Rajnath Singh urges corporate sector to focus on voluntary contributions

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh exhorted the corporate sector to rise above compulsory obligations and focus more on voluntary contributions for the upliftment of the nation.

He was addressing a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Excellence Awards ceremony in Mumbai on Saturday.

Singh highlighted the difference between voluntary contributions and legal liabilities and called for establishing a connection with the people. He said even Rs 5 given voluntarily for the welfare of the nation manages to establish a connection much deeper than Rs 100 paid as tax.

"Is a society with people with no social morality; where they work only under legal obligations worth living in?" asked Singh as he shared his vision. A society should have a shared sense of fraternity where everyone is ready to help each other," he said.

He stressed the need to inspire others to come forward and contribute to the betterment of the country while raising awareness about the areas that require attention. He added that people need to know about the kinds of interventions that are benefiting society and also those that aren't.

Commending the socially conscious people, especially the corporates, for their contributions, he termed it as a responsibility of the country to recognise these individuals.

Singh emphasised that, be it the people or the government, the basic objective must be to establish a better nation. He called to leverage the synergy of social responsibility interventions and government programmes with a focus on convergence.

The Defence Minister urged the corporate sector to pay attention to the efficiency of social responsibility interventions as much as they focus on effective resource utilisation for their company.

He also called upon them to not hesitate to adopt the best global CSR practises. Singh, urged to exercise caution against the ideologies that aim to divide society, stating that they must be rejected outrightly.