Make CSR mandatory for corporate houses.

We see TWO Indias.

ONE is a hunger struck, dying ailing crowd of millions of poor. ANOTHER INDIA is a bunch of flourishing, sashaying overly rich corporates.

While the top 10% of India’s population enjoys 31.1% of the country’s income, the lowest 10% suffers with merely 3.6%. A great portion of India's population is a victim of rising monetary deficits, most of which has crossed well under the poverty threshold.

We want government to make it mandatory for the Corporate houses to spend at least 2% of their profits on CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activities.

ONE INDIA:

Poverty is widespread. Nation is estimated to have a third of the world's poor. According to a 2005 World Bank estimate, 41.6% of the total Indian population falls below the international poverty line of US$ 1.25 a day. A recent report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) states that 8 Indian states have more poor than 26 poorest African nations combined which totals to more than 410 million poor in the poorest African countries.

UNICEF shows that one in three malnourished children worldwide are found In India 42 percent of children under five were underweight. It

also showed that A total of 58 percent of children under five surveyed were stunted.

The 2011 Global Hunger Index (GHI) Report ranked India 45th, amongst leading countries with hunger situation. Data from The World Bank shows that the percentage of underweight children in sub-Saharan Africa is 24% while India has almost twice the amount at 47%.

The United Nations had estimated that “2.1 million Indian children die before reaching the age of 5 every year – four every minute.”

ANOTHER INDIA:

Forbes list says India currently has 55 "US dollar billionaires" after United States, China and Russia whose (individuals with a total net worth of one billion dollars and above), accounts for roughly 4.5% of the global total of 1210 billionaires across the six continents.

The collective net worth of India's 100 wealthiest individuals stands at $241 billion.

If the Corporate Houses are made to spend just 2% of their profit for social causes, the situation would improve considerably.

Companies Bill 2011 with section 135 (that makes 2% for CSR mandatory) must be passed by the Parliament at the earliest. It's high time. People are dying of poverty and hunger.