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  • Finolex, Hinduja Foundation & MMF supporting flood-hit Assam people

    Finolex, Hinduja Foundation & MMF supporting flood-hit Assam people

    Hinduja Foundation, Finolex Industries, and ground partner Mukul Madhav Foundation (MMF) are together supporting flood-hit victims in Assam. MMF, a charitable trust, is contributing with its on-ground volunteers in addition to the help being

    Hinduja Foundation, Finolex Industries, and ground partner Mukul Madhav Foundation (MMF) are together supporting flood-hit victims in Assam.

    MMF, a charitable trust, is contributing with its on-ground volunteers in addition to the help being received from the Finolex dealers and representatives, a joint statement said.

    The relieve work has been carried out in eight heavily flood affected villages and aid has been provided in the form of dry grocery items.

    10,000 individuals have been supported in the districts of Morigaon and Barpeta in Assam through the funds provided by Hinduja Foundation and Finolex Industries, the statement said.

    Speaking about the activity, MMF Managing Trustee Ritu Prakash Chhabria said India has been hit by floods in Assam and two cyclones that devastated West Bengal, Maharashtra.

    “Both these organizations have been in the forefront to support those affected across geographies. It is heartening to see like-minded corporates and institutions collaborating for the betterment of our society,” she added.

  • ITAT allows exemption of Rs 220cr to Tata Education & Development Trust

    ITAT allows exemption of Rs 220cr to Tata Education & Development Trust

    In a major relief to the Tata Education and Development Trust, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) in Mumbai ordered that over Rs 220 crore of the Trust’s income exempted from tax in a case related to the assessment years 2011-12 and 2012-13

    In a major relief to the Tata Education and Development Trust, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) in Mumbai ordered that over Rs 220 crore of the Trust’s income exempted from tax in a case related to the assessment years 2011-12 and 2012-13.

    The ITAT’s Mumbai bench gave a ruling on July 24 in favour of the Trust in their appeal against commissioner income tax (CIT) order wherein a demand of more than Rs 220 crore was levied by the tax department.

    ITAT also stayed the matter of that demand without any minimum pay, the government said in statement.

    The case pertains to assessment years 2011-12 and 2012-13 on money spent by the Trust for creating an endowment fund at the US-based Cornell University to provide scholarships to Indian students, and granting financial assistance to the Harvard Business School for constructing an executive building to be named Tata Hall.

    The Trust had donated Rs 197.79 crore in 2011-12 and Rs 25.37 crore in 2012-13.

    In the order, itat said: “…this wholly avoidable litigation which does not only clog the serious litigation before the judicial forums but also diverts scarce resources of the philanthropic bodies, like the assessee before us, to the areas which do no good to the society at large.”

    The Tribunal hoped that the admirable work being done by the Government of India, in pursuing such forward looking policies at the macro level, is not allowed to be overshadowed by the isolated situations like this, at the field level, which must be minimized by sensitising the authorities concerned.

    “An effort should be made to create a taxpayer friendly atmosphere by adopting just and fair approach at every level of the tax administration,” it observed.

    The government said that the controversy began after the Public Account Committee (PAC) of the Lok Sabha in 2018 sought an enquiry in the matter as it believed that exemption granted by the direct tax body was in violation of the Income Tax Act.

    Concluding the matter, ITAT said that all other grounds of appeals will be “rendered, academic and infructuous”.

    “We have decided this issue in favour of the assessee and thus allowed this ground of appeal. We, therefore, uphold the plea of the assessee, and delete the resultant disallowance of claim of exemption,” it added.

    The detailed ruling of Appellate Tribunal may be accessed by clicking on link.

  • COVID-19 crisis: BKT reaches out to over 4 lakh affected people in India

    COVID-19 crisis: BKT reaches out to over 4 lakh affected people in India

    Mumbai-based tyre manufacturing company Balkrishna Industries Ltd (BKT) today said it has reached out with relief material to 4 lakh affected people in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic across the country. The company has distributed cooked meals

    Mumbai-based tyre manufacturing company Balkrishna Industries Ltd (BKT) today said it has reached out with relief material to 4 lakh affected people in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic across the country.

    The company has distributed cooked meals, daily needs packets, crucial hospital equipment and important preventative gear to front line workers in a bid to prevent the spread of the disease.

    In a statement, BKT said it has distributed specially cooked meals to over 4,00,000 people in collaboration with the NGO Akshaya Patra. This activity was carried out by the BKT team members located in various parts of India with the help of BKT distribution partners as well as the local district administration.

    In addition to the distribution of cooked meals, food aid and daily needs packets were provided by BKT in various parts of the country, including in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, it said.

