic, including contributions to the PM CARES Fund, it added.

The company is implementing CSR initiatives through Lupin Human Welfare and Research Foundation (LHWRF) which was established in 1988. It focuses on economic, social, infrastructure development and natural resource management.

LHWRF has a presence in 4,546 villages located in 63 blocks of 23 districts spread across nine states in India. It operates through 20 centers.

August 6, 2020
Eaton India taking care of safety kits of local police in several cities

Eaton India Foundation, the CSR arm of global power management company Eaton, today said it is closely working with the local police in several cities and taking care of their safety and hygiene kits. The Foundation, in a statement

Eaton India Foundation, the CSR arm of global power management company Eaton, today said it is closely working with the local police in several cities and taking care of their safety and hygiene kits.

The Foundation, in a statement, said it is also providing frontline workers with healthcare and safety equipment, migrants and daily wagers with essentials like meals and ration kits amongst other causes.

That apart, Eaton’s employees have also been working with the foundation’s existing education projects to take the content online, minimizing disruption in school education for the disadvantaged.

The relief work is being done in Pune, Puducherry, Coimbatore, Ranjangaon, Ahmednagar, Nashik, Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai with plans to reach out to more areas soon.

Commenting on the relief work, Eaton India HR Director Ashish Kapoor said amidst the uncertainty, Eaton has taken adequate precautions to ensure our employees’ safety and well-being both on location and in remote work environments.

“However, we are well aware of the Covid-19 warriors amongst us who face high risks daily to keep us healthy and our cities safe and clean. We have also witnessed the plight of the vulnerable communities who have been impacted the most in this challenging phase,” he said.

It is a time when everyone need to stand and support a section of the society which needs assistance. “Through our little contribution, we hope to have brought respite to some,” he added.

Eaton’s CSR programs in India began when the company started operations in Pune in 1999. For more than two decades, Eaton has been leading various CSR and community initiatives in the country – in education, health and environment.

In 2015, Eaton India Foundation – a public charitable trust, was established to further streamline and broad-base Eaton’s community efforts in India.

Currently the Foundation serves communities in all major Eaton locations in India, impacting more than 17,000 school and college students, more than 400 plus destitute, 1200 families and cumulative volunteer support from 1900 plus Eaton volunteers.

August 5, 2020
Godrej Consumer’s CSR spend 23pc less than mandated Rs 24.34cr for 2019-20

FMCG firm Godrej Consumer Product Ltd (GCPL) has spent Rs 19.49 crore on the corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in the 2019-20 fiscal year, about 23 percent lower than the mandated amount of Rs 25.34 crore

FMCG firm Godrej Consumer Product Ltd (GCPL) has spent Rs 19.49 crore on the corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in the 2019-20 fiscal year, about 23 percent lower than the mandated amount of Rs 25.34 crore.

The CSR provision requires affected companies to spend at least 2 percent of their average net profits made in the preceding three years on CSR.

GCPL’s CSR spending stood at Rs 21.87 crore in the 2018-19 fiscal year.

In its annual report, the company said its average net profit in the last three fiscal years was Rs 1,267 crores and prescribed CSR budget was Rs 25.34 crore for the 2019-20 fiscal.

“A total of Rs 19.49 crore was spent, against the mandated amount of Rs 25.34 crore. The unspent amount is Rs 5.85 crore,” the company said.

The CSR Committee has approved that the unspent funds be carried forward to the 2020-21 fiscal in addition to the prescribed 2 percent CSR budget for 2020-21, it said.

According to GCPL, projects worth this amount had been sourced and committed, with signed MoUs and deliverables agreed during the financial year itself.

“In order to ensure proper utilization of funds and high-quality results from our CSR initiatives, we believe in funding projects on tranche basis. The whole grant is not given upfront in advance and is instead given in stages when certain milestones are achieved,” it said.

This led to an underspend of Rs 5.85 crore during the financial year. The Company is committed to spend the unspent funds specifically for the selected projects in 2020-21, it added.

The company spent CSR funds on livelihood enhancement projects, promoting preventive healthcare, rural development projects, environment sustainability, education and traditional arts during 2020-21.

About 80 per cent of GCPL’s product portfolio comprises health, hygiene, and value for money product.

August 4, 2020
SOS Children send rakhis to Corona-warriors of Max Healthcare

On the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan festival, more than 80 children from the Faridabad-based SOS Children’s Villages today sent rakhis and hand-made cards to doctors of two Max Healthcare hospitals in the national capital

On the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan festival, more than 80 children from the Faridabad-based SOS Children’s Villages today sent rakhis and hand-made cards to doctors of two Max Healthcare hospitals in the national capital.

