Shri G. Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of Coal & Mines, Launches First-Ever Sector-Wide CSR Framework for Indian Coal Companies;

Key Highlights:

• The Ministry of Coal launched the first-ever sector-wide Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Framework for Indian Coal Companies.
• Milestones were celebrated for two flagship CSR initiatives: Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana (TBSY) and Nanha Sa Dil.
• TBSY provides financial aid for Bone Marrow Transplants (BMT) for children with Thalassemia and Aplastic Anaemia, completing over 1,050 BMTs.
• Nanha Sa Dil addresses Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) in newborns, screening over 2 lakh children and performing more than 1,500 free surgeries.
• Coal India Limited (CIL) is the central public sector enterprise implementing these healthcare initiatives.

Detailed Insights:

• The new CSR Framework is the first sector-specific framework since the Companies Act, 2013, prepared by the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA).
• It aims to guide impactful and outcome-oriented CSR activities for people residing in coal mining areas.
• TBSY has expanded its network from 4 to 21 empanelled hospitals, with an outlay of ₹130 crore across four phases.
• Under TBSY, up to ₹10 lakh per patient is extended directly to hospitals for BMT, implemented with Thalassemics India.
• Nanha Sa Dil was launched by CIL in partnership with the Sri Sathya Sai Health and Education Trust, initially in Jharkhand and scaled up through CIL subsidiaries.
• The initiative provides free corrective surgeries, including travel and hospitalization expenses, for children with CHD.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): A statutory requirement under the Companies Act, 2013, for companies to contribute to social and environmental well-being.
• Thalassemia: A genetic blood disorder characterized by abnormal hemoglobin production, leading to severe anemia.
• Congenital Heart Defects (CHD): Structural problems in the heart that are present at birth, affecting blood flow.
• Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT): A medical procedure to replace damaged or diseased bone marrow with healthy stem cells.