    More than 3,00,000 kg of wheat flour, 60,000 litres of cooking oil, 60,000 kg of lentils, 60,000 kg of salt, 1,20,000 kg of rice, 60,000 kg of sugar, 60,000 kg of spice bags and 60,000 bottles of soap were distributed.

    BKT, in collaboration with SIN and Monte Bianco Apparel Brands, donated 25,000 PPE kits to medical staff treating COVID-19 patients, consisting of a protective suit with hood, a face shield, a mask, a pair of gloves and shoe covers.

    BKT alos supplied 12 number of Hemodynamic monitors at a total cost of Rs 1,15,20,000 to Tata Memorial Hospital. These monitors are an important part of the ventilators, which are the lifesaving critical equipment used for patients suspected or diagnosed with COVID19 infections.

    The staff of BKT provided concrete support to the relief funds by gifting a day’s salary and raising Rs 10,000,000. This amount was doubled by the Chairman of the board, Arvind Poddar to ensure help for as many affected people as possible.

    Speaking about the donation, BKT Joint Managing Director Rajiv Poddar said: “This is a time when humanity should triumph over everything else, and we have put in great effort to help ease the plight of people all over the country, so we can all come out stronger.”

    Since its inception, BKT has actively donated to several noteworthy causes such as education, relief for farmers amongst others and will continue to do so actively and passionately.

    The BKT group manufactures an extensive and modern range of off-highway tires specifically for vehicles operating in agricultural, industrial, earthmoving, mining, port, ATV and gardening industries. BKT’s innovative solutions entail over 2,700 different products sold in more than 160 countries worldwide.

  • KARAM Industries plants 3,000 trees in UPSIDC green belt area

    KARAM Industries plants 3,000 trees in UPSIDC green belt area

    Noida-based PPE manufacturing company KARAM Industries today planted 3,000 trees in the green belt area of Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC). The tree plantation drive was organised by the company

    Noida-based PPE manufacturing company KARAM Industries today planted 3,000 trees in the green belt area of Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC).

    The tree plantation drive was organised by the company’s CSR arm KOSHISH in collaboration with UPSIDC and Pollution Control Board (PCB), an official statement said.

    “The company successfully planted over 3,000 trees in the Green Belt area of the UPSIDC today,” it said.

    Speaking about the initiative, KARAM Group Chief Human Resources Officer Kavita Nigam said the company has taken yet another landmark step to address the acute challenges in afforestation and subsequent air pollution through the tree plantation drive.

    “We are looking forward to expanding the programme to cover different parts of the country in the near future,” she said.

    Planting trees has manifold benefits as they release oxygen into the air, maintain biodiversity, conserve water, preserve the soil besides controlling the climate and providing shelter for the fauna of the region.

    KOSHISH was established in 2014 for organizing various corporate social responsibility campaigns.

  • SEEDS reaches out with dry ration to 1 lakh flood-hit people in Assam

    SEEDS reaches out with dry ration to 1 lakh flood-hit people in Assam

    Delhi-based NGO, Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS) is reaching out with safe drinking water, dry ration and hygiene kit to 1,00,000 flood-hit people in Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Barpeta and Morigaon districts of Assam

    Delhi-based NGO, Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS) is reaching out with safe drinking water, dry ration and hygiene kit to 1,00,000 flood-hit people in Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Barpeta and Morigaon districts of Assam.

    SEEDS also plans to work towards providing repair and restoration of homes and schools as part of the recovery intervention.

    Over 5.5 million people have been affected due to floods in India this year and Assam has experienced the worst flooding over the last ten years affecting over 3.6 million people till date as per the recent government report, it said.

    “This time, affected communities are facing additional threat given the ongoing COVID-19 crisis that requires health care services, health and hygiene safeguards and to maintain social distancing in the relief camps,” SEEDS said in a statement.

    To support flood-hit people in Assam, SEEDS is promptly reaching out to 1,00,000 affected people with their immediate needs in Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Barpeta and Morigaon districts.

    The NGO is supplying safe drinking water, dry food, hygiene and family utility kit. This also includes key items required for COVID safety, emerged as the most urgent need based on the information from SEEDS volunteers on ground.

    A SEEDS team member from Assam informed, “The situation at the ground level is worse than ever. There are drinking water, food and hygiene issues. Thousands of families are battling with the intense flood situation coupled with the challenges of ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. They are in need of urgent humanitarian aid.”

