Corporate Social Rresponsibility

CSR PRACTICES IN INDIAN BANKING SECTOR Now-a-days CSR has been assuming greater importance in the corporate world including financial institutions and banking sector. Banks and other financial institutions start promoting environment friendly and socially responsible lending and investment practices. RBI (2007) has also directed Indian banks to undertake CSR initiatives for sustainable development and also asked banks to begin non-financial reporting which is related to activities in the era of environmental, social and economic accounting. It has been observed from karmayog’s CSR ratings that most of the Indian public sector banks do not mention recent CSR activities on their annual reports or on the websites. The financial institutions do not take adequate steps for updating the recent activities in CSR .CSR has been assuming greater importance in the corporate world, including the banking sector. To highlight the role of banks in CSR, the RBI circulated a notice on 20th December , 2007 for all the scheduled commercial banks in India. Recently financial institutions adopt an integrated approach between customer satisfaction and CSR in a broader way. RBI also instructs the banks to integrate their business operation along with social and environmental aspects. The major key areas of CSR like, children welfare, community welfare, education, environment, healthcare, poverty eradication, rural development, vocational training, women empowerment, protection to girl child etc., In recent years an attempt has been initiated to ensure socially responsible behavior of banking sector in a more organized manner. The CSR in Indian Banking Sector is aimed towards addressing the financial inclusion, providing financial services to the unbanked or untapped areas of the country, the socio-economic development of the country by focusing on the activities like, poverty eradication, health and medical care, rural area development, self employment training and financial literacy trainings, infrastructure development, education, and environmental Protection etc. RBI also insisted upon taking measures for sustainable development of economy through realizing the dire necessity of CSR. Reserve Bank of India (2007) stated that CSR entails the integration of 5 social and environmental concerns by companies in their business operations and also in interactions with their stakeholders. The major thrust areas for CSR practice in Indian banks are common in public sector and private sector banks. These areas include children welfare, community welfare, education, environment, healthcare, poverty eradication, rural development, vocational training, women's empowerment, protection to girl child and employment.