SOS Children’s Villages, in a statement, said the rakhis were sent doctors posted at Max Smart Super Specialty Hospital at Saket and BLK Super Specialty Hospital at Pusa Road in Delhi.

The colorful, vibrant cards, hand-made by children, carried messages to the Corona Warriors at the two hospitals, thanking them for all their efforts and sacrifices in protecting the people in the time of the pandemic.

“Thank you for fighting with the Coronavirus on our behalf,” said a card handmade by a SOS child.

“You are all real-world heroes for protecting us from the Coronavirus and saving lives,” said a card handmade by another.

“You are all real heroes. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy,” said another card made by a SOS child.

The doctors were overwhelmed at this show of love and affection from the children.

Saket-based Max Smart Super Specialty Hospital Vice Present and Unit Head Dr Gurpreet Singh said: “The cards carry heart-felt messages for our doctors and nurses. Our Corona warriors are over-whelmed by this gesture in the midst of facing one of mankind’s biggest pandemic. We all thank the SOS children for this loving gesture.”

According to Delhi-based BLK Super Specialty Hospital Unit Head and Vice President Dr Sanjay Mehta: “We all are deeply touched at receiving the rakhis and cards from the SOS children. It is a deeply emotional moment for us after everything the Corona Warriors have gone through in the past few months. We will treasure these symbols of love and affection for many years to come. And this bond will last lifelong.”

“This Raksha Bandhan, we and our children recognize the remarkable contribution of doctors, nurses and all the other Covid Warriors for saving humanity from the pandemic. In celebrating them, we celebrate the shared value of selfless efforts of our SOS mothers for creating lasting bonds of devotion, care and commitment,” said Sudarshan Suchi, Secretary General of SOS Children’s Villages of India.

Established in 1964, SOS Children’s Villages of India protects the best interests of children who do not have a family or those who are risk of losing one. It operates in 32 locations across 22 states/UTs in India.

August 3, 2020
FACT gives auditorium for converting it into 100-bed COVID hospital in Kerala

State-owned Fertilizers And Chemicals Travancore Limited (FACT) has given its main auditorium to the Kerala government for converting it into a 100-bed COVID hospital. The auditorium ‘M K K Nayar Hall’ has been allotted

State-owned Fertilizers And Chemicals Travancore Limited (FACT) has given its main auditorium to the Kerala government for converting it into a 100-bed COVID hospital.

The auditorium ‘M K K Nayar Hall’ has been allotted for setting up a Covid First-Line Treatment Center (CFLTC) by Eloor Municipality to accommodate 100 beds, the Fertilizer Ministry said in a statement.

FACT has also supplied required cots, beds, mattresses, etc. for this purpose, it said.

The company’s Chairman and Managing Director Kishor Rungta handed over the material to Eloor municipality chairperson C P Usha.

The company is supporting the Kerala government in its fight against COVID-19 as part of its CSR initiative.

July 31, 2020

Almost half of Reliance Industries’ Rs 1,022cr CSR funds donated to PM-CARES in 2019-20 fiscal

Oil-to-telecom conglomerate Reliance Industries’ spending on CSR activities during the 2019-20 fiscal increased by 13 per cent to Rs 1,022 crore from the previous year, with almost half of its funds been contributed to the PM-CARES

The company was required to spend Rs 987 in the 2019-20 fiscal as per the section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013.

In its annual report, the Reliance Industries said its spending on corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities increased to Rs 1,022 crore in the 2019-20 fiscal from Rs 904 crore in the 2018-19 fiscal.

Of the total expenditure, about Rs 500 crore was donated to the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund).

CSR activities of RIL are carried out under the aegis of Reliance Foundation, led by Nita M Ambani.

Reliance Industries CSR spend in 2019-20		(₹ in crore)
Particulars	2019-20	2018-19
Rural Transformation	86	156
Health	55	116
Education	277	540
Sports For Development	64	59
Disaster Response	531	31
Urban Renewal	4	1
Arts, Culture and Heritage	5	1
Total	1,022	904

In fact, the company’s total CSR spending on disaster reponse was at Rs 531 crore including PM-CARES fund in 2019-20, much higher than Rs 31 crore funds spent in the previous fiscal year.

The company said it responded fast to national emergencies and disasters including floods and more recently, COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 10 lakh people were supported in 14 states in the aftermath of disasters. About 5.6 lakh people received early warning/post disaster advisories, besides technology enabled support to organisations, it said.

