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“DISASTER MANAGEMENT, CORPORATE GOVERNANCE &

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY”

Submitted to

MUMBAI UNIVERSITY

FOR THE PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE DEGREE OF

MASTERS OF COMMERCE

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

SESSION 2013-2014

DEPT. OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES

MULUND COLLEGE OF COMMERCE

Under the guidance of: MS. ROOPALI KOTEKAR

Submitted by: RAVEENA UDASI

Roll: - 15051

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DECLARATION

I, Raveena Udasi, student of MCom here by declared that the research

report enti tled “DISASTER MANAGEMENT, CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ” is

completed and submitted under the guidance of is my original work.

The imperial finding in this report is based on the data collected by me. I have

not submitted this project report to any other Universi ty for the purpose of

compliance of any requirement of any examination or degree.

DATE: Raveena Udasi

M.Com Sem I

ROLL NO. 15051

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CERTIFICATE

I, Prof. Roopali Kotekar, hereby certify thatMiss Raveena Manoj Udasi ROLL.

No 15051 of Mulund College of Commerce, S. N. Road, Mulund (West),

Mumbai -400080 of M.com Part I (Business Management) has completed her

project on “Disaster Management, Corporate Governance and Corporate Social

Responsibility” during the academic year 2013 -14. The information submitted is

true and original to the best of my knowledge.

____________________ ___________________

Project Guide Principal

_____________________ ___________________

Co-coordinator External guide

Date:

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This project aims to understanding the meaning and definition of disaster

management, corporate governance and corporate social responsibili ty.

For a detailed understanding I have taken a company to dissect the definitions of

the above mentioned terminology.

In this project I have tried to highlight the various disasters in the world and

one of which is India. And also highlighted an understanding of how the disaster

in India has been managed due to strong disaster management forces.

The other half of my project talks about Corporate Governance and Corporate

Social Responsibili ty laid down by Reliance Industries Limited. It gives a gist

of how the company operates.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A research project is a golden

opportunity for learning and self development. I consider myself very lucky and

honored to have so many wonderful people lead me through in completion of

this project.

My grateful thanks to Prof. Ms.

Roopali Kotekar who in spite of being extraordinarily busy with her/his duties,

took time out to hear, guide and keep me on the correct path. I do not know

where I would have been without her/him. A humble ‘Thank you’ Sir.

I would also like to thank everyone who took active involvemen t in helping me

with my project report without whom, it would not have been possible.

RAVEENA UDASI

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TABLE OF CONTENT

SR. NO. TABLE OF CONTENTS

PG. NO.

1 DISASTER MANAGEMENT 7

2 MEANING & CLASSIFICATION 8

3 TYPES OF DISASTERS 9

4 UTTARAKHAND: A MODEL OF DISASTER 11

5 MANAGING UTTARAKHAND 18

6 CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 21

7 PRINCIPLES OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 23

8 GOVERNANCE MODEL AROUND THE WORLD 24

9 CODES & GUIDELINES 26

10 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 33

11 LIMITATION 47

12 BIBLIOGRAPHY 48

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DISASTER MANAGEMENT

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A disaster is a natural or man-made (or technological) hazard result ing in an event of

substantial extent causing significant physical damage or destruction, loss of l ife, or

drastic change to the environment . A disaster can be ostensively defined as any tragic

event stemming from events such asearthquakes, f loods, catastrophic accidents, f ires,

or explosions. It is a phenomenon that can cause damage to l ife and property and

destroy the economic, social and cultural l ife of people.

In contemporary academia, disasters are seen as the consequence of

inappropriately managed risk. These risks are the product of a combination of both

hazard/s and vulnerabi l i ty. Hazards that strike in areas with low vulnerabil i ty will

never become disasters, as is the case in uninhabited regions.

Developing countries suffer the greatest costs when a disaster hits – more than 95

percent of al l deaths caused by disasters occur in developing countries, and losses due

to natural disasters are 20 t imes greater (as a percentage of GDP) in developing

countries than in industrial ized countries.

Researchers have been studying disasters for more than a century, and for more than

forty years disaster research. The studies reflect a common opinion when they argue

that al l disasters can be seen as being human -made, their reasoning being that human

actions before the strike of the hazard can prevent i t developing into a disaster. All

disasters are hence the result of human failure to introduce appropriate disaster

management measures. [7] Hazards are routinely divided into natural or human -made,

al though complex disasters, where there is no single root cause, are more common

in developing countries . A specific disaster may spawn a secondary disaster that

increases the impact. A classic example is an earthquake that causes a tsunami,

result ing in coastal flooding.

Natural disaster

A natural disaster is a consequence when a natural hazard affects humans and/or the

buil t environment. Human vulnerabil i ty, and lack of appropriate emergency

management , leads to financial , environmental , or human impact. The result ing loss

depends on the capacity of the population to support or resist the disaster: their

resil ience. This understanding is concentrated in the formulation: "disasters occur

when hazards meet vulnerabil i ty". A natural hazard will hence never result in a

natural disaster in areas without vulnerabil i ty.

Various phenomena l ike earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, f loods and

cyclones are all natural hazards that kil l thousands of people and destroy bil l ions of

dollars of habitat and property each year. However, natural hazards can strike in

unpopulated areas and never develop into disasters. However, the rapid growth of the

world 's population and i ts increased concentration often in hazardous environments

has escalated both the frequency and severity of n atural disasters. With the tropical

cl imate and unstable land forms, coupled with deforestation, unplanned growth

proliferation, non-engineered constructions which make the disaster -prone areas more

vulnerable, tardy communication, poor or no budgetary all ocation for disaster

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prevention, developing countries suffer more or less chronically by natural

disasters. Asia tops the l ist of casualt ies due to natural disasters.

Man-made disasters

Man-made disasters are the consequence of technological or human hazards. Examples

include stampedes , f ires, transport accidents , industrial accidents, oil spil ls and

nuclear explosions/radiation. War and deliberate attacks may also be put in this

category. As with natural hazards, man -made hazards are events that have not

happened, for instance terrorism. Man -made disasters are examples of specific cases

where man-made hazards have become reali ty i n an event .

Typhoon Haiyan – Phil ippines

Considered one of the strongest storms ever to make landfall , Typhoon Haiyan tore

through the central Phil ippines November 8, kil l ing nearly 6,000 people and

displacing more than 3.6 mill ion.

The 13-foot storm surge and up to 235-mph wind gusts largely wiped out coastal ci t ies

and destroyed much of the region’s infrastructure, such as roads, water and

sanitation systems, and telecommunications l ines.

“When you look at the mountains, they look bare and stripped of all vegetation,”

Aaron Aspi, a World Vision communications officer , told ABC Radio on November 11

from northern Cebu.

Within one month of the storm, World Vision had reached almost 150,000 people with

emergency food, shelter, medical at tention, and other assistance. I t is preparing long -

term efforts to help people in as many as 80,000 households in the dis aster -prone

country get back on their feet .

Typhoon Phail in – India

The strongest cyclone to hit India in 14 years, Typhoon Phail in affected the

l ivelihoods of more than 13 mill ion people in the country’s northeast .

Heavy rains and more than 150 -mph winds brought widespread devastation. But fewer

than 50 people died in the mid -October storm. Governments and aid

organizations credited improved disaster preparedness and the early evacuation of

about 1 mill ion of the most vulnerable residents along the coast .

As Phail in approached, World Vision staff had provided megaphones, l ife jackets ,

f lashlights, and ropes to community leaders, enabling them to warn residents and

organize quickly. In the aftermath, the organization distributed emergency food and

other supplies to famil ies in Brahmapur, in Odisha state.

Hurricanes Manuel and Ingrid – Mexico

Two separate storms overwhelmed western Mexico with rain in September, tr iggering

widespread flooding and landslides. More than 200,000 people were affected in

Guerrero state alone. In Acapulco, f ive feet of mud overtook vehicles and destroyed

homes.

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World Vision staff provided families in the Xochistlahuaca and Santa Catarina River

communities in Guerrero with food, blankets, and tarps. In the long term, we will

provideclean water , sanitation kits, and construction materials to help families rebuild

their homes.

We will also operate Child-Friendly Spaces , where children have a safe place to learn,

play, and receive counseling.

Earthquake – Central Visayas, Phil ippines

Just three weeks before Typhoon Haiyan hit Central Visayas, a magnitude -7.2

earthquake rocked the same region, kil l ing 222 people, displacing 350,000, and

damaging or destroying about 73,000 buildings. Tho usands of displaced or homeless

quake survivors st i l l had not found adequate shelter before Haiyan blew through.

World Vision provided affected families with food and basic household supplies in the

days after the quake.

Tornadoes – United States

A massive tornado, packing 200-mph winds, raked a 12-mile path through the

Oklahoma City area May 20, destroying homes and severely damaging two elementary

schools. The twister ki l led 24 people, ABC News reported.

The week before, as many as 10 tornadoes touched do wn in North Texas, kil l ing six.

In response to the dual disasters , World Vision provided more than 15,000 affected

people with emergency food kits, hygiene ki ts, cleanup kits, and blankets. Its mobile

Teacher Resource Center supplied 156 teachers to serve 2,300 students at four schools

in devastated Oklahoma neighborhoods.

As part of a long-term recovery commitment , World Vision is partnering with local

churches and organizations to help families rebuild their homes.

Other disasters

Other large-scale natural disasters World Vision responded to in 2013 include:

Solomon Islands earthquake and tsunami (February)

Sichuan, China, earthquake (April)

Southern Africa drought(May-present)

Uttarakhand, India, f loods (June)

Colorado, U.S., f loods (September)

Southern Asia floods (October)

West Africa drought (ongoing)

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UTTARAKHAND: A MODEL OF DISASTER

On the afternoon of 16 June, local resident Manav Bisht watched dozens of constables

leaving the paramili tary Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Academy, which stood between

his house in Shakti Vihar, a locali ty in Uttarakhand’s Srinagar town, and the

Alaknanda river that had started swelling from 10 am. The waters threatened to enter

the academy building after 5 pm and more jawans were shifted to Pauri , the district

headquarters.

