64 dead, 18,388 villages affected across 14 districts, fields flattened, livelihoods lost. While Odisha has been lauded for evacuation that avoided a high death toll, as Cyclone Fani barrelled its way through at 205 kmph, it left death, destruction and a state staring at a long haul.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/odisha-cyclone-fani-storm-aftermath-5735431/
Wipro’s chairman alone accounts for a big share of the $10 billion a year that India’s wealthy commit for social causes.
At a closed-door event of global leadership organisation YPO in Mumbai with Wipro’s first family late last year, the interviewer asked Azim Premji how he would like to be remembered in the long run — as one of the most successful entrepreneurs of liberalised India or as a leading philanthropist?
Not batting an eyelid, Premji said, as the latter. Just months on, the softspoken billionaire set a benchmark when he announced a bequest to his foundation that boosted his total commitment to philanthropy to $21 billion.
At the Premji Foundation, chief executive Anurag Behar has his work cut out — increase fieldwork and double workforce to more than 3,000; set up a university (its second) in a Hindi-speaking state, most likely Madhya Pradesh; identify more NGOs to give grants; get “good people” to work in places such as Barmer (Rajasthan), Raigad (Chhattisgarh) or Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand).
Contrary to perception, money is the least of Behar’s worries after running the foundation for over a decade. “We have enough.” His challenge is execution. For instance, by good people, “I don’t mean just a good psychology teacher, but someone with an intention of serving in education,” he says.
His hands are full, with lots to spend. But India needs more innovative ideas to solve problems at scale, talent that is sensitive to needs of the underprivileged, a check on charities eyeing tax breaks rather than making a meaningful change, improved execution and support for less-talked-of causes.
Wipro’s chairman alone accounts for a big share of the $10 billion a year that India’s wealthy commit for social causes, and along with government’s commitment of $20 billion a year, it’s about $30 billion to help the needy.
Compared to the Rockefellers, Mellons and Gates, the well-heeled in India mostly look at philanthropy as a tax-planning initiative. The Birlas, Bajajs, Tatas, Wadias and Godrejs have always believed in giving back a part of their bottomline to the society at large, earmarking profits for philanthropy. Today, the flag-bearers of that pledge are the Nadars of HCL, Srinivasan of TVS or the Piramals, Mahindras and Mukesh Ambani.
Conscious individuals — Amit Chandra of Bain Capital, Shailesh Haribhakti, chairman of L&T Finance — or first generation entrepreneurs like GM Rao or Yusuff Ali MA are driving philanthropy equally.
The Agastya Foundation, the world’s largest science education NGO, started by former Citibank honcho Ramji Raghavan, would not have been possible without ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, its largest contributor.
Cumulative wealth of India’s population may reach $25 trillion by 2027. The number of ultra high networth individuals (UHNIs) —more than Rs 25 crore assets — is expected to scale from 60,000 in 2011 to 3,30,000 by 2022, says Kotak Wealth Management.
But the “glass is only half full,” says Anant Bhagwati, director, Dasra, which works in areas of urban sanitation, governance and improving lives of adolescents. A March 2019 India Philanthropy Report from consultancy Bain & Company highlighted that India needs $60 billion a year if it has to meet the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). These ambitious targets include zero poverty, zero hunger, peace, justice, strong institutions and reduced inequalities.
Take out Premji’s charity, and the shortfall for philanthropic activities will be higher than $30 billion a year. Of course, innovation to build scale and managerial capacity in many philanthropic ventures are limited.
“We are seeing a big shift to giving, with new wealth of global scale being created in India,” feels Venu Srinivasan, chairman, TVS Motor. “The main challenge, though, is human resources. Money is always available for good ideas. No good cause went bust for lack of money. But many have yielded poor returns due to lack of leadership, strategy and implementation.”
“We need more Premjis,” says Hemen–dra Kothari, chairman, DSP Group. While many promoters/individuals are coming forward, the “speed to give needs to increase,” he adds. Social sector funding has increased steadily at 11% during 2014-18 — private funding at 15% a year and public funding at 10%, says the Bain & Company report.