    SEEDS Co-Founder Manu Gupta said, “With millions of people displaced by the floods, it has become critical that relief reaches them at the earliest. Our team is working relentlessly to analyse and meet the immediate requirements of the affected people in an effective manner. We are also taking all necessary precautions to mitigate the risk of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

    The floods have caused extensive damage to the houses, water sources, toilets and other infrastructures. Due to incessant rains and increased water in these regions and Covid-19 looming large, it is essential for communities to have a roof above their heads at the earliest.

    SEEDS will also work towards providing repair and restoration of homes and schools as part of the recovery intervention. SEEDS urges all the citizens to extend their support to help families of Assam, build back better.

    The NGO has sought contribution between Rs 1,000 to 4,000 from people for supplying ration kit, safe drinking water and hygiene kit.

  • Deutsche Bank celebrates 40 years in India with 40,000 tree planting initiative in Raigad

    Deutsche Bank celebrates 40 years in India with 40,000 tree planting initiative in Raigad

    Celebrating 40 years of operation in India, German lender Deutsche Bank today announced a CSR initiative to plant 40,000 fruit-bearing trees in Raigad district of Maharashtra that will impact lives of 4,000 people living out there

    Celebrating 40 years of operation in India, German lender Deutsche Bank today announced a CSR initiative to plant 40,000 fruit-bearing trees in Raigad district of Maharashtra that will impact lives of 4,000 people living out there.

    The trees, which will begin bearing fruit in 3-4 years, are expected to generate an annual income of Rs 6 crore for the beneficiaries, the bank said in a statement.

    The tree planting initiative will be implemented through NGO partner Swades Foundation.

    “The initiative marks 40 years since Deutsche Bank opened its first branch in the country in Mumbai and also four years of a successful partnership with Swades Foundation in helping transform the lives of tribal and other indigent families in Raigad district,” the bank said.

    Deutsche Bank established its first branch in India in 1980 and currently operates branches in 16 cities.

    Deutsche Bank’s partnership with Swades Foundation, now in its fourth year, has impacted the lives of 43,500 people in the Raigad district so far and has involved the bank’s employees volunteering over 2,500 hours since April 2018.

    Commenting on the new initiative, Deutsche Bank India Chief Country Officer Kaushik Shaparia said, “Supporting small-scale agriculture has a significant impact on reducing rural poverty. ..We’re confident that our partnership with Swades Foundation will meaningfully transform the lives of people in Raigad district.”

    Swades Foundation Founder Ronnie Screwvala said, “Deutsche Bank’s relentless efforts towards rural upliftment in India are noteworthy and we are happy to be part of the shared vision to transform and empower India at a grassroots level.”

    Deutsche Bank has been one of our biggest supporters in rural transformation in the last four years and the Foundation looks forward to celebrating many more exciting milestones together, he said.

    Through its ‘In the Community’ programme, Deutsche Bank has worked with Swades Foundation to touch the lives of over 10,000 rural families, providing sustainable access to clean water in homes as well as in the fields to promote agri-based livelihoods.

    Greater access to potable water alone has improved the standard of living of over 1,000 families in the district and the more judicious use of the resource has brought over 1,200 acres of additional farmland under irrigation, allowing for greater crop rotation, it said.

    In this Covid-19 pandemic, Deutsche Bank and Swades Foundation have together distributed over 11,000 grocery and daily essentials kits in rural homes in Raigad since April.

    In Mumbai, the bank has also supported the NGO in providing nine ventilators and 14 oxygen concentrators to Dr R N Cooper Municipal General Hospital and HBT Trauma Care Hospital, the bank added.

  • Muskurahat Foundation launches ‘Project Saarthi’ to help youth leaving shelter homes find jobs

    Muskurahat Foundation launches ‘Project Saarthi’ to help youth leaving shelter homes find jobs

    Muskurahat Foundation today announced the launch of ‘Project Saarthi’ to help youth leaving shelter homes in rural areas identify and secure job opportunities. The Project Saarthi aims to help youth (18 years and above)

    Muskurahat Foundation today announced the launch of ‘Project Saarthi’ to help youth leaving shelter homes in rural areas identify and secure job opportunities.

    The Project Saarthi aims to help youth (18 years and above) — who are required to leave the shelter homes as per the existing Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act — to find employment on an emergency basis and work with them in the long term to identify and take steps towards building their choice of career.

    The long-term vision of the project is to support the youngsters in equipping them with life skills and mental health support to be able to uplift themselves from their current situation, the Foundation said in a statement.

    As part of the project, the Foundation today conducted job readiness training to a pilot batch of 35 youth in Kolhapur, Maharasthra

    Each of them were paired with one mentor to guide them in identifying their life goals and action plans to achieve it. Additionally, a scholarship has also been made available to all participants to take up skill building courses to bridge their skill gap, it said.