SSB IG S Bandhopadhyay was aware of the torrential rainfall up in the hil ls. There

was also the flood warning issued by the Indian Meteorological Department ( IMD). As

night fell , the Alaknanda breached the meagre embankment and ravaged the academy

building. Sometime af ter midnight, after drowning the 500 -metre s tretch of the SSB

campus, the torrent rose above the 10 -feet -high boundary wall on the other side and

entered Shakti Vihar .

Bandhopadhyay’s t imely action saved many l ives. But busy evacuat ing his men, he did

not inform the district administration . “I didn’t need to tel l anyone. They could see

what was happening. Everyone had informat ion about the heavy rainfall ,” says

Bandhopadhyay. But nobody thought i t necessary to warn the residents of Srinagar.

So, Bisht , much l ike hi s neighbours, was caught unawares when the river entered his

house around 1.30 am. Suddenly, there was panic everywhere. Within an hour or so,

the entire neighbourhood had gone under the roil ing waters. Few managed to get hold

of any valuables. Bisht’s fam i ly barely managed to escape in the clothes they

weresleeping in.

About 100 km away, further up in the hil ls, another river was also in spate. While the

Alaknanda was engulfing parts of Srinagar, the Mandakini began battering

the templetown of Kedarnath in the early hours of 17 June. Soon after pilgrims and

residents of the pilgrimage centre woke up to sights of devastation, a massive

landslide sent huge mounds of rock in to the Charbari lake, 6 km upstream

of Kedarnath.

Binod Mantri , a pilgrim from West Bengal’s Hooghly, was uneasy since 16 June. With

no let -up in the rain, worried loca ls advised him to shift closer to

the Kedarnath temple from his hotel by the r iver. So he checked into the Rajasthan

guesthouse with 16 family members and stayed indoors as landslides, rain and howling

wind battered the town. Next morning, the family was preparing to venture out for a

quick breakfast when the torrent entered the room. Mantri and his brother -in-law

survived by clinging on to the window gril l . Everyone else in the family, al l 14 of

them, climbed onto beds and were swept away within minutes.

“The landslide caused a giant splash l ike a br ick dropped in a bucket of water,” recalls

one of the four Indian Army jawans posted at Kedarnath. The mass of rock smashed

against the sand and boulders, giving the river momentum to sweep up more rocks on

i ts way to become the destructive force that wiped clean everything in i ts path. By

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nine in the morning, Kedarnath had become a ghost town. Rambara, a sett lement

downstream, simply disappeared.

By 18 June, the magnitude of the disaster became clear. Across 37,000 sq km of the

Himalayan state, landslide and floods trapped more than 80,000 tourists, tr iggering

one of the biggest rescue operations by the armed forces and the biggest by

helicopters so far. The race against t ime took i ts toll even on those who toiled round

the clock to save l ives . On 20 June, Rudraprayag District Magistrate Vijay Dhaundiyal

suffered a heart at tack. At least 20 rescue personnel perished, adding to the official

death toll of 5,000, which, locals and eyewitnesses claim, will b e in the range of 10-

20,000 if those who have gone missing are also accounted for.

For each survivor , another seems to have died in this unfolding tragedy. Sixty -five-

year-old Aishwarya made i t al ive, along with just seven of her group of 15. “Standing

beside a bonfire to keep warm, she was having coffee at a roadside shop when the

flood waters came. Before she could react , out of nowhere, a pack of mules charged

towards her, knocking her over and pushing her into the open fire,” said one of her

relatives at the Himalayan Insti tute Hospital Trust in Dehradun, the state capital ,

where she is being treated for severe burns and an injured hip.

Against heavy odds, i t took even the army’s best efforts more than a week to reach the

stranded in many areas. “We were nervous when we first got here. We didn’t know if

we would be able to pull this off. But today, we are gett ing the last of the nearly 300

survivors down from Jungle Chatt i ,” a Fifth Sikh Regiment officer leading the rescue

operation in Kedarnath told TEHELKA, while keeping a watchful eye on able -bodied

survivors climbing off a rope down a 80 -degree, 90-feet -deep drop.

As of 26 June, there are st i l l 5,000 survivors stranded in the Badrinath and Harsil

areas and the rescue work — Operation Surya — continues despite intermittent rain

and worsening weather conditions. While some locals al lege that rescue operations

have been skewed towards saving pilgrims and foreigners, vil lagers of Bhagori and

Ganeshpur in Uttarkashi are going out of their way to shelter and feed the stranded.

With the armed forces and the administration confident that the last few will be

rescued in the next couple of days, the worst seems to be over for the visi tors.

The surviving tourists will return home. Uttarakhand and i ts people will have to face

the consequence of this disaster. Nearly 1 lakh of them have become homeless and

there is resentment among the locals that rescue efforts have ignored them so far.

With more than 300 reported cases, acute diarrhoea is threatening to take epid emic

proportions as rott ing corpses have begun to contaminate water sources.

Already, the state has estimated the damage to be upwards of Rs 3,000 crore.

Insurance companies are looking at claims worth more than Rs 1,000 crore. The Char

Dham Yatra has been called off indefinitely. Damaged roads and other infrastructure

may take years to rebuild. Religious tourism, the mainstay of Garhwal’s economy,

will now have to start from scratch.

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In the 2011 census, Ut tarakhand’s population was 1.08 crore. The state hosted 2.68

crore pilgrims and tourists in 2010 - 11. Since then, the Garhwal religious circuit saw

a four-fold increase in the number of pilgrims as year -round access to the shrines —

earl ier restricted to four months — was allowed.

According to Yatra Rotation Samiti member Sanjay Shastri , around 1 lakh vehicles —

50-60 percent of these not from the state — do three tr ips of the Char Dham Yatra

each year. Since 2005-06, the number of taxis and jeeps registered in the state has

jumped tenfold. Since 2010, the state has added 4,500 km of road under the Pradhan

Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) alone. Its total road length nearly tr ipled in the

past decade.

“People became greedy. Everyone went overboard. How long would the mountain

suffer thousands of jeeps and buses crawling up and down and accommodate thousands

of tourists? All along the banks of the river , there is construction of houses. Where we

used to have tents a few years ago, we have f ive -storey buildings. At some point or

the other, nature had to hit back. This was i t ,” says Gaurav Singh, who runs a tea stall

in Guptakashi vil lage.

And this is when things have gone to plan. After an emotionally -charged poli t ical

struggle, the creation of the Uttarakhand state in 2000 promised i ts people their r ight

over the hil ls, forests and water. At the t ime, many professed that the new sta te could

build i ts economy without compromising i ts prist ine hil ls, by focussing on i t and other

soft -skil l industries. Instead, Uttarakhand decided to go big on tourism, the only

industry i t had known unti l then.

In 2001, the state consti tuted the Uttarakhand Tourism Board and chalked up i ts

tourism policy with the vision to “make Uttaranchal synonymous with tourism”. The

focus was on drawing higher numbers of tourists and bigger investment into the state.

From 1 crore in 2001, the number of visi tors to the state grew to 3 crore in 2010.

Over the decade, a number of schemes and tax rebates for building tourism

infrastructure ensured ‘development’ of prist ine destinations and mushrooming of

hotels and resorts. The state raised the budgetary allocation for tourism by 224

percent in the 10th Plan. At present, 22 tourism projects wor th Rs 1,840 crore are

coming up on the publ ic -private partnership (PPP) model and account for 47 percent

of the total investment in the PPP schemes under implementation in the state.

While promoting unrestricted growth in tour ism, the new state decided to exploit i ts

hydropower potential as well . Former chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal prepared a

‘Vision 2020’ statement to make Uttarakhand a “prosperous state”. With the theme

‘Pahad Ka Pani, Pahad Ki Jawani ’ , the plan was to harness the natural resources of the

state in an optimal manner and create more jobs.

“The state has a capacity to produce at least 40,000 mw of power from hydel projects .

Therefore, we have planned to install several hydel power units in the state. The

surplus power will be sold to other states. We have invited investors and the response

has been very encouraging. To rope in local talent and provide jobs, we have decided

to employ local youths in mini hydel power projects,” Pokhriyal was quoted as saying

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in 2010. The result : 73 hydel projects on the Alaknanda, Mandakini and Bhagirathi ,

and several more on other rivers of the state.

Unbridled tourism and construction of dams on rivers had one common demand: newer

and wider roads across the state.

Uttarakhand started widening i ts roads in 2002. Til l then, al l roads here were two -

lane, except for the Tehri road, which was widened up to the dam si te in the 1990s.

The story was to repeat under BC Khanduri , the then surface transport minister.

“People thought that a l l he (Khanduri) wanted was to widen the roads for the growing

tourist traffic. It was only later that we started to see a different picture. For example,

a road was widened t i l l Lambagad and after that there was nothing. Now at Lambagad,

there was a dam constructed by the Jaypee Group. It created a suspicion in our minds

that this widening of roads was done primarily for the movement of big

trucks withconstruction material for dams ,” says Dr Ravi Chopra, director of

People’s ScienceInsti tute in Dehradun.

The other reason behind the spurt in road projects, says a transport department official

who does not want to be named, is that there was “a lot of money to be made”. Since

the 1962 war with China, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) buil t the arterial

roads in the region, putt ing in reinforcement walls in the unstable s tretches. Under the

cut-and-fi l l method, the excavated earth was used to pave the road. But as too many

road projects were commissioned, nobody bothered to identify the unstable slopes; the

earth was s imply dumped in the rivers below. To cut costs, road projects even stopped

creating adequate drainage systems.

“Usually, we cut the mountain side and leave i t for two years to allow debris and

overhanging material to come down. The mountain stabil ises thro ugh two monsoons

before we put in the hard topping. But growing traffic demands that we expand the

roads and destabil ise the mountains again. Also, while the widening was earl ier done

by men and machines, now we use dynamite to do i t quickly. There are sev eral roads

that have become landslide -prone because blasting leaves cracks inside the mountain,”

says a former civil works engineer who served in Rudraprayag dist rict .

Since 2010, under the PMGSY, a number of approach roads have been buil t to vil lages

way up on the slope, which further increases the risk of landslides . “There has been a

lot of road cutt ing by state agencies, not by the BRO, and the degree of care, I would

say, is marginal . It is a recipe for disaster in a young, unstable mountain,” says

Chopra.