“Private funding is punching way below its full potential. Indian ultrarich and corporations need to step up further to meaningfully cover a part of the SDG shortfall,” adds Arpan Sheth, partner, Bain & Company.
Wealthy families in India —excepting the likes of Premji, Nandan Nilekani, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw or Nadar — put aside less than 0.2% of their wealth for philanthropy, compared to at least 2% by their US counterparts. “I believe Rs 20,000 crore of private investment in social change is too small to matter. Even if this increases 100%, it will continue to be small, given the size and scale of problems,” says Vineet Nayar, HCL Tech honchoturned-philanthropist and chairman of Sampark Foundation.
Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen, chief executive, Plan International, says, “Growing generosity is welcome, but we must have more philanthropists.” This global charity doubled its India spend to Rs 1,000 crore in 2016. Most of its money comes from 500-odd firms including Nike, Ericsson, Accenture, Axis Bank and Coca-Cola India.
“Premji is transforming the landscape of philanthropy in India. While we don’t currently work together, we are looking closely now at potential areas of common interest,” she says in a reply ET queries from London.
But there’s good news. Amit Chandra, managing director, Bain Capital, points to an initiative, livingmypromise.org, where 21 ‘non-billionaires’ signed up to donate at least half of their wealth. “Every week, someone is joining. We hope this number will in due course swell to thousands of Indians, building a broad-based giving movement of the middle class.”
Anyone with net worth of Rs 1 crore and above can be part of this. Chandra and his wife, who support Agastya Foundation among other NGOs, have committed to give most of their wealth “to charity at the end of our lives.”
Billionaire entrepreneur Mazumdar-Shaw is helping form Indian Philan–thropy Initiative, an informal association of high networth individuals.
However, while capital could increase, much of the effort remains concentrated in very few areas. Healthcare and education are the two most funded causes in India but several causes don’t get as much attention, such as access to justice, building sustainable cities or climate change.
Most start with sponsoring a school in their backyard, but are unable to scale even that. “Philanthropy is becoming more inclusive — more people are giving both time and wealth. Yet, the problem is bigger than I had ever imagined,” adds Nayar. “Just like the IT industry came up with scale models for developing software, we need to develop scale models to solve social problems that impact millions.”
Sampark is in pursuit of educational equality in rural areas. “We have reached 7 million children in 76,000 schools. Doing social good is not good enough. Solving problems at scale is what matters most,” adds Nayar.
Albrectsen argues that philanthropists have more sustainable impact as they take a long-term view of development, untroubled by (annual) CSR mandates or short-term grant cycles. But smaller causes still lack attention. For instance, philanthropy for gender equality is growing but the overall proportion remains small — less than 16% — and an even smaller part of these funds goes to empower girls.
Farhan Pettiwala, executive director, Akhand Jyoti Hospital, points out that there’s no handbook for aspiring philanthropists. “People have to evolve their own models.”
Mazumdar-Shaw, for one, has. She funds research and initiatives on themes such as manual scavenging, rural education or sanitation, saying, “The absorption capacity of NGOs is poor. They have no managerial capacity. We want to give to someone who is professional.”
On the other hand, the Piramal Foundation believes in the trusteeship approach in the areas of primary healthcare and nutrition, education and access to clean drinking water. “If we have to assist in tackling complex social issues, the ability to operate at scale is crucial. We need large investments in innovation, technology, data analytics to deliver better outcomes,” adds Ajay Piramal, group chairman.
Anand Mahindra, group chairman, explains how “the approach towards philanthropy is rapidly evolving from unidimensional giving to a holistic strategic approach in creating positive social change. If you want sustainable transformation, this approach is better than just writing a cheque.”
Pettiwala points out how not everybody is able to devote time. Besides, “some believed philanthropy was a golden parachute for the successful retiree of CEO jobs in India Inc. Thankfully, things are looking better now and there are people exploring full time careers in philanthropy.”
As things stand, a small minority genuinely empathises with the needs of the have-nots. Data shows that contribution of those few — both in money and time — falls woefully short of requirements. As Niraj Bajaj, director, Bajaj Group, says, “In India, ownership of shares and voting rights cannot be separated, which is why promoters have limitations in giving. Promoters get worried about losing control by becoming takeover targets.” He does, though, see improvement.