    Commenting on the training, Muskurahat Foundation Founder Himanshu Goenka said: “We realised the lack of NGO penetration in Kolhapur and surrounding areas, a result of which is the lack of exposure for the children in shelter homes. These children anyway grow up with the absence of a family that takes care of your basic needs till the time they are able to earn their own living.”

    “…We took quick decisions to support them in the interim to resolve their immediate requirements while keeping our focus on the long term that is to help them build quality lives for themselves,” he added.

    With the pilot batch underway, the learnings are helping the NGO plan and execute more batches that will serve the large community of youth care-leavers currently in need in Kolhapur.

    The slowdown of the economy rendered these youth jobless and unable to manage their living expenses. While the temporary relief through donations was available during the initial months, it has started dwindling and raised the requirement of a regular earning source for their sustenance.

    The youngsters who leave the shelter homes lack awareness and exposure to career guidance, finding employment and work skills. As a result, they take up low-paying, odd jobs in the unorganized sector, which is one of the worst affected sectors during this pandemic, it added.

  • Waste Warriors launches fundraiser to save Jim Corbett from plastic pollution

    Waste Warriors launches fundraiser to save Jim Corbett from plastic pollution

    Amid rising plastic pollution in forest area, Dehradun-based waste management NGO Waste Warriors today said it has tied up with Wishonary, a social networking platform for NGOs, for raising funds to keep clean the forests and borders

    Amid rising plastic pollution in forest area, Dehradun-based waste management NGO Waste Warriors today said it has tied up with Wishonary, a social networking platform for NGOs, for raising funds to keep clean the forests and borders of Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarkhand.

    There is an urgency to take steps to save Corbett, India’s first tiger reserve and Asia’s first national park, as the amount of solid waste has increased with rise in tourist flow. Imagine a national park that’s famous for years of plastic waste more than its tigers or elephants. This is where Corbett might be headed if nothing is done, it said.

    In a statement, Waste Warriors said that the fundraising campaign, called ‘Adopt A Village’ aims to support grassroots efforts to reduce the environmental impact on animals and forests caused by habitat degradation and plastic waste pollution by building systems for solid waste management in 20 villages around the Corbett, it said.

    Besides, the fundraiser will support the ongoing efforts of trained local underprivileged youth and women-led self-help groups, thereby keeping villages and forests cleaner, reducing the impact of wildlife and providing meaningful livelihoods at the same time, it added.

    Waste Warriors, in a statement said, it hopes that people, especially wildlife enthusiasts, environmentalists, and even those who have experienced the beauty of nature reserves, will respond to this call to adopt a village and support a cleaner Corbett.

    Commenting on the initiative, Waste Warriors Project Manager Puspendu Mandal said: “Most don’t realize plastic pollution itself is also an unacknowledged pandemic. It is present in the air, water, and soil, building up in our environment. There’s a strong need to work together to prevent and solve this problem.”

    The work being done by Waste Warrior in Corbett shows how this can be replicated in rural areas across India, he said.

    Mandal had earlier worked as Tourism Manager at Madhya Pradesh’ famous Satpura Tiger Reserve and knows of the challenges and benefits of good systems and working with communities and authorities.

    According to Wishonary Chief Operating Officer (COO) Vivek Saxena, this partnership is an extension to the company’s effort in creating community-level engagement for bringing social change.

    “We wanted to share the true picture of wildlife conservation in our country and support the waste warriors with the community that can enable Waste Warriors with financial support and visibility they need to save wildlife at Corbett,” he said.

    According to Waste Warriors, over 200,000 tourists came to Corbett in 2019 and left behind a mountain of waste for local villages to deal with. In January 2020, a tigress and her cubs were photographed chewing plastic drums in Corbett, but this is just one of the countless unnoticed incidents over the years.

    Since 2013, the team at Waste Warriors Corbett, initiated by local resident Minakshi Pandey and consisting of nine local youth and 15 self-help group women, have managed over 450 tonnes of solid waste in local villages like Dhikuli, Sunderkhal, and Kyari.

    Apart from over 450 clean-ups with 6500 volunteers, including with forest and CTR authorities, the teams regularly engage villages and schools to change behaviors and build SWM systems. But much more support is needed to continue their efforts, it added.

  • HCL Foundation invites online application from NGOs for Rs 16.5 crore HCL Grants

    HCL Foundation invites online application from NGOs for Rs 16.5 crore HCL Grants

    HCL Foundation today invited online application from NGOs working in rural India for providing institutionalized grants up to Rs 16.5 crore under its flagship programme ‘HCL Grant’. Application has been invited for the sixth edition of HCL Grant

    HCL Foundation today invited online application from NGOs working in rural India for providing institutionalized grants up to Rs 16.5 crore under its flagship programme ‘HCL Grant’.

