Overview - CSR

NSE Group in alignment with the guidelines provided in the Companies Act, 2013 has selected key focus areas to implement CSR projects which are impactful for the end beneficiaries. The NSE Group CSR Policy provides details of these areas, which are as follows:

• Health and Nutrition
• Primary Education
• Sanitation & Safe Drinking Water
• Elder Care
• Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
• Environment Sustainability

Health and Nutrition:

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), India ranks 184th out of 191 countries in terms health expenditure. India has a ratio of 1.4 beds and 1.7 nurses per 1,000 persons, and one doctor for every 1,445 individuals. Over 75% of the healthcare infrastructure is concentrated in metropolitan cities. In remote rural areas health facilities and medical professionals are limited which has a direct impact on daily-wage income.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought forth the vulnerabilities of India’s healthcare system, including limited access to essential healthcare services and a scarcity of healthcare professionals and infrastructure.

Drawing from the National Health Policy 2017 which supports ‘Health for All’ approach to provide assured healthcare for all at an affordable cost, NSE Group has worked on skilling more medical personnel, supporting access to affordable healthcare, and a focus on preventive medicine in hard-to-reach areas of the nation.

Initiatives under health infrastructure augmentation are underway.

Primary Education:

NSE Foundation undertakes education interventions, aligned to the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan of Government of India. The programmes address learning gaps and serve vulnerable populations through activities with schools and communities. The model employed by the Foundation includes a Shikshan-Mitra (community youth) trained in innovative pedagogy. The Shikshan-Mitra becomes the bridge between the school, community and parents. Capacity building of school teachers, School Management Committees and Principals is part of the model. Under many programmes context-based innovations in teaching learning materials and community engagement are endeavoured for effective reach.

Sanitation and Safe Drinking Water:

NSE Foundation’s Safe Drinking and Sanitation model focuses on improving access to functional sanitation facilities with safe drinking water at institutional and household level building ODF sustainability based on sector-specific norms with ownership of all stakeholders. Sensitization, capacity building and training of stakeholders is also a major part of the initiatives to ensure behaviour change.

Elder Care:

NSE Foundation’s interventions with the senior citizens endeavour to improve quality of life by creating a supportive ecosystem, ensuring access to social, economic, and health security. Capacity building and sensitisation on elderly issues across institutions and communities was undertaken. Accordingly, the eldercare model of the NSE Foundation focuses on three key principles to empower elders:

• AGILE: Access to quality healthcare services and higher ownership of health needs.
• AWARE: Opportunity to bond and be part of a peer group set up by the elderly.
• ABLE: Ability to increase capacity and agency to improve financial health.

Skill Development and Entrepreneurship:

NSE Foundation’s objectives for skill and entrepreneurship development are broadly aligned with the goals outlined in the National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, 2015. The programmes train urban and rural disadvantaged youth to improve employment opportunities, enhance their earning capacity, and promote localised development.

Environmental Sustainability:

India being an agrarian economy heavily depends on nature for its produce. Thus, sustainable practices to deal with growing water stress on environment have become need of the hour.

NSE Foundation initiatives work with communities across remote locations of the nation to take measures for soil and water conservation. Apart from developing an understanding of the integrated nature of environmental sustainability among the communities, the programmes build capacities of the stakeholders for long term sustainability.

Disaster Management:

NSE Foundation reaches out to areas that face drought, floods and cyclones with a multi-pronged approach as and when necessary with both immediate relief and gradual restoration.  Depending on the need of the geography and community post disaster, provision of food, water and clothes; rebuilding or repairs of affected infrastructure is undertaken. The Foundation collaborates with local agencies, technical experts and government authorities for short-term relief as well as long-term rehabilitation strategies. At a deeper level, knowledge and community awareness is built, empowering them to face future disasters in a more informed and resilient manner.