The indiscriminate rol lout of roads also spurred unregulated construction across the

state. Unlike in rural areas, there are construction codes for urban areas, but few

follow the rules. Just across the state Assembly building in the state capital ar e

encroachments on the Rispana streambed.

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The situation is well imaginable in rural areas, where the tourism centres have become

death traps. After the 2011 earthquake in Sikkim, a study by IIT Roorkee found that

tradit ional low-rise, l ightweight t imber buildings performed extremely well . But to

accommodate the growing number of tourists , Uttarakhand’s tradit ional constructions

gave way to unplanned multi -storied buildings on columns and beams. At Gaurikund,

where the trek for Kedarnath begins, walking the 20 -feet -wide road along the 200-odd

metres of the main bazaar is l ike moving t hrough a tunnel with airless three -storey

buildings on both sides.

It is not a coincidence that Garhwal suffers heavy loss of l ives and property year after

year while neighbouring Kumaon reports far less damage. All major shrines of the

state are in Garhwal and these destinations are all by the rivers. Since pilgrims have

to access the ghats, hotels have cropped up on the edge of the rivers. The result is an

unbearable load on the Garhwal mountains that are anyway much steeper compared to

the roll ing hil ls of the Kumaon. With this lopsided burden alongside rivers prone to

flash floods, i t was only a matter of t ime before the overhanging st ructures were swept

away.

The construction boom, on the other hand, fuelled i l legal mining of sand and boulders

from riverbeds. Such extraction changes the slope of the riverbed, making the flow

restabil ise i tself , causing the river to change course. With construct ions right up to

the bank, the disastrous consequence was vis ible last week.

Nowhere in the state is the SC orde r to restr ict construction within 200 metres of a

riverbed followed. The valleys here have been formed from debris roll ing down from

the mountain and are loose beds of gravel. When i t rains, the water sinks quickly,

giving the impression of dry real estate . But during monsoons, these gravel beds

temporarily become very active. Yet, with the connivance of the local officials, scores

of buildings have come up on such treacherous foundation all over the state.

The SSB Academy bui lding that was inaugurated last year and damaged last week in

Srinagar, for example, was buil t on the Alaknanda riverbed. Many houses that were

buried in si l t in the adjacent Shakti Vihar were also buil t i l legally. “It is an old

colony of Srinagar which used to be a fair distance away f rom the r iver. But in the

past few years, i t expanded towards the riverbed in connivance with local officials,”

says Pratik Palwar , a Srinagar resident.

Over the past week, much has been said and writ ten about the absence of warning

from the Met department, which, in turn, has claimed that i ts alerts went unheeded. On

15 June, the IMD flashed a “severe” warning for Kinnaur and Garhwal. It was

upgraded to “very severe” the next day. It remained so t i l l 17 June when flood and

landslide ravaged Garhwal. While Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna dismissed the

warning as “unspecific and non -actionable”, his officers apparently acted on i t .

“There was a Met warning for high rainfall and we were watching the water level. But

this happens each year . In Rudraprayag town, we shifted people. In Gaurikund, people

were asked to climb up and some were shifted to Rambara (which was eventually

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wiped out) and the pol ice kept people awake through the night. All the people alive

today are those who were evacuated to higher ground. B ut no one expected a mountain

to crumble and fall into the lake (in Kedarnath) ,” says Rudraprayag Superintendent of

Police Birenderjeet Singh.

If the warning indeed aler ted at least a section of the state adminis tration, was i t

merely unprepared to meet the challenge? In i ts performance audit report submitted to

Parliament on 23 April , the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India had

highlighted that the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA),

consti tuted in 2007 and headed by the CM, had not formulated any rules or policies

for disaster management in the state.

“Would we be better off with a policy?” counters a state official closely involved with

relief and rescue operations. “The scale of the disaster was simply unmanageable. But

we have done well . With the army’s help, we have taken control of the si tuation

within a couple of days. While theoretically i t might have been possible to save more

l ives by evacuating people before the floods hit , what do you do about the loss of

infrastructure? Can we move roads and buildings to safety?”

Experts such as geologist KS Valdiya and environmentalist Himanshu Thakkar have

faulted the government on that very ground. The rainfall , they maintain, was not

unnatural but the human and infrastructural co st of the tragedy was the state’s doing.

“The CM says this rain is unprecedented. It is not. Uttarakhand has seen so many

disasters of this kind, but not this magnit ude. Just last year, there were two tragedies

— Uttarkashi in August and Rudraprayag in September — when houses collapsed l ike

cardboard boxes and roads gave in. Yet, no lesson was learnt and blast tunnell ing

work continued for hydropower projects,” says T hakkar.

Others point out what they feel is the real tragedy of Uttarakhand’s people. “The state

invests public money in i l l -advised projects that compromise our safe ty. At the same

t ime, damage to misplaced infrastructure causes the state economy huge losses,” says

Malika Vridhi of Munsiyari -based NGO Himal Prakrit i . “After al l , i t’s the people’s

money. Instead of pumping i t into destructive projects, the state should invest in

sustainable agriculture and skil l development programmes.”

Even where the warning system could save l ives, the infrastructural damage was

overwhelming. At the SSB Academy, the loss was estimated at 100 crore. Vast lengths

of vulnerable roads have simply been swallowed by the rivers. Several hydel

projects in the region are also hit . “What is the wisdom in making investment that

self -destructs,” asks Thakkar, “while causing damage to the natural systems and

people?”

On paper, the population density of Uttarakhand is just 189 per sq km. But the sense

of space is misleading. More than 90 percent of the land is mountainous and 64

percent is protected forests out of bounds for the locals. Mushrooming development

projects are further elbowing out the hil l people while the Tourism Board and

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numerous private players are hoarding land. The dams and reservoirs are also eating

into agricultural land.

“Heavy influx of tourists and wrong tourism practices are stressing these hil ls. Our

people mostly work in menial jobs while outsiders rake in the prof it . In the t ime of

climate change, i t is very important that the people protect their streams and forests.

That can only happen when they have the ownership,” argues Vridhi. “Our model of

eco-tourism shows how communities can benefit by caring for their

naturalenvironment . This is not a model for boutique outlets but needs to be adopted

across the state.”

Through community participation in eco -tourism, the hil l people may actually benefit

from tourism that , contrary to popular belief , now accounts for just 2 percent of the

state’s employment. But the state tourism policy has no such plans. Its tourism Master

Plan for 2007-22 ident ifies “very large, overall carrying capacity given the immensity

of the natural environment” as the biggest opportunity for the industry in the state.

Barring a 2012 report by Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Ltd that

examined the carrying capacity of Dehradun, Haridwar, Rishikesh and Mussoorie, no

study has ever been conducted to determine how much tourism pressure the state’s

overcrowded destinations can take.

Meanwhile, Bahuguna is determined to make Uttarakhand power surplus by 2016. “It

is childish to suggest that the cloudburst at Kedarnath happened because of wrong

construction on the riverbeds. Without tourism, there will be poverty, unrest and

migration. We have clearance for 53 run -of-the-river hydro projects and we will roll

out 36 for bidding by December . If you take a decision, then st ick to i t , don’t scrap i t

because of some activists,” he asserted, repeatedly, over the past week.

It may yet take more l ives for Uttarakhand to realise how far down the suicide slope i t

has come.

Page 18

MANAGING UTTARAKHAND:

Indian Air Force officials working in Uttarakhand—sti l l reeling under the assault of

the flash floods last month—have no idea when their task can be termed as “closed”.

After evacuating thousands of people, they are now flying in suppl ies to help rebuild

the l ives of the local people, and set up sturdy infrastructure s o that this vulnerable

patch of the Himalayas doesn’t get cut off again.

The pace of work has been scaled down, but the operation has gained degrees of

danger with the monsoon already well -advanced into the hil ls. The casualt ies have

been taken care of and evacuations nearly done, yet the urgency of providing relief

has remained nearly the same with locals in a hurry to re -establish their vil lages as

this is the t ime for stacking up on winter supplies.

“I have no clue when this can be said to be over,” says Air Commodore Rajesh Issar ,

who is leading the Indian Air Force operations from his temporary base at Jolly Grant

airport in Dehradun. “Because of the nature of the disaster, I thi nk we would remain

here for some time.”

The Air Force’s operat ions are now in phase two, down to flying 8 -10 aircraft as

against 45 earl ier, al l f lying into the narrow, mist -fi l led valleys, delivering what the

civil administration and NGOs ask for —ranging from dropping road building machines

l ike bulldozers to materials for use for animal husbandry.

Billed as the biggest relief and rescue operat ion in recent t imes, following the 16 -18

June rain that kil led thousands, an estimated 100,000 people have been re scued by the

Army, Air Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and civil rescue workers. Their

operations, focused on search, rescue, relief and evacuation, demonstrate their al l -

round skil ls in disaster management with agencies having different specializations

working in coordination.

The Army, currently retracting from Uttarakhand, deployed more than

10,000 personnel and saved 42,542 people, data on i ts website shows. Its

senior officers insti l led confidence into people by leading evacuees in groups of

hundreds by trekking on landslide -hit areas and rickety temporary river crossingsto

reach to safety.

A major bridge was buil t at Lambagar across the Alaknanda river for people stranded

in Badrinath to exit . In other places, where the river was too turbulent and ba nks too

unsafe, helicopter shut t les were started. About two dozen log -crossings were made all

over the affected parts of the state.

The Air Force undertook 3,117 sorties, putt ing in 1,245 hours. It dropped 650 tonnes

of relief materials and evacuated 23,221 people. Amid all this, they suffered

casualt ies of their own—one MiG-17 aircraftcrashed on 25 June in bad weather kil l ing

20 people on board, al l rescuers.

Page 19

The forces pushed the envelope, improvising ways and means to adapt to the

circumstances.

The Air Force decentralized the operations by distributing aircraft to 8 -10 airstrips,

which operated as small bases, so they could be closer to the areas of distress. Ways

had to be found to fuel the aircraft , which were flying with virtual ly no air traffic

control and negligible ground support . The aircraft managed to carry the fuel in

barrels and refuelled when necessary.