The company gave capacity building for over 700 individuals for better response to emergency situations during the 2019-20 fiscal.

As much of the funds were donated to the PM-CARES, the spending on other areas remained lower when compared with the previous year.

The spending on education was Rs 277 crore in 2019-20 as against Rs 540 crore in the previous year, while for rural transformation at Rs 86 crore from Rs 156 crore and for health related activities funds declined to Rs 55 crore from Rs 116 crore in the said period.

The company said about 2 lakh underprivileged children were provided with quality education, 43,000 students and over 1,000 teachers were empowered by Reliance Foundation digital classrooms, while 15,645 students enrolled in 14 Reliance Foundation Schools in 2019-20. It also disbursed 12,776 Dhirubhai Ambani Scholarships in the said period.

The spending on sports developments rose marginally to Rs 64 crore from Rs 59 crore, while on urban renewal and arts, culture and heritage increased to Rs 4 crore and Rs 5 crore, respectively, from Rs 1 crore each in the previous year.

About Rs 229 crore was contributed to the Reliance Foundation Institution of Education, Rs 222 crore to Reliance Foundation and Rs 47 crore to the Reliance Foundation Youth Sports during the 2019-20 fiscal, the report added.

July 29, 2020

Greta Thunberg to donate prize money 1 million euro for flood relief work in India & B’desh

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has decided donate prize money of 1 million euro (approximately Rs 8.76 crore) for flood relief efforts in India and Bangladesh. Greta was awarded 1 million euro for winning the Gulbenkian Prize

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has decided donate prize money of 1 million euro (approximately Rs 8.76 crore) for flood relief efforts in India and Bangladesh.

Greta was awarded 1 million euro for winning the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity, announced last on July 20.

In a statement, the Greta Thunberg Foundation said it will donate the full sum to charitable projects combatting the climate and ecological crisis and supporting people facing its worst impacts, particularly in the Global South.

The donations will go to 3 NGOs in desperate need of funds for flood relief work in India and Bangladesh, it said.

About 50,000 euros will be donated to ActionAid India and Bangladesh, working in both countries to provide emergency relief, as well as long term rebuilding.

Goonj, which provides clothes, food, medicines, and other essential items to affected areas in India, will be given 25,000 euro donation.

The third NGO BRAC will also get 25,000 euros donation. It is working on the ground in Bangladesh to provide critical relief for impacted families, including dry food, temporary shelter and health services.

The money will go to organisations providing direct relief to people suffering from the humanitarian crisis caused by ongoing extreme monsoon flooding in both countries, currently affecting over 9.6 million people in the region.

In India, more than 6.8 million people have been affected by recent severe monsoon floods. The north eastern states of Assam and Bihar are particularly badly affected, with 113 deaths recorded since this year’s monsoon season began.

Meanwhile, close to one third of Bangladesh is already suffering flooding, with 2.8 million people affected. Although floods occur annually in these areas, the climate crisis is increasing their frequency and intensity, with current flooding among the worst in years.

This flooding has also come during a period of overlapping crises facing communities in India and Bangladesh. In May, Cyclone Amphan destroyed crops, infrastructure and more than 2,60,000 homes in both countries, while a Covid-19 lockdown has contributed to over a third of Bangladesh’s population dropping under the poverty line.

“The climate crisis is urgent, and people, particularly in the Global South, are suffering devastating impacts already today. Millions of people in South Asia have been severely affected by recent flooding, at a time when many had already lost so much from Covid-19 and Cyclone Amphan,” 17-year old Greta Thunberg said.

“I am incredibly privileged to be in a position to be able to donate such sums of money through my foundation, and we are supporting these organisations to make sure it reaches communities affected by the flooding as soon as possible. If you are able, please consider donating to the relief effort,” she added.

ActionAid India Executive Director Sandeep Chachra said that monsoon flooding in the Indian states of Assam and Bihar is increasingly catastrophic, year on year. It is making living conditions for vulnerable communities in these regions ever more precarious.

“This year the floods are a part of a double whammy, on top of the Covid-19 pandemic and accompanying lockdown. Emergency responses need to be linked with long term development work aimed at advancing social and ecological justice, in an effort that prioritises the leadership of communities most affected,” he said.

Goonj Founder and Director Anshu Gupta said right now, floods in parts of India have heaped more misery onto the lives of millions of people already struggling with the impact of Covid-19.

“In our two decades of disaster response work, we have been highlighting monsoon floods as an ignored disaster that are becoming more intense and frequent. In this difficult time we must all work closely with the communities most affected,” he added.

July 29, 2020