NITI Ayog launches portal for NGOs

All NGOs are requested to keep their profiles updated

NITI Ayog has developed NGO partnership system (NGO-PS) portal to facilitate voluntary organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to register with the government. They would have to sign up on NGO-PS portal of the Ayog at htt://ngo.india.gov.in They will have to use unique ID for funding for 2015-16. The Central government would consider the proposals received from them for the year 2015-16.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/niti-ayog-launches-portal-for-ngos/article7055419.ece

VOs/NGOs need unique ID from NGO-PS for funding 2015-16

The Volungary Organisations (VOs) /Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) who got the unique IDfrom NGO-PS are eligible for funding for 2015-16. The Union Government will consider the proposals receivedfrom VOs/NGOs only from those who have unique ID No for theyear 2015-16, Andhra Pradesh Tribal Welfare PrincipalSecretary Dr a Vidyasagar said in a statement here today. The NITI Ayog (erstwhile Planning Commission of India)has developed 'NGO Partnership System (NGO-PS) portal. The portal facilitates the VOs/NGOs during theirinteraction with the Government in connection with requestsfor Government Grants under various schemes of theparticipating Ministries/Departments. The portal also helps to create a data base of existingVOs/NGOs and to access information on various schemes of theparticipating Ministries/Departments open for grants and theMinistry of Tribal Affairs is also one of the participating Ministries. For this, the Voluntary Organisations / Non-GovernmentalOrganizations are required to sign up (one time) on thisNGO-PS portal of the Aayog at htt://ngo.india.gov.in. After signing up with the portal, an Unique ID No. willbe shown and the VOs/NG0s, have to note the same for futureguidance, the statement added.UNI VV AKM AY AE AN1913

Source: http://news.webindia123.com/news/articles/india/20150331/2563814.html

Two NGOs per policeman in India: CBI tells SC

NEW DELHI: For a country ranking low in social indices, the data provided to the Supreme Court on Friday by the CBI on non-government organisations was both startling and heartening — there are two NGOs for every policeman.

On a petition filed by advocate M L Sharma alleging misuse of funds by an Anna Hazare-led NGO in Maharashtra, the SC had asked the CBI two years ago to count the number of NGOs and how many were filing annual income and expenditure details with the Registrar of Societies.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Two-NGOs-per-policeman-in-India-CBI-tells-SC/articleshow/49019832.cms

ASIA'S BIGGEST NGO GATHERING ON 9 OCTOBER 2015, NEW DELHI

Utkal Alumina bags IDA Award-2015 for Excellence in CSR in Education

Rayagada, Sep 17: Utkal Alumina International Ltd.(UAIL), a part of Birla Group of Companies at Doraguda, Tikiri, Kashipur has been conferred with prestigious and coveted IDA Award-2015 for Excellence in CSR in Education – providing access to quality education for underprivileged class of society, at an all India level competition.

‘IDA Awards’ is a presentation of India Didactics Association, the premier trade association for the Indian Education and Training fraternity engaged in improving learning and teaching. Facilitating Inspiration, Knowledge-Sharing and Experience in Innovative Solutions and Practices, the IDA Awards celebrate and reward excellence in educational products, resources and services among the education and training fraternity.

In all, twenty eight companies pan India participated in this competition in the category of CSR in Education and out of which, four Corporates viz., Utkal Alumina, Hero Motor Corp, Dabur India, Essar Group reached finalists stage and were invited to participate in the Awards function on 10th September, 2015 at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, Bengaluru. At a glittering ceremony graced by a large number of National and International delegates, Utkal Alumina was adjudged as the Winner of the Award.

The Trophy along with a Certificate of Award was received by Sri M.Ramesh Kumar, Sr. Vice President (HR, Admn., & CSR) and Sri Siba Mahapatra, AGM (CSR) from the Deputy Prime Minister of Jordan, His Excellency Dr. Mohammad Thneibat.

Utkal Alumina’s entry came in for a lot of appreciation by the juries, wherein a very comprehensive coverage about Utkal’s various educational & vocational training initiatives for the underprivileged class of society was showcased viz., setting up an ITI at Kashipur and providing artisan training to the nominees from Displaced & Pr oject Affected persons, imparting vocational training to locals and thereby providing employable skills, offering employment to most of these trained artisans and transforming them into a productive workforce, initiatives in delivering quality education through Aditya Birla Public School, setting up Balwadi Centres & Adult Education Centres in the periphery of UAIL, supplementing teachers in Govt. Schools in the company’s vicinity, etc.

From a humble beginning made 5 years ago when UAIL started its CSR initiatives in the remote corner of Orissa in right earnest (from ground Zero) and now taking it to a recognition at a national level, Utkal Alumina has come a long way and it’s indeed an incredible journey for Utkal fraternity. This has been possible with the keen effort of the Utkal CSR team under the leadership of Sri Ramesh Kumar who pioneered the CSR work in a sustainable manner.

Source: http://www.odishanewsinsight.com/events/utkal-alumina-bags-ida-award-2015-for-excellence-in-csr-in-education

Ministers urge India Inc to help NGOs transform social sector

NEW DELHI: Key policymakers have urged the country's corporates to work with committed social organisations to help transform the country's social sector and not restrict themselves to mandatory CSR spending.

"In country like India, the role of businesses is not just profit making or creating job," minister of state for finance Jayant Sinha said on Monday. "Their true potential could be met only if they became as a force for good in society," he said at the launch of the Economic Times CSR Compendium.

"Workforce of companies should become valuable resources for assisting NGOs and government," he said.

Speaking on the occasion, railway minister Suresh Prabhu said that if the management of India Inc and commitment of social activists were pooled together, it could truly transform the social sector of the country. "Companies need to use their resources more efficiently for the larger good of society. There's a need to combine money and management to make the real change," he said.

The Economic Times CSR Compendium is an initiative of Times CSR, a vertical of the Times Group.

Its launch marks the completion of one year of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) regime in India, which was introduced through the Companies Act, 2013. Under the CSR norms, companies with net worth of more than Rs 500 crore or revenues of over Rs 1,000 crore or a net profit of more than Rs 5 crore need to spend 2% of their three-year average annual net profit on CSR activities in each financial year, starting from 2014-15.

Sectors that come under the ambit of CSR include rural development, education, contribution to the Prime Minister's relief fund, Swatch Bharat fund, Clean Ganga fund, promotion of sports, art and culture, and providing basic healthcare. The two ministers said companies should do more than that to help the country overcome its social challenges.

"The corporates have to push the envelope for social responsibility," Sinha said. "Businesses must create shared value in the society. Companies like Tata have done it in Jamshedpur." He said companies putting in world class environmental standards also count as social responsibility.

The minister said India lacks trained manpower in the field of urban development, education and healthcare and it should be the responsibility of Indian corporates to provide the assistance of their highly trained manpower for uplifting these sectors.

"In US there is service corps or volunteers who assist these institutions. We could have the same in India. There's a need to bring managerial quality of corporate sector to social sector," Sinha said.

As per the Companies Act, companies have to set up a separate governance framework for CSR including a CSR committee. The government has set up a six-member high level panel to suggest steps for improved monitoring of social welfare activities done by them under the Companies Act. The panel is expected to submit its report next month.

Read more at: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/ministers-urge-india-inc-to-help-ngos-transform-social-sector/articleshow/48961339.cms