Makeshift helipads were buil t in Gaurikund and Jungle Chatt i in the Kedarnath valley,

but in many other places the aircraft landed wherever th ey found a patch.

Looking at the hundreds trapped in narrow strips of land, dead in their midst , in the

pieced up route to Kedarnath, helicopter pilots decided i t was point less to rescue a

few and so they dropped army personnel specializing in jungle rescu e, with food and

medicines for the marooned people so they could survive a few more days.

These army personnel f ixed ropes to allow people to sl i ther down to the safety of

vil lages or broad roads wherever possible.

Near the Pindari glacier in an all -night operation in the freezing chil l , with great

difficulty, ColonelPrashant Kandpal and his men lodged a log into rocks to build a

25ft bridge to bring people, t ied in harnesses , to safety. At Sunderdunga valley,

rescuers zigzagged though mountains to avoid landslides, opening an alternate route to

keep evacuees safe.

Page 20

Disaster management (or emergency management) is the discipline of avoiding and

dealing with both natural and man-made disasters. It involves preparedness, response

and recovery plans made in order to lessen the impact of disasters.

Preparedness training may be done by private cit izens, as by the Federal Emergency

Management Agency (FEMA) in the United States.

All aspects of disaster management deal with the processes used to protect populations

or organizations from the consequences of disasters , wars and acts of terrorism. This

can be seen through government publications such as the National Strategy for

Homeland Security which detail how individuals and varying levels of government

respond during the different phases of a disaster.

Emergency management can be further defined as “the discipline and profession of

applying science, technology, planning and management to deal with extreme events

that can injure or kil l large numbers of people, do extensive damage to property , and

disrupt community l ife” (Drabek, 1991a, p. xvii) .

An ‘emergency’ is ‘an unplanned event that can cause deaths or significant injuries to

employees, customers or the public; or that can shut down your business, disrupt

operations,may cause physical or environmental damage, or threaten the facil i ty’s

financial standing or public image’ (FEMA, 1993).

Emergency events can include terrorist at tacks, industrial sabotage, f ire, natural

disasters (such as earthquakes, severe weather, etc.) , public disorder, i ndustrial

accident, communications failure and loss, or corruption of cri t ical information. Some

examples of catastrophic incidents are:

The 1995 Kobe, Japan, earthquake, which kil led more than 6000 people and left

another 30,000 injured.

The 1994 Northridge, California, earthquake, which resulted in approximately $33

bil l ion in damages.

These individual events are significant enough, but the losses are even more dramatic

when accumulated over t ime. Between 1989 and 1999, the average natural disaster

loss in the US was $1 bil l ion each week.

Disaster management does not necessari ly avert or el iminate the threats themselves,

al though the study and prediction of the threats are an important part of the field. The

basic levels of emergency management also includ e the various kinds of search and

rescue activity.

Page 21

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Page 22

Corporate governance refers to the system by which corporations are directed and

controlled. The governance structure specifies the distribution of rights and

responsibil i t ies among different part icipants in the corporation (such as the board of

directors, managers, shareholders, creditors, auditors, regulators, and

other stakeholders) and specifies the rules and procedures for making decisions in

corporate affairs. Governance provides the s tructure through which corporations set

and pursue their objectives, while reflecting the context of the social , regulatory and

market environment. Governance is a mechanism for monitoring the actions, policies

and decisions of corporations. Governance involves the alignment of interests among

the stakeholders.

There has been renewed interest in the corporate governance practices of modern

corporations, part icularly in relation to accountabil i ty, since the high -profile collapses

of a number of large corporations during 2001 –2002, most of which involved

accounting fraud. Corporate scandals of various forms have maintained public and

poli t ical interest in the regulation of corporate governance. In the U.S., these

include Enron Corporation and MCI Inc. (formerly WorldCom). Their demise is

associated with the U.S. federal government passing the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2002,

intending to restore public confidence in corporate governance. Comparable failures

in Australia (HIH, One.Tel) are associated with the eventual passage of the CLERP

9 reforms. Similar corporate failures in other countries st imulated increased regulatory

interest (e.g. , Parmalat in Italy).

Corporate governance has also been defined as "a system of law and sound approaches

by which corporations are directed and controlled focusing on the internal and

external corporate structures with the inten tion of monitoring the actions of

management and directors and thereby mitigating agency risks which may stem from

the misdeeds of corporate officers."

In contemporary business corporations, the main external stakeholder groups are

shareholders, debtholders, trade creditors, suppliers, customers and communities

affected by the corporation 's activit ies. Internal stakeholders are the board of

directors, executives, and other employees.

Much of the contemporary interest in corporate governance is concerned with

mitigation of the confl icts of interests between stakeholders. Ways of mitigating or

preventing these confl icts of interests include the processes, customs, policies, laws,

and insti tutions which have an impact on the way a company is controlled. An

important theme of governance is the nature and extent of corporate accountability.

A related but separate thread of discussions focuses on the impact of a corporate

governance system on economic efficiency, with a strong emphasis on shareholders '

welfare. In large firms where there is a separation of ownership and management and

no controll ing shareholder, the principal–agent issue arises between upper -management

(the "agent") which may have very different interests, and by definit ion considerably

more information, than shareholders (the "principals"). The danger arises that rather

than overseeing management on behalf of shareholders , the board of directors may

Page 23

become insulated from shareholders and beholden to management. This aspect is

part icularly present in contemporary public debates and developments in regulatory

policy.(seeregulation and policy regulation) .

Economic analysis has resulted in a l i terature on the subject . One source defines

corporate governance as "the set of conditions that shapes the ex post bargaining over

the quasi-rentsgenerated by a firm." The firm itself is modelled as a governance

structure acting through the mechanisms of contract . Here corporate governance may

include i ts relation to corporate finance.

Principles of corporate governance

Contemporary discussions of corporate governance tend to refer to principles raised in

three documents released since 1990: The Cadbury Report (UK, 1992), the Princip les

of Corporate Governance (OECD, 1998 and 2004), the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

(US, 2002). The Cadbury and OECD reports present general principles around which

businesses are expected to operate to assure proper governance. The Sarbanes -Oxley

Act, informally referred to as Sarbox or Sox, is an attempt by the federal government

in the United States to legislate several of the principles recommended in the Cadbury

and OECD reports.

Rights and equitable treatment of shareholders: Organizations should respect the

rights of shareholders and help shareholders to exercise those rights. They can

help shareholders exercise their r ights by openly and effectively communicating

information and by encouraging shareholders to participate in general meetings.

Interests of other stakeholders: Organizations should recognize that they have

legal, contractual , social , and market driven obligations to non -shareholder

stakeholders, including employees, investors , creditors, suppliers, local

communities, customers, and policy makers.

Role and responsibil i t ies of the board: The board needs sufficient relevant skil ls

and understanding to review and challenge management performance. It also needs

adequate size and appropriate levels of independence and commitment.

Integrity and ethical behavior: Integrity should be a fundamental requirement in

choosing corporate off icers and board members. Organizations should develop a

code of conduct for their directors and executives that promotes ethical and

responsible decision making.

Disclosure and transparency: Organizations should clarify and make publicly

known the roles and responsibil i t ies of board and management to provide

stakeholders with a leve l of accountabil i ty. They should also implement

procedures to independently verify and safeguard the integrity of the company's

f inancial reporting. Disclosure of material matters concerning the organization

should be t imely and balanced to ensure that al l investors have access to clear,

factual information.

Page 24

Corporate governance models around the world

There are many different models of corporate governance around the world. These

differ according to the variety of capitalism in which they are embedded. T he Anglo-

American "model" tends to emphasize the interests of shareholders. The coordinated

or Multistakeholder Model associated with Continental Europe and Japan also

recognizes the interests of workers, managers, suppliers, customers , and the

community. A related dist inction is between market -orientated and network-orientated

models of corporate governance.

Continental Europe

Some continental European countrie s, including Germany and the Netherlands, require

a two-tiered Board of Directors as a means of improving corporate governance. [26] In

the two-tiered board, the Executive Board, made up of company executives, generally

runs day-to-day operations while the supervisory board, made up entirely of non -

executive directors who represent shareholders and employees, hires and fires the

members of the executive board, determines thei r compensation, and reviews major

business decisions.

India

India 's SEBI Committee on Corporate Governance defines corporate governance as the

"acceptance by management of the inalienable rights of shareholders as the true

owners of the corporat ion and of their own role as trustees on behalf of the

shareholders. It is about commitment to values, about ethical business conduct and

about making a dist inction between personal & corporate funds in the management of

a company." It has been suggested that the Indian approach is drawn from the

Gandhian principle of trusteeship and the Directive Principles of the Indian

Consti tution, but this conceptualization of corporate objectives is also prevalent

in Anglo-American and most other jurisdictions.

United States, United Kingdom

The so-called "Anglo-American model" of corporate governance emphasizes the

interests of shareholders. It re l ies on a single -t iered Board of Directors that is

normally dominated by non-executive directors elected by shareholders. Because of

this, i t is also known as "the unitary system". Within this system, many boards include

some executives from the company (who are ex officio members of the board). Non -

executive directors are expected to outnumber executive directors and hold key posts,

including audit and compensation committees. The United States and the United

Kingdom differ in one cri t ical respect with regard to corporate governance: In the

United Kingdom, the CEO generally does not also serve as Chairman of the Board,

whereas in the US having the dual role is the norm, despite major misgivings

regarding the impact on corporate governance.

In the United States, corporations are directly governed by state laws, while the

exchange (offering and trading) of securit ies in corporations (including shares) is

governed by federal legislation. Many US states have adopted the Model Business

Page 25

Corporation Act , but the dominant state law for publicly traded corporations

is Delaware, which continues to be the place of incorporation for the majority of

publicly traded corporations. Individual rules for corporations are based upon

the corporate charter and, less authoritat ively, the corporate bylaws. Shareholders

cannot init iate changes in the corporate char ter al though they can init iate changes to

the corporate bylaws.

