What is Corporate Social Responsibility?

 Every corporate is responsible for some social or environmental cause.

The term Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR, as it is commonly known as, has been derived from the Vedas.

We all are aware of the commonly spoken maxim “Neki kar dariya me daal”. This means do your karma, forget about results. Do good and expect nothing. This is called “Nishkam Karma”.

It is now mandatory for all companies above a given defined size to spend 2% of their net profits of the last three financial years to charity (CSR activities) under Section 135 of the Indian Companies Act.

In Islam, all Muslims who meet the necessary criteria of wealth are required to give 2.5% of their total wealth to the needy as ‘Zakat’. Sikhism also requires Sikhs to donate one-tenth of their earnings as "Daan" towards the common resources of the community. 

The Gandhian principle of “Sarvodaya” or welfare of all advocates that the aim in life therefore should be to work not for oneself but for the welfare of the others. The basic fundamental teaching of the Vedic science is also based on sarvodaya. It talks about “bahujan hitay-bahujan sukhay” i.e. “the good of the masses, the benefit of the masses”.

“Vasudhaiva kutumbakam” i.e. the whole world is one family is derived from the Rig Veda and forms one of the fundamentals of Vedic philosophy.

It has been an IMA Policy that doctors should give 10% of their time to charity in the form of free OPDs or camps. Real charity is 100% free, but when corporates entered, this changed to “camps with conversion”. Charity has to be unconditional. Consultation alone should not be free. The entire treatment should be free and it should be transparent. Even the MCI Code of Ethics Regulations has said, “The prime object of the medical profession is to render service to humanity; reward or financial gain is a subordinate consideration (1.1.2).” 

A Devta is someone who gives and shares. Anybody who gives can be said to be a devta. Doctors can be likened to devtas, as they help the patient to heal.

All doctors do CSR. Every doctor is a “Trust” as he is a trustee of his patient.

This is why the medical profession is called a noble profession.

Dr KK Aggarwal

Padma Shri Awardee

President Elect Confederation of Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania   (CMAAO)

Group Editor-in-Chief IJCP Publications

President Heart Care Foundation of India

Immediate Past National President IMA