    Application has been invited for the sixth edition of HCL Grant, the most coveted institutionalized CSR grants of India.

    The last date for submitting the application is August 8, 2020. NGOs can apply on the website https://www.hclfoundation.org/hcl-grant.

    According to the Foundation, the Grant is applicable for NGOs working in the field of education, health and environment and that have an experience of implementing projects in rural India.

    Those organizations are eligible who with innovative, replicable and sustainable models can make a significant contribution towards rural development in the categories of education, health and environment, it said in a statement.

    Three NGOs will be awarded with a grant of Rs 5 crore each for a 3-5 year project. The remaining two finalist NGOs in each category will be awarded a one-year grant of Rs 25 lakh, taking the overall Grant commitment Rs 16.5 crore.

    HCL Grant, an initiative by HCL Foundation — the philanthropic arm of HCL Technologies — is a step towards recognition of the ‘The Fifth Estate’ contributing towards the nation building.

    Started in 2015, it is a commitment by HCL to strengthen transformation in the areas of education, health and environment by reaching out to marginalized, isolated and underdeveloped rural communities, and achieve sustainable socio-economic development.

    A unique aspect of the HCL Grant is that the organizations are recognized not only based on the ‘idea’, but also for their power to transform ideas into implementable projects and thereby transform Indian villages in a sustainable way.

    The Foundation said some changes have been made in the current edition of HCL Grant. From the current edition onward, the eligibility criteria in the education and health categories concerning an NGO’s average annual expenditure over the last three years has been reduced from Rs 1.5 crores to Rs 1 crore.

    Also, henceforth, NGOs will need to submit only a brief concept note of the proposal in Stage 1 (as per the online format). Detailed proposals will be required only in Stage 2 from the shortlisted NGOs.

    “There will be no charge or fees while submitting the application,” it said.

    No authorized individual, third party, company, agency or organization may accept an application on behalf of the HCL Grant or ask for any benefit, either monetary or in kind, for completing the application process, it added.

    In these times of COVID-19 crisis, the Foundation said the HCL Grant’s commitment will remain directed towards the objective of achieving sustainable, replicable and scalable rural development, through long-term strategies.

    “The COVID-19 pandemic has opened a range of challenges in rural India, over and above the already prevailing conditions. While HCL Foundation recognizes that the applicant NGOs will take into consideration these challenges, it requests NGOs to ensure that the HCL Grant proposal remains focused on transformation and impactful rural development, in the areas of environment, health and education, through innovative, relevant and cost-effective strategies,” it noted.

    While applying for the HCL Grant Edition VI, the Foundation said it is imperative that the COVID-19 pandemic situation on the ground should to be taken into consideration.

    The pandemic has impacted various states and districts differently, and therefore it is critical that the situation assessment is done at micro-macro levels while developing long term solutions towards issues related to environment, health and education in rural belt of India, it said.

    The NGOs will be treating COVID-19 as the ‘new normal’ till the world finds a permanent solution to it, yet focusing on regular rural developmental areas while taking all measures to contain the spread of the pandemic. This further calls for NGOs to strengthen the aspects of ‘innovation’ and ‘use of technology’ in their HCL Grant application, it added.

  • COVID-19 crisis: SEA provides food & nutritional support to poor in Maharashtra

    COVID-19 crisis: SEA provides food & nutritional support to poor in Maharashtra

    Edible oil trade body Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) on Sunday said it has provided food and nutrition support as part of its CSR initiative to labourers, farmers and less privileged people in Maharashtra amid the COVID-19 crisis

    Edible oil trade body Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) on Sunday said it has provided food and nutrition support as part of its CSR initiative to labourers, farmers and less privileged people in Maharashtra amid the COVID-19 crisis.

    In the last four months, the Association has distributed 10,000 kg of sugar in Thane district and 4,500 kg of edible oil in Mumbai and Thane.

    Besides, 10,000 ready meals were distributed for ten days in Gowandi area of Mumbai, 5,000 ready meals to Majiwada migrant labourers in Thane and another 5,000 ready to eat packs to BMC hospitl staff and police department.

    That apart, 63,000 mini meals containing masala oats and ready khichadi packs were distributed. About ten COVID suraksha boxes to police staff were given, it said in a statement.

    Mumbai-based SEA said it is continuing with the CSR activities to provide relief to the lowest strata of the society and daily wagers.

    SEA with 750 membership is an apex body for vegetable oil industry and trade in India. It is recognized as a NGO by the Union Agriculture Ministry and also as trade promotion organisation by the Union Commerce Ministry.