Legal environment – General

Corporations are created as legal persons by the laws and regulations of a part icular

jurisdiction. These may vary in many respects between countries, but a corporation 's

legal person status is fundamental to all jurisdictions and is conferred by statute. This

allows the enti ty to hold property in i ts own right without reference to any particular

real person. It also results in the perpetual existence that characterizes the modern

corporation. The statutory granting of corporate existence may arise from general

purpose legislation (which is the general case) or from a statute to create a specific

corporation, which was the only method prior to the 19th century .

In addit ion to the sta tutory laws of the relevant jurisdiction, corporations are subject

to common law in some countries, and various laws and regulations affecting business

practices. In most jurisdictions , corporations also have a consti tution that provides

individual rules that govern the corporation and authorize or constrain i ts decision -

makers. This consti tut ion is identified by a variety of terms; in English -speaking

jurisdictions, i t is usually known as the Corporate Charter or the [Memorandum] and

Articles of Association. The capacity of shareholders to modify the consti tution of

their corporation can vary substantially .

The U.S. passed the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in 1977, with subsequent

modifications. This law made i t i l legal to br ibe government officials and required

corporations to maintain adequate accounting controls. It is enforced by the U.S.

Department of Justice and the Securit ies and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Substantial civil and criminal penalt ies have been levied on corporations and

executives convicted of bribery.

The UK passed the Bribery Act in 2010. This law made i t i l legal to bribe either

government or private cit izens or make facil i tat ing payments (i .e. , payment to a

government official to perform their routine duties more quickly) . It also required

corporations to establish controls to prevent bribery.

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

Main art icle: Sarbanes-Oxley Act

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was enacted in the wake of a series of high profile

corporate scandals. It established a series of requirements that affect corporate

governance in the U.S. and influenced similar laws in many other countries. The law

required, along with many other elements, that:

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) be established to

regulate the audit ing profession, which had been self -regulated prior to the law.

Page 26

Auditors are responsible for reviewing the financial statements of corporations and

issuing an opinion as to their rel iabil i ty.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Financial O fficer (CFO) attest to the

financial statements . Prior to the law, CEO's had claimed in court they hadn't

reviewed the information as part of their defense.

Board audit committees have members that are independent and disclose whether

or not at least one i s a financial expert , or reasons why no such expert is on the

audit committee.

External audit f irms cannot provide certain types of consult ing services and must

rotate their lead partner every 5 years. Further, an audit f irm cannot audit a

company if those in specified senior management roles worked for the auditor in

the past year. Prior to the law, there was the real or perceived confl ict of interest

between providing an independent opinion on the accuracy and reliabil i ty of

financial statements when the same firm was also providing lucrative consult ing

services.

Codes and guidelines

Corporate governance principles and codes have been developed in different countries

and issued from stock exchanges, corporations, insti tutional investors, or associations

(insti tutes) of directors and managers with the support of governments and

international organizat ions. As a rule, compliance with these governance

recommendations is not mandated by law, al though the codes l inked to stock

exchange l ist ing requirements may have a coercive effect .

OECD principles[edit]

One of the most influential guidelines has been the OECD Principles of Corporate

Governance—published in 1999 and revised in 2004. [1] The OECD guidelines are

often referenced by countries developing local codes or guidelines. Building on the

work of the OECD, other international organizations, private sector associations and

more than 20 national corporate governance codes formed the United

Nations Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of

Accounting and Reporting (ISAR) to produce their Guidance on Good Practices in

Corporate Governance Disclosure. [35] This internationally agreed[36] benchmark

consists of more than fifty dist inct disclosure i tems across five broad categories: [37]

Auditing

Board and management structure and process

Corporate responsibil i ty and compliance in organisation

Financial transparency and information disclosure

Ownership structure and exercise of control r ights

Stock exchange l ist ing standards

Companies l isted on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and other stock exchanges

are required to meet certain governance standards. For example, the NYSE Listed

Company Manual requires, among many other elements:

Page 27

Independent directors : "Listed companies must have a majority of independent

directors. . .Effective boards of directors exercise independent judgment in carrying

out their responsibil i t ies. Requiring a majority of independent directors will

increase the quali ty of board oversight and lessen the possibil i ty of damaging

conflicts of interest ." (Section 303A.01) An independent director is not part of

management and has no "material f inancial relationship" with the company.

Board meetings that exclude management: "To empower non -management directors

to serve as a more effective check on management, the non -management directors

of each l isted company must meet at regular ly scheduled executive sessions

without management." (Section 303A.03)

Boards organize their members into committees with specific responsibil i t ies per

defined charters. "Listed companies must have a nominating/corporate governance

committee composed entirely of independent directors." This committee is

responsible for nominating new members for the board of directors. Compensation

and Audit Committees are also specified, with the lat ter subject to a variety of

l ist ing standards as well as outside regulations. (Section 303A.04 and others) [38]

Other guidelines

The investor -led organisation International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN)

was set up by individuals centered around the ten largest pension funds in the world

1995. The aim is to promote global corporate governance standards. Th e network is

led by investors that manage 18 tri l l ion dol lars and members are located in fif ty

different countries. ICGN has developed a suite of global guidelines ranging from

shareholder rights to business ethics.

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) has done work on

corporate governance, part icularly on accountabil i ty and reporting , and in 2004

released Issue Management Tool: Strategic challenges for business in the use of

corporate responsibil i ty codes, standards, and frameworks . This document offers

general information and a perspective from a business association/think -tank on a few

key codes, standards and frameworks relevant to the sustainabil i ty agenda.

In 2009, the International Finance Corporation and the UN Global Compact released a

report , Corporate Governance - the Foundation for Corporate Citizenship and

Sustainable Business , l inking the environmental , social and governance

responsibil i t ies of a company to i ts f inancial performance and long -term

sustainabil i ty.

Most codes are largely voluntary. An issue rais ed in the U.S. since the 2005 Disney

decision is the degree to which companies manage their governance responsibil i t ies;

in other words, do they merely try to supersede the legal threshold, or should they

create governance guidelines that ascend to the level of best practice. For example,

the guidelines issued by associations of directors, corporate managers and individual

companies tend to be wholly voluntary but such documents may have a wider effect by

prompting other companies to adopt similar practices .

Page 28

Reliance Group, an offshoot of the Group founded by Shri Dhirubhai H Ambani (1932 -

2002), ranks among India’s top three privatesector business houses in terms of net

worth. The group has business interests that range from telecommunications (Reliance

Communications Limited) to financial services (Reliance Capital Ltd) and the

generation and distribution of power (Reliance Infrastructure Limited).

Reliance Group’s f lagship company, Reliance Communications, is India 's

largest private sector information and communications company, with over 150

mill ion subscribers. It has established a pan -India, high-capacity, integrated (wireless

and wireline), convergent (voice, data and video) digital network, to offer services

spanning the entire infocomm value chain.

Other major group companies — Reliance Capital and Reliance Infrastructure — are

widely acknowledged as the market leaders in their respective areas of operation.

We will create world-class benchmarks by:

Meeting and exceeding Customer expectations with a segmented approach

Establishing, re -engineering and automating Processes to make them

customer centric, efficient and effective

Incessant offering of Products and Services

that are value for money and excite customers

Providing a Network experience that is

best in the industry

Building Reliance into an iconic Brand which

is benchmarked by others and leads industry

in Intention to Purchase and Loyalty

Developing a professional Leadership team

that inspires, nurtures talent and

propagates RCOM Values by

personal example

India ’s leading integrated telecom company Reliance Communications is

the flagship company of the Reliance Group. Listed on the

National Stock Exchange and the Bombay Stock Exchange, i t is India’s

leading integrated telecommunication company with over 150 mill ion

customers.

Our business encompasses a complete range of telecom services covering

mobile and fixed l ine telephony. It includes broadband, national and

international long distance services and data services along with an

exhaustive range of value -added services and applications. Our constant

endeavour is to provide an enhanced customer experience and achieve

customer satisfaction by upscaling the productivity of the enterprises and

individuals we serve.

Reliance Mobile (formerly Reliance India Mobile), launched on 28

December 2002, coinciding with the joyous occasion of the late

Dhirubhai Ambani’s 70th birthday, was among the init ial init iat ives of

Reliance Communications. It marked the auspicious beginning of

Dhirubhai’s dream of ushering in a digital revolution in India. Today, we

can proudly claim that we were instrumental in harnessing the true power

of information and communication, by bestowing i t in the hands of the

common man at affordable rates.

We endeavour to further extend our efforts beyond the tradit ional value

Page 29

chain by developing anddeploying complete telecom solutions for the

entire spectrum of society.

Reliance Mobile

With over 150 mill ion subscribers across India, Reliance

Mobile is India’s largest mobile service brand. Reliance

Mobile services now cover over 24,000 towns, 6 lakh vil lages,

and st i l l counting.

We have achieved many milestones in this short journey. In

2003, AC Nielsen voted Reliance Mobile (formerly Reliance

India Mobile) as India’s Most Trusted Telecom Brand. In July

2003, i t created a world record by adding one mill ion

subscribers in a matter of just 10 days through i ts ‘Monsoon

Hungama’ offer.

What sets Reliance Mobile apart is the fact that nearly 90 per cent of our handsets are

data-enabled, and can access hundreds of Java applications on Reliance Mobile World.

Reliance Mobile has ushered in a mobile revolution by offering advanced multimedia

handsets to the common man at very affordable rates. This innovative low pricing has

increased the number of mobile phone users and i ts result is clearly reflected in the

meteoric rise in India’s tele -density over the past four years.

Our pan-India wireless network runs on CDMA2000 1x technology, which has

superior voice and data capabil i t ies compared to other cellular mobile technologies.

CDMA2000 1x is more cost -effective as i t uti l ises the scarce radio spectrum more

efficiently than other technologies do. Enhanced voice clari ty, superior data speed of

up to 144 kbps and seamless migration to newer generations of mobile technologies

are some of i ts key differentiators.

R World

The R World suite of Reliance Mobile is a

unique Java-based application. Its uniqueness

l ies in the fact that i t enablescomplex Internet

application to be introduced in mobile phones

effectively and quickly. R World receives over

1.5 bil l ion page views per month from Reliance

Mobile users.

