Bharathidasan Institute of Management organized "Kartavya" - a national conference on Corporate Social Responsibility at The Capitol, Bangalore on 5th and 6th November. This event saw the confluence of different corporates coming together to throw light on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The entire conference was a means of strengthening the interaction between companies, NGOs, the young corporate aspirants from BIM and other institutes across the country.

Prof. M. Sankaran, Director, Bharathidasan Institute of Management welcomed the gathering. The conference was inaugurated by Ms. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Managing Director, Biocon Ltd. She pointed out that the increasing divide between the developed and underdeveloped is huge in India and CSR addresses how to bridge this gap. She said Education, Health and Employment are the needs of society and CSR can be of much help on this front and wanted sustainable social models to be built on the platform of CSR. Mr. D. Thangaraj, I.A.S., Principal Secretary Health, Government of Karnataka offered his felicitations for the conference

The sessions on day one opened with a speech on Corporate Citizenship by Dr. N. Jayasankaran, Vice Chancellor, and Kanchi University. It was followed by a presentation by Mr. M. Shakthivel, A.S.M. South India Project Shakthi HLL who demonstrated how HLL is transforming the lives of Women SHG's in Andhra Pradesh by integrating them into their supply chain and provided them a good livelihood. He told the objectives of the project are providing sustainable income and educating them about health and hygiene.

Mr. Dileep Ranjekar, CEO of Azim Permji Foundation stressed upon the importance of quality universal education to facilitate a just and equitable human society. The speakers looked at divergent views on the role of the Government, both its successes and failures. According to Mr. Vijayan Menon, Founder of C Sharp, "The Government is the largest player in the field of Social Responsibility" and "Corporates can fill in the voids which are left". Mr. Raja Shanmugam, VP Mindtree Consulting, elaborated on how Mindtree spontaneously responds to natural calamities, like the Tsunami and earthquakes, faced by different regions of the country. Mr. C. Mahalingam Sr. VP H.R. Symphony Services spoke on how humane HR initiatives which focus on people are an important component of CSR activity.

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