Most industrial houses, and now individuals, do charity as part of social consciousness. Yet one has to “distinguish between genuine cases and dubious purposes that masquerade as charity,” says Hitesh Gajaria, head of tax, KPMG India. Some may even channel money via charitable sources.
Also, a lot more needs to be done to make it easy to give. Genuine charitable institutions are burdened with lot of compliance — under the Income Tax Act, Foreign Contribution Regulation Act and so on.
In the UK and the US, there’s no annual audit. It’s usually once in three years. In India, philanthropists have to approach the charity commissioner for every little change. Samir Kanabar, tax partner, EY India, says, “Any change to the charter document has to be approved by the charity commissioner, which can take three to six months. There are compliance requirements but if you are a legitimate charity, it’s not challenging.”
There will always be exceptions, and perhaps the ecosystem of giving will improve as more people learn what’s right and what’s wrong. Dasra’s Bhagwati sums it up: “When the elephant moves, it moves well. That’s better than aspiring to be a cheetah.”
Plan India, a not for profit organisation striving to advance children’s rights and equality for girls, announced the
winners of the third edition of Plan India Impact Awards. The Awards, nationally, acknowledge and celebrate
outstanding contributions of the grassroots workers who are at the forefront of helping local communities to bring
positive and sustainable change.
Building on the success of previous two editions, the Plan India Impact Awards 2019 reinforced some of the key
learnings and saw active, meaningful participation from more than 190+ NGOs partners, enlisting nominations across
21 states. They were shortlisted through a process oriented third party nominations, stringent review and selection
which included Regional Jury deliberations and finally the National Jury selection, leading to the winners in eight
categories: Anganwadi Worker, Accredited Social Health Activist/Auxiliary Nurse Midwife, Community Volunteer,
Outreach Worker, Youth Champion for Girls’ Rights – Male & Female and Best Child Welfare Committee (Urban & Rural).
Girls from underprivileged backgrounds stepped into the roles of ambassadors and high commissioners of 20 countries
for a day on the occasion of ‘International Day of the Girl Child’ to spread the message of equality and freedom.
The initiative was a part of a multi-stakeholder collaboration between Plan India and the delegation of the European
Union to India.
Plan India joined hands with the Alwar Mewat Institute of Education and Development (AMIED) to establish smart
classes in the government schools besides upgrading facilities and teaching methodology. From a two decade old
building to a robust infrastructure today, this project helped children from many communities get back to
classrooms.
Publication: The Hindu
Published Date: 27th January 2019
We crave for the good things in life but our children are paying the price for convenience, comfort and the ‘cool life’.
Recently, a 25-year old had to be rushed to hospital for emergency medical attention. He had been working long hours in his extremely demanding corporate job, then hanging out at pubs with friends, eating and drinking till the wee hours.
After another evening of binge eating and drinking he collapsed suddenly and was taken to a hospital where the doctors said that he had suffered a heart attack. His critical condition was held by the doctors to be a direct result of a high stress work life, erratic lifestyle as well as unhealthy eating and drinking habits…a lifestyle disease it is, they told the guy’s anxious friends and relatives.
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend an interactive session organized by Plan India during the World Non-Communicable Diseases Congress at Chandigarh and gathered some important and valuable facts regarding these diseases.
Today, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as heart disease, stroke, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes are the leading cause of disability and mortality in the world.
According to a recent WHO report, of 56.4 million global deaths in 2015, 39.5 million, or 70%, were due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The four main NCDs are cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and chronic lung diseases. Further, in 2015, over three quarters of NCD deaths occurred in low and middle-income countries with about 48% of deaths occurring before the age of 70 in these countries.
While the average life expectancy of Indians has increased over the years, yet our life is not exactly disease and pain free. Lifestyle diseases are hitting more people in lower age groups than earlier. In fact, today, almost 60% of all premature deaths occur due to non-communicable diseases. The incidence of neurological and respiratory diseases, kidney and liver failure etc are also on the rise. Childhood obesity, diabetes and hypertension have started affecting even our children and youth.
Unfortunately, most people do not even realize that these diseases do not spring up overnight; rather they are the result of years of neglect and abuse of their bodies. Most non-communicable diseases are not the result of any one factor but a vicious combination of many factors like poverty, erratic eating and sleep habits, stress related to studies, work, appearance; addiction to drugs, alcohol and tobacco; insufficient physical activity, environmental pollution, ingesting adulterated or pesticide laden food, high-fat-sugar-salt (HFSS) diet, indiscriminate use and disposal of plastics and so on. Moreover, these factors also impact people’s mental health but so silently that they don’t even notice the symptoms.
I was curious to know more about the prevalence of these diseases in India, especially among our children; therefore, I spoke to a Plan India resource person to know how their organization is spreading awareness and promoting good health among the youth.
I was told that Plan India which is a child rights organisation providing children, especially girls, with access to education, healthcare, protection and livelihood opportunities, has initiated a Young Health Program (YHP) in association with AstraZeneca.
It was felt that ignorance is one of the biggest impediments to combating and preventing any disease. People today have very superficial knowledge of the causes of NCDs. They are advised to eat healthy food but do they even know what exactly is healthy food? Is it enough to just count calories? Shouldn’t we also count the additives, salt and sugar in processed food that we keep eating without sparing a thought for their adverse impact on our health?
Children may say that they have eaten only one packet of potato chips but do they know that a single packet of our favorite packet of potato chips contains almost half of the amount of sodium needed by a human being in a day?
In India, packets and cans of processed food have hardly any significant information about the additives in the food item and even if it is mentioned not many people really bother to read it. With most people spending around 12 hours in their workplaces and daily commuting to and fro, people find it easier to buy packaged food rather than cook three meals everyday. While packaged food may be convenient, it is also hazardous to our health.
Many studies have also revealed a direct connection between the burning of bio-mass fuels and low birth weight of children. In fact, impact of inhaling particulate matter in smoke and harmful gases when food is cooked on wood and coal fired chulha in cramped surroundings is 40% more than that from smoking cigarettes. This affects women and children the most. There is also growing evidence highlighting the acute and chronic adverse effect of general and indoor pollution on human health.
Well, as they say ‘prevention is always better than cure’, hence one should strive to prevent the onset of a disease rather than be struck with it and then start looking for cures. Although some policy-based factors are within the purview of the government and it is for the government to formulate rules and laws to tackle them yet we, as an individual and society as a whole must undertake some responsibility of our own health and environment.
For poor people, it is natural to be concerned more about earning their basic necessities than about their health. Even if they are disseminated information about the causes of various lifestyle related diseases, advised to exercise restraint in eating high-fat-salt-sugar and eat more fruits, vegetables, lentils etc they may not be able to do so because of the high cost of buying these. So they must be informed about other less expensive but healthier options.
It is for the government to provide safe and cheap public transport to dissuade people from using individual vehicles. Better traffic management system would not only reduce traffic jams but also reduce the everyday travel time and also stress caused by delay in reaching their destination on time. Cycle tracks can also help reduce usage of expensive and harmful bio fuels and also promote better health. Eliminating all sources of soil, air and water pollution should be the first priority of any government. At the same time, it is for us citizens to opt more for walking than driving to even short distances.
Since these diseases have begun to affect the children and youth also, it is imperative to go down to the community level and include them in this fight against non-communicable diseases. They can even influence their elders to exercise more caution in their choices and preferences and also to alter their unhealthy lifestyle.
Since children are prone to being tempted by advertisements and peer pressure and may easily succumb to it due to easy availability of junk food, tobacco products, alcohol and even drugs in their immediate surroundings, they must be empowered with knowledge so that they are able to make informed choices.
The Young Health Programme is tackling the significant threat of Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in India by aiming to reduce the risk of alcohol, tobacco, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity.
Currently, the third phase of the programme is expanding to marginalised communities in North West Delhi and focuses on vulnerable young people between 10-24 years. The strategies include empowerment through peer education, community mobilisation, strengthening health services and local advocacy.
We must move from finding cures to finding ways to prevent the onset of diseases if we want to lead a pain free long life. Since non-communicable diseases are caused by multiple factors and affects people of all age groups, it is important to understand that preventing them is not the responsibility of any one stakeholder. Rather a multi-level, multi-factoral and multi-stakeholder approach is needed to combat these diseases effectively.
All such long term efforts to support children across all groups, including from marginalized groups, need sustained, long-term effort. Make a donation today to support Plan India’s work in the space of child rights, health and welfare. Let’s all work together to make sure that no child is left behind.
On October 11, girls from Plan India’s communities India took over positions of 114 leaders and change makers across the country, demonstrating their power and potential. The girls stepped into the shoes of Ambassadors and High Commissioners of ten Diplomatic Missions, policy makers, senior government officials, Block Development Officers, business leaders, radio personalities, news editors, head teachers, Child Welfare Committee chairpersons, village council leaders and much more
-IANS
International has launched a multi-country response to flooding in the South Asian countries of India, Bangladesh and Nepal that has claimed hundreds of lives and displaced millions.
Plan International is providing humanitarian relief support to children and families in India, Bangladesh and Nepal who have lost their homes, personal belongings and livelihoods following weeks of heavy, torrential monsoon rains.
Working in close coordination with community partners, in-country humanitarian agencies and government authorities in India, Bangladesh and Nepal, Plan International is responding to the needs of those most affected by the floods and landslides, which have to date, claimed the lives of nearly 250 people and displaced millions across the region.
“Working across all 3 countries, Plan International’s emergency response teams will focus on meeting the immediate needs of affected families, ensuring children and their communities have access to food, water, sanitation and other life-saving items,” says Senait Gebregziabher, Regional Director for Plan International in Asia.
“Our years of experience in Asia have also shown us that children (especially girls) are the most vulnerable victims of disasters and require specific support to ensure their protection and safety, which can often be compromised in an emergency. We have created safe spaces for children, with a special emphasis on girls, and are supporting the re-opening of schools, so children can resume their education as quickly as possible, says Gebregziabher.
In Bangladesh, flooding continues to devastate the northern districts, which has affected more than 3.3 million people. Schools remain closed and almost all village-level roads remain inundated.
Reaching more than 3,500 affected individuals in the last 3 days, Plan International installed 3 water treatment plants in Kurigram district and distributed more than 5,000 litres of clean drinking water.
In India, floods have ravaged the state of Assam and Bihar and authorities are expecting the situation to worsen as rivers flow above the danger mark. Flooding has submerged thousands of homes, agricultural lands and caused damage to neighboring schools.
In Assam, Plan International is prioritising the distribution of safe drinking water, supplementary nutrition, hygiene, and educational materials, and providing child protection support for thousands of affected families. The response team is setting up child-friendly spaces to ensure that during this time of distress, children have a safe space to not only play and heal, but to also regain a sense of normalcy in their lives.
In Bihar, as water levels remain high, access to communities and inconsistent and failed telecommunication lines continue to pose a huge challenge. To address this, Plan International along with its local partners are closely monitoring the situation while determining immediate needs of affected families.
In Nepal, monsoon rains in the Terai region have claimed the lives of more than 100 people and displaced thousands of families whose homes have been destroyed or damaged.
Working in coordination with the District Disaster Rescue Committee, Plan International has started the distribution of food items and tarpaulins for temporary shelter to thousands of families in Rautahat district.
“South Asia is a region vulnerable to natural disasters, triggered by the monsoon rains that occur on an annual basis. In many areas, the road to recovery will be slow, worsened by hampered road access and prolonged water logging.
“Thousands of children, particularly girls and those most vulnerable, will remain at risk if they continue to live in tents and temporary shelters without adequate access to water, food, sanitation and protection. Despite the challenges, it is critical that humanitarian agencies, alongside the government and local partners, reach these families as quickly as possible.
“We are still in the heart of the monsoon season, and any additional rain will prove catastrophic for children and their families already living in dire conditions,” says Gebregziabher.