R World offers a wide array of applications that

include hourly news updates, high quali ty

headline video clips, downloadable multi -

l ingual r ing tones, seasonal updates including

festival specials, ci ty and TV specials, exam

results, astrology, mobile banking, bil l payment.

With over 150 data applications offering var ied services - unique to any

wireless service in India - R World is truly a treasure house of

knowledge, information, entertainment and commerce.

Page 30

Organisations, l ike individuals, depend for their survival, sustenance and growth on

the support and goodwill of the communities of which they are an integra l part , and

must pay back this generosity in every way they can.. .

This ethical standpoint, derived from the vis ion of our founder, l ies at the heart of the

CSR philosophy of the Reliance Group.

While we strongly believe that our primary obligation or dut y as corporate enti t ies is

to our shareholders – we are just as mindful of the fact that this imperative does not

exist in isolation; i t is part of a much larger compact which we have with our entire

body of stakeholders: From employees, customers and vendors to business partners,

eco-system, local communities, and society at large.

We evaluate and assess each cri t ical business decision or choice from the point of

view of diverse stakeholder interest , driven by the need to minimise risk and to pro -

actively address long-term social , economic and environmental costs and concerns.

For us, being socially responsible is not an occasional act of charity or that one -time

token financial contribution to the local school, hospital or environmental NGO. It is

an ongoing year -round commitment, which is integrated into the very core of our

business objectives and strategy.

Reliance Group of Companies continually reviews corporate governance best practices

to ensure that they ref lect global developments. It takes fe edback into account, in i ts

periodic reviews of the guidelines to ensure their continuing relevance, effectiveness

and responsiveness to the needs of local and international investors and other

stakeholders.

The Code of Conduct(s) and Business Policies ad opted by the Reliance Group

Companies are given here.

1. Values and Commitments

2. Code of Ethics

3. Business Policies

4. Ethics Management

5. Prevention of Sexual Harassment

6. Policy on Insider Trading

Every significant management decision has ethical value dimensions. Managing ethics

is part icularly relevant for Reliance Group Companies today because i t is cri t ical to

understand and manage highly diverse values in the workplace.

Attention to business ethics is cri t ical during t imes of fundamental chang e – t imes

much l ike those faced now by businesses l ike ours. In t imes of such fundamental

change, values that were previously taken for granted are now strongly questioned.

Many of these values are no longer followed.

Consequently, there is no clear compass to guide us through complex dilemmas about

what is r ight or wrong.

To that end, Reliance Group Companies’ Values and Commitments are presented here.

These should be used to guide our actions in business conduct.

Page 31

Commitment to Stakeholders

In all our relationships we demonstrate our s teadfast commitment to all our

stakeholders:

Our employees

Reliance Group Companies recognize that i ts commercial success depends on the full

commitment of al l employees.

We are committed to respect the human rights of our employees. We strive to treat our

employees with honesty, just management, due dignity and fairness. We are committed

to provide our employees with a good, safe and healthy environment and competit ive

terms and conditions of service. Reliance Group Com panies promotes the development

and best use of human talent. It encourages the involvement of employees in the

planning, direction and fair appraisal of their work. The employees are also

encouraged to participate in the application of these ethics and va lues within the

company.

Our customers

We are committed to produce reliable, world -class quali ty products and services,

delivered on t ime, at a fair price. Reliance Group Companies strives to win and

maintain customers by developing and providing product s and services which offer

value in terms of price, quali ty, safety and environmental impact, which are supported

by the requisite technological , environmental and commercial expertise.

Our environment

Reliance Group Companies are committed to acting as a concerned and responsible

community participant reflecting all aspects of good corporate cit izenship. Reliance

Group Companies are committed to achieving the global standards of health, safety

and environment. Reliance Group Companies works with i ts comm unity by

volunteering and supporting education, medical welfare and other worthy causes that

lead to sustainable development.

Our shareholders

We are committed to pursuing sound growth and earnings objectives and to exercising

prudence in the use of our assets and resources. Enhancing shareholder value remains

the prime driving force of Reliance Group Companies’ business and financial

decisions.

We will ensure our success by satisfying our customers and increasing shareholder

value.

Our lenders and other investors

We are committed to t ruthful disclosure of al l material facts and the regular and

t imely payment of al l our debt service obligations.

Page 32

Our Suppliers and other service providers

We are committed to fair competit ion and the sense of responsibi l i ty required of a

good customer.

The government

Reliance Group Companies are fiercely patriotic company and is enthused and proud

to be a home-grown enterprise.

We are committed to the payment of al l -appl icable taxes and duties and adherence to

all applicable laws and regulations.

Page 33

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

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Corporate social responsibility (CSR, also called corporate conscience, corporate

cit izenship, social performance, or sustainable responsible business/ Responsible

Business) is a form of corporate self -regulation integrated into a business model . CSR

policy functions as a buil t -in, self -regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors

and ensures i ts active compliance with the spiri t of the law, ethical standards, and

international norms. In some models, a f irm's implementation of CSR goes beyond

compliance and engages in "actions that appear to further some social good, beyond

the interests of the f irm and that which is required by law." CSR is a process with the

aim to embrace responsibil i ty for the company's actions and encourage a posit ive

impact through i ts activit ies on the environment, consumers, employees,

communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere who may also

be considered as stakeholders.

The term "corporate social responsibil i ty" became popular in the 1960s and has

remained a term used indiscriminately by many to cover legal and moral responsibil i ty

more narrowly construed.

Proponents argue that corporations make more long term profits by ope rating with a

perspective, while cri t ics argue that CSR dis tracts from the economic role of

businesses. McWilliams and Siegel 's art icle (2000) published in Strategic Management

Journal , ci ted by over 1000 academics, compared exist ing econometric studies of the

relationship between social and financial performance. They concluded that the

contradictory results of previous studies reporting posit ive, negative, and neutral

f inancial impact, were due to flawed empirical analysis . McWilliams and Siegel

demonstrated that when the model is properly specified; that is, when you control for

investment in Research and Development , an important determinant of f inancial

performance, CSR has a neutral impact on financial outcomes.

In his widely cited book enti t led Misguided Virtue: False Notions of Corporate Social

Responsibil i ty (2001) David Henderson argued forcefully against the way in which

CSR broke from tradit ional corporate value -sett ing. He questioned the "lofty" and

sometimes "unrealist ic expectations" in CSR.

Some argue that CSR is merely window-dressing, or an attempt to pre-empt the role of

governments as a watchdog over powerful multinational corporations . Poli t ical

sociologists became interested in CSR in the conte xt of theories of globalization, neo -

liberalism, and late capitalism. Adopting a cri t ical approach, sociologists emphasize

CSR as a form of capitalist legit imacy and in particular point out that what has begun

as a social movement against uninhibited corpo rate power has been co -opted by and

transformed by corporations into a 'business model ' and a 'r isk management ' device,

often with questionable results

CSR is t i t led to aid an organization 's mission as well as a guide to what the company

stands for and wi ll uphold to i ts consumers. Development business ethics is one of the

forms of applied ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems

that can arise in a business environment. ISO 26000 is the recognized international

standard for CSR. Public sector organizations (the United Nations for example) adhere

to the tr iple bottom line (TBL). It is widely accepted that CSR adheres to similar

principles but with no formal act of l egislation.

The notion is now extended beyond purely commercial corporations, e.g. to

universit ies.

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Social Responsibil ity and Community Development

RIL's contribution to the community are in areas of health, education, infrastructure

development (drinking water, improving vil lage infrastructure, construction of schools

etc.) , environment (effluent treatment, tree plantation, treatment of hazardous waste),

rel ief and assistance in the event of a natural disaster, and miscellaneous activit ies

such as contribution to other social development organisations etc . RIL's CSR teams

across i ts manufacturing divisions interact with the neighbouring community on

regular basis.

Education A network of nine schools caters to 13,251 s tudents spread across geographies in

India. CSR teams from RIL's manufacturing divisions and E&P operations work

ardently to support the educational requirements of the community and schools in the

neighbouring region benefit ing thousands of students from the underprivileged section

of the society.

RIL plays a pivotal role in supporting Government 's init iat ive towards education of

girl child. In Gujarat , under the project "Kanya Kelvani", RIL's Dahej Manufacturing

Division has extended financial assistance towards education of gir l child in the state.

RIL has created a plat form for computer learning in many vil lages. Its manufacturing

divisions have provided computers to primary and secondary schools under the

Company's computer l i teracy init iat ive.

RIL continues to provide support to school run by Lions Club of Naroda Charitable

Trust . The school renders quali ty education in English medium to children of

labourers working in GIDC, Naroda area, who are economically and socially

backward. Jamnagar Manufacturing Division constructed a school bu ilding for vil lage

Kana Chikari of Lalpur taluka in Gujarat . Hoshiarpur Manufacturing Division has

adopted vil lage Mangrowal - Nari primary school. Annually free uniforms, books,

shoes and school bags are given to students and also free electrici ty is provi ded to the

school.

RIL's CSR teams continue to provide uniforms, books etc, to students of neighbouring

vil lages of manufactur ing divisions and E&P operations. Further,

continuous monitoring is being done in local schools for improving the performance

of students. Regular counseling sessions are also being arranged with experts in

personali ty development and psychology for motivating the children to achieve better

results.

To encourage school children from neighbouring vil lages in their learning process,

Nagothane Manufacturing Division and the MADER Foundation provided school

uniforms to the tr ibal and underprivileged students. Eleven schools were selected for

this init iat ive, out of which seven Zilla Parishad schools are located on a hil l top near

the manufacturing division. Further, meritorious students were felici tated with an

objective of encouraging them for higher studies.

RIL's Project Jagruti , the project to tackle dyslexia in Surat , is set t ing the pace for the

community's response to the social dogma of the mentally underprivileged children.

More than 8,800 hours have been spent by 35 trained teachers and more than 1,000

hours by RIL volunteers to uplift and bring the dyslexic students from the

underprivileged segment into the main stream. RIL employe e 's spouses are supporting

this activity and many teaching aids have been developed. NIOS registration has been

init iated for Academic Year ("AY") 2011 -12.

Partnership with similar associations across the country and UNESCO / BBC has been

init iated to spread awareness and benefit the students with latest training aids .

Awareness stall was put up that at tracted thousands at the national book fair organized

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by Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC). Membership of Maharashtra Dyslexia

Association and International Dyslexia Association has been taken to make the project

more focused with proven scientific practices and to get availabil i ty of resourceful

experts, sourcing global knowledge / resources and best practices / models in the

LD/Dyslexia space. Focus is on early identification of learning disabil i ty in child and

procuring various screening tests for the same.

Reliance Dhirubhai Ambani Protsaham Scheme

The Scheme, launched in AY 2008-09, continues to supportpoor meritorious students.

Recipient students of Reliance Dhirubhai Ambani Protsaham Scheme got admissions

in junior colleges of their choice. With admissions of AY 2010 -11, the total strength

of students receiving support under the scheme has gone up to 656. The first batch of

the Protsaham students passed out the intermediate examination held in March 2010

with flying colours and from AY 2010 -11 onwards, RIL is providing financial aid to

the toppers for pursuing their higher studies in engineering and medical streams.

Mumbai Indians Education for All Initiative Mumbai Indians took on the mandate of education as a primary social issue. It

launched i ts Education for All Init iat ive during the Indian Premier Le ague (IPL)

season in 2010 to create a movement to support efforts to provide quali ty educationto

all children. This init iat ive was the brainchild of Mrs. Nita Ambani , a passionate

advocate for the cause of education. Through this effort , Mumbai Indians sup ported

five NGOs carting out outstanding work in the field of education - Akanksha, Nanhi

Kali , Pratham, Teach for India and Ummeed. As part of this init iat ive, Mumbai

Indians helped create awareness for the cause of education and the work of these five

organizations through official Mumbai Indian videos, TV commercials that ran

through the duration of the IPL, sale of Mumbai Indians Education for All wristbands

as part of the merchandizing and awareness creation through i ts radio partners and

instadium announcements during games.

In addit ion, Mumbai Indians also invited 700 children from all the NGOs to see each

of the Mumbai Indians home games. The Mumbai Indians team joined Mrs. Ambani at

the presentation ceremonies and worked with the media to ensure ad equate coverage

of the work of such groups. Mumbai Indians also organized a briefing for the cricket

team to interact with children and staff of al l the NGOs.

Through the sale of the wristbands and addit ional support , Mumbai Indians was able

to gift Rs. 11 lacs to each of the groups at the conclusion of IPL 3. This collaboration

continued through the year with an invitation to the groups to send children to attend

the Mumbai Indians games at the Champions League matches in South Africa.

Community Health Care RIL has developed Community Medical Centres near most of i ts manufacturing

divisions to provide comprehensive health services covering preventive, promotive

and curative health care services to the community from neighbouring vil lages.

The manufacturing divisions conduct regular health checkups for children in schools

of their respective neighbouring regions. Doctors advise children and their parents on

various health care issues and personal hygiene. Medical camps were organized by all

si tes benefit t ing patients from nearby vil lages and tribal areas. All patients are given

medicines free of cost . As required, al l si tes have provided ambulance support to

Page 37

roadside accident victims to shift them to hospitals / nursing homes. Patalganga si te

has conducted a series of health awareness programs in local schools and nearby small

scale industries.

Drishti A unique joint init iat ive of RIL and National Association of Blind, Project Drishti has

undertaken over 9,000 free corneal graft surgeries for the visually challenged Indians

from the underprivileged segment of the society. It is the largest corneal graft ing

surgery project enabled by a single corporate enti ty in India.

The init iat ive to combat TB, HIV / AIDS is a unique publicprivate partnership

program between the Government, NGOs, several agencies and RIL. It extends from

creating awareness to providing care, support and treatment including free of cost

treatment to those who cannot afford the same.

Hazira Manufacturing Division 's DOTS HIV / AIDS Centre is one of the largest Anti -

Retroviral Treatment Centre (ART Centre) in the country. A 22 bedded hospital for

HIV / AIDS patients has been commissioned recently. Manufacturing divisions at

Jamnagar and Patalganga too have ART Centre facil i t ies. The init iat ive was expanded

to other manufacturing divisions; activit ies are largely in the advocacy and awareness

area. A special init iat ive of awareness campaign on 'Prevention of HIV/AIDS' targeted

at drivers and cleaners of al l product transport vehicles has been und ertaken at various

si tes. Awareness lectures on prevention are conducted and condoms have been

distributed.

Dahej Manufacturing Division commenced Integrated Counseling and Testing Centre

( ICTC) for HIV/AIDS at Dahej in partnership with Gujarat State AIDS Control

Society (GSACS) in FY 2010 -11. This init iat ive is aimed at addressing the health of

the increasing number of migrant workers in the region result ing from the industrial

growth planned under Dahej SEZ and PCPIR Zone. Objective of the init iat ive is t o

create necessary awareness amongst workers to prevent HIV/AIDS.

Jamnagar Manufacturing Division runs 'Project Balkalyan', with an objective to

provide nutri t ional support to children affected with HIV infection. Nutri t ional kit is

distributed to all HIV posit ive children when they visi t the Centre for monthly follow

up. Hazira Manufacturing Division, through Reliance Ladies Club (an association of

spouses of RIL employees) has a similar ongoing child adoption programme –

'Project Hope', at Hazira to take care of nutri t ional requirement of HIV posit ive

children.

The Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Dahej , Bharuch district , adopted by RIL under

the National Rural Health Mission Programme caters to the community health needs of

23 surrounding vil lages.

In 2004, RIL established the PHC at Gadimoga. The PHC has six member medical

staff with all the amenities such as two -bed nursing room. Medicines are offered free

of cost . Further, RIL runs two sub -centres of the PHC at Bhairavapalem and

Laxmipathipuram. RIL is also constructing a new 30-bed PHC and the exist ing PHC

will be shifted to the new building.

Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital at Lodhivali , Maharashtra continues to play a significant

role in improving the quali ty of l ife in surrounding communities. I t extends p rompt

and specialized services to the Mumbai -Pune highway accident victims. Trauma

patients are provided free l ifesaving treatment. Besides taking care of hospitalization

requirements, the hospital provides poor patients and senior cit izens subsidized

treatment - both in the outpatient and in -patient departments. ART clinic, a public -

privatepartnership init iat ive between RIL, CII and NACO, offers free of cost

Page 38

treatment to HIV/AIDs patients. In association with the Lions Club, the hospital

conducts cataract surgery camps annually.

A well -equipped community medical centre with four observation bed facil i ty at

Jamnagar continues to offer free -of-cost , round the clock with comprehensive health

services. Manufacturing divisions offer free medical services inclu ding free medicines

to the neighboring vil lages.

In tr ibal vil lages surrounding Nagothane Manufacturing Division, vil lagers are

deprived of medical facil i t ies in the region because of absence of proper approach

road to the vil lages as they are located on hil l tops. The manufacturing division

realizes the health problems faced by the tr ibal 's and i t took a major step towards

providing free OPD (out patient department) treatment on weekly basis to the tr ibal

people staying at hil l tops. Moreover, the manufac turing division developed the road

and even made i t motorable up to vil lage Gangawane. Every week a doctor with

medical team and medicines visi ts tr ibal hamlet and provides OPD services to tr ibals.

Hazira Manufacturing Division along with an NGO have lau nched an orthopedic

hospital with ultra -modern facil i t ies and one rehabil i tat ion centre. Both facil i t ies have

become operational in March 2011. Hospital building was inaugurated by the Chief

Minister of the State of Gujarat .

RIL's manufacturing divisions offer free medical , diagnostic and therapeutic services

including free medicines to neighbouring vil lages. Mobile Van Clinics – Health -on-

Wheels, which are specially designed mobile dispensaries equipped with doctor

accompanied by a nurse, visi ts neighbouring vil lages on a scheduled basis al l through

the week.

RIL has established an Early Intervention and Rehabili tat ion Center for supporting the

mentally challenged children l iving in Tallarevu Mandal and Yanam Union Terri tory.

This center is being run wi th the technical support of NGO Uma Mano Vikasa

Kendram, Kakinada. At present, children from the region having different disabil i t ies

have already been enrolled.

Safety initiatives for community Road Safety System is most cost effective and easy to use tool for improving public

safety and thus offering a l ife -l ine to humanity. Hazira Manufacturing Division has

insti tutionalised road safety training and has reached out to over 158,000 tanker /

truck drivers who visi t the plant for pick -up and dropping feedstock / f inished goods.

The training focuses on safe operation of fleet vehicles by eliminat ing unsafe driver

and driving behaviors and reinforcing aspects of save l ives, reduce injuries, prevent

crashes, control driver performance, minimize risk and l iab il i ty. A centre dedicated

for training truck drivers for transportation of hazardous goods has been established

for round-the-clock training. No driver is al lowed inside complex without training.

To provide emergency and trauma care to victims of highway a ccidents, Hazira

Manufacturing Division has t ied up with an NGO, 'Life Line Foundation ' and adopted

110 kms stretch on the State Highway in Gujarat start ing from Sachin to Bharuch and

the state highway via Hazira Olpad Hansot Ankleshwar.

Further, for the first t ime in State of Gujarat , the local RTO has been supported by

install ing a multimedia based training facil i ty to render safety awareness to all l icense

aspirants.

Page 39

Environment initiatives for the community A zero garbage campaign has been launched i n Reliance Townships to propagate the

concept of solid waste (dry and wet waste) management. This is a part of cleanliness

drive for a disease -free environment at employees ' township, the surrounding vil lages

of Hazira Manufacturing Division and also Surat ci ty in Gujarat .

To reduce plastic l i t ter , as part of i ts commitment towards responsible care and

product stewardship intervention, Hazira Manufacturing Division in partnership with

an NGO is working for social and economical security of woman rag -pickers . Under

the programme, direct sale of waste PET bott les to processing units is facil i tated, thus

eliminating channel of waste merchants and promoting, woman rag pickers ' group.

This program is being extended to over 350 s lums of Surat and also various othe r RIL

locations in Gujarat and other states.

Further, RIL in partnership with Gujarat Engineering Research Inst i tute (GERI) and R

& B Department constructed a 900 meter road stretch using 5% plastic waste. RIL's

CSR team used unattended / non -recyclable plastic waste in construction of tar road

which reduced construction cost as well improved road l ife and reduced road

maintenance cost . Unattended and non recyclable plastic waste sourced from rag

pickers ' cooperative group also dead stock seized by Surat Mu nicpal Corporate was

used. Awareness and sensit ization programs about the technology and i ts benefit to

community have been undertaken to benefit the population of neighbouring vil lages of

Hazira.

RIL's manufacturing divisions continue i ts green energy dr ive by making the rural

folks aware of al ternate energy, efficient energy usage. An NGO called GAIA

Init iat ive from Japan is working with Hazira Manufacturing Division for this project .

Some of the projects that have been init iated are: installat ion and co mmissioning of

solar -microwind combined power system at HIV DOT Centre, Mora vil lage, Surat ,

installat ion and commissioning of Solar -Micro-wind combined system (2 kW) at J H

Ambani School , Surat , installat ion and commissioning of solar AC (1.7 TR) at

Orphanage, HIV DOT Centre, Mora Village and training on "house -hold energy

conservation / efficiency measures" conducted for al l vil lage in the vicinity of the

manufacturing division.

To bring out the innovative spiri t of young s tudents of Surat / RIL employe es and also

to acknowledge / reward the ideas that can contribute to improving the environment,

Hazira Manufacturing Division announced a 'Green Idea Award Scheme' in 2010.

RIL organised programmes of industrial , academic, historical and environmental

importance such as Chemical Industry -2020 Vision and Action at Ankleshwar; Global

Bird Watchers Conference at Jamnagar; Van Mahotsav - 2010 at Pali tana; International

Conference on Global Warming at Gujarat Vidyapeeth; Conference on Synergy with

Energy; Conference on Gujarat 's Marit ime History by Darshak It ihas Nidhi. Further,

tree plantation activit ies were organaised at many locations. Awareness of cleaner,

greener environment and global warming issues are made at schools and also to

vil lages from the surrounding region.

Community Development

Reliance Rural Development Trust In FY 2010-11, Reliance Rural Development Trust (RRDT) undertook 797 works in

760 beneficiary vil lages of 125 talukas under 24 districts of Gujarat to create rural

Page 40

infrastructure under the Gokul Gram Yojana (GGY) of the Government of Gujarat .

Total 608 facil i t ies got completed during the year . The completed facil i t ies include

478 Anganwadi buildings, 58 Cement Concrete Roads, 61 underground RCC sumps

and 05 Check Dams and 06 other works with the total expenditure of Rs. 24 Crore in

FY 2010-11. The Check Dams completed in FY 2010 -11, will have total water storage

capacity of 8.7 mcft and would cater to about 1,065 Hectares of rural land. RRDT,

since i ts inception in 2001 t i l l March 31, 2011 , across the State of Gujarat , has

completed 7,306 various rural infrastructure facil i t ies with an expenditure of more

than Rs. 270 crore.

Further, RIL's manufacturing divisions supply free potable water to the neighbouring

vil lages especially during water shortage periods. They also contribute to the

development of various vil lage infrastructure such as developing, bus sheds, roads,

street l ights, installat ion of solar street l ights in number of vil lages, free supply of

blankets etc .

Livelihood Support Programmes RIL has always been at the forefront in implementing init iat ives especially for the

welfare of rural women and youth of surrounding vil lages through various self -help

groups (SHG).

Continuing with the services and keeping up the tradit ion, Hazir a, Vadodra,

Nagothane, Gadimoga and many other manufacturing divisions offer training

programmes through various SHGs help the rural women and youth to be "self

sustaining" and generating income for themselves and supporting their families. It is a

matter of great pride that many of the beneficiaries of these training programmes are

earning a decent amount of l ivelihood and are financially supporting their families.

For the womenfolk, courses are offered for dress making and designing, beauty culture

and health care, hospital at tendant (Helpers for Hospital and Nursing Homes); while

for the youth of the surrounding communities, courses such as plumbing and hand

pump repairing training, computer hardware repair , motor vehicle driving, mobile

repairing and doormat making etc. Further, training in horticulture cult ivation and

fruit saplings are also given to the farmers of the adjoining vil lages.

Jamnagar Manufacturing Division continues to serve the vil lages around the refinery

complex, the city of Jamnagar an d the community at large. RIL's local community

welfare cell constantly remains in close touch with the vil lagers.

Numerous infrastructure developments in vil lages adjoining and neighbouring the

Jamangar Manufacturing Division such as development of ceme nt concrete roads,

drainage, crematorium and also supply of water construction of Haja Dada temple at a

neighbouring vil lage, Sikka were undertaken in FY 2010 -11. Fodder for cows of

neighbouring vil lages was supplied by RIL 's CSR team working at Jamnagar.

In FY 2010-11, RIL init iated several vil lage infrastructure development projects such

as construction and renovation of community halls, burial ground and school

compound wall in Gadimoga Panchayat. RIL promoted Organic Aqua culture with the

technical guidance of National Center for Sustainable Aqua culture (a sister concern

of MPEDA).

Around RIL's on-land operations in the Coal Bed Methane project areas in Madhya

Pradesh, the Company continues to give medical support to the vil lagers through a

Page 41

mobile medical van.

To help farmers buy the correct and high yield variety of paddy seeds, a 'Kisan Mela '

was organized by MADER Foundation. Several varieties of paddy seeds, and

fert i l izers were made available to farmers. On the purchase of first bag of paddy

seeds, f inancial assistance was given by MADER Trust as subsidy. Farmers are also

encouraged to cult ivate vegetables in the winter season making them available host of

vegetable seeds and a financial subsidy from MADER Foundation on the purchases.

Improving quality of agricultural produce RIL conducted several programmes and participated in farming related exhibit ions to

propagate advanced technologies in the production, handling, storage and distribution

of agricultural products. Use of Leno bags made out of polypropylene (PP) was

extensively promoted amongst farmers. Leno bags are immensely beneficial to farmers

as i t reduces handling losses in fruits and vegetable products.

RIL demonstrated use of advanced farming techniques by use of plastic in enhancing

producit ivity, reducing losses and increase in earnings and distributed promotional

materials. Fil l ing, stor ing and transportation trials were conducted with PP leno bags

to help remove apprehensions of users in adopting advanced packaging solutions.

RIL also had a targeted solution for the banana growing farmers, those who are

involved in export of their produce, in the States of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. Usage of

PP nonwoven material as skirt ing bags for bananas helps in growing spotless fruits of

uniform size. This helps in 10 -15% increased yield and in uniform ripening across the

bunch, while allowing air , water, pesticide to pass through while giving protection

from insects and pests at tack. RIL has been working with the farmers and with Krishi

Vigyan Kendra to create awareness of the concept in order to improve the quali ty of

the produce across the country.

Reuse of well si te water to the crops is demonstrated through irrigation in an

experimental farm for enhanced uti l i ty of resources available for the upliftment of

quali ty of l ife of the l iving communities around manufacturing divisions and E&P

operations.

Skill Up-gradation for Plumbers RIL's Polymer team conducted training programmes and workshops for plumbers on

advanced technology in plumbing syste ms with PPR pipes. Advanced techniques of

welding to prevent leakage and ensuring hygienic and safe drinking water to the users

were taught at these events. Brochures, training manuals and instal lat ion guides were

made available in various vernacular languages. Plumbing kits were also distributed to

plumbers selected by our customers. Installat ion of PPR plumbing system takes less

t ime for installat ion and reduces physical labour thus leading to higher earnings for

the plumbers. Through these programmes loc al plumbers are kept abreast with

advanced and modern technologies in plumbing.

Heritage Conservation Development of Dwarka and other places of religious and spiri tual significance is a

passion for RIL. The construction and beauti fication at Temple Parisar in Dwarka has

been completed.

The newly developed facil i ty at the temple square is ready for dedication to devotees

of Lord Dwarkadheesh. We are now poised to take up construction of Sudama Setu, a

pedestal bridge connecting two banks of river Gomati .

In FY 2010-11, resurfacing and strengthening of 'Dhirubhai Ambani Marg, a by -pass

Page 42

road leading to the temple from the national highway was completed. Refurbishing of

the temple premises such as construction of ceil ing in adjoining area of the main

temple premises , reinstallat ion of CCTV based camera security system etc. was

completed in FY 2010-11.

RIL continues to support social , educational , cultural and spiri tual activit ies of

Shardapeeth of Jagadguru Shankaracharyaj i , Dwarka. Also, f inancial assistance was

extended to Shree Somnath Trust for construction of Kokila Dhirubhai Ambani Sagar

Darshan Dham (a place of accommodation for pilgrimas and furniture was provided to

Dhirajdham at Nathdwara Temple. RIL also extended support to publication of

'Shraddha Setu '-a coffee table book on Gujarat 's pilgrimage centres .

Supporting Indian Culture During the tradit ional Navratri garba festival , gifts to girls were distributed

individually by RIL. Several insti tutions organizing Navratri festival at Jamnagar,

Chorwad, Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Mumbai , etc. were given financial assistance.

RIL sponsored a state level navratri festival under the banner of Gujarat Industries

Navratri Festival Society. Unlike other commercial Navratri venues, the entry here is

free for al l ; modern and classical garba competit ions as well as tradit ional street -

garbas are performed and the whole venue is developed for nine days in such a way

that one gets a total feel of Gujarat 's culture, cuisines and crafts at one place.

Financial assistance and support was given to festivals such as Durga puja, Utkal

dival , Shivratri , 150 years of Swami Vivekanand, Sardar Patel 's bi rth anniversary, and

other cultural/voluntary organisations in FY 2010 -11.

RIL in partnership with a regional magazine sponsored a convention of Gujarati

Poetry and Music during the year. This was one more contribution to strengthen and

consolidate RIL's association with Gujarati community at large. Also, the activit ies of

the Vishwa Gujarati Samaj; Swarnim Gujarat celebrations etc . were supported and

promoted during the year.

Promoting Sports and Sportsmen RIL continues to promote and support sports and sportsmen. The Company extended