While no CSR Compendium for the Corporates has been organised by the Ministry, the CSR provisions under the Companies Act, 2013, exhort eligible corporates to function in a socially responsible manner with the underlying spirit being to ensure use of scarce resources in a judicious manner for the greater good of Society.

 Implementation of CSR by companies above specified threshold is a mandatory provision of the Companies Act, 2013. In order to facilitate effective implementation of CSR by companies, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs has (i) amended Schedule VII of the Act to ensure that a wide range of activities are permissible CSR activities ; (ii) issued a clarificatory circular dated 18.06.2014 suggesting, inter-alia, liberal interpretation of Schedule VII; and (iii) issued amendments to the Companies (Corporate Social Responsibility Policy) Rules, 2014, to (a) include ‘expenditure on administrative overheads’ for CSR as permissible CSR expenditure and (b) facilitate pooling of resources by companies to undertake CSR activities. All the above are available on the Ministry’s website (www.mca.gov.in).

 This was stated by Shri Arun Jaitley, Minister of Corporate Affairs in written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

CSR obligations broadened: permissible activities and administrative costs now allowed, enabling companies to pool resources for implementation. Implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility is mandatory for companies above statutory thresholds; Schedule VII has been amended to broaden permissible CSR activities and a clarificatory circular advocates liberal interpretation. Amendments to the CSR Rules permit expenditure on administrative overheads as eligible CSR spending and allow pooling of resources by companies to undertake CSR activities, aiming to facilitate effective compliance and judicious use of corporate resources for societal benefit.