The Role of a Newsprint Paper Corporate in Community Development (The Case of Tamilnadu Newsprint Paper Limited)

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility is not a new concept in India. However, what is new is the shift in focus from making profits to meeting societal challenges. World Business Council for Sustained Development says, "Corporate Social Responsibility is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large." Mostly, the companies concentrate around education, rural upliftment and helping the physically challenged people voluntarily. Apart from this, society expects more from corporates in terms of jobs, decent salary, goods and services that satisfy their needs. In this context, we attempt an evaluation of the CSR activities of TNPL (TamilNadu News Print Paper Limited). The company is eco-friendly and helps the inhabitants of the surrounding villages. It gives attention to a plethora of CSR activities such as treatment of effluent water, education and development activities, community development activities, greening the environment, sports, drinking water facility, career development centre, medical camps and cattle care camps, blood donation camps, women and child welfare, training programmes, and assistance for the differently disabled persons. Among these, educational sponsorship programme, water supply programme, medical and public health programme and training were evaluated. The objective of these programmes is to enrich the rural poor children through education, water supply for both drinking and irrigation; provision of health facility and expansion of women development in their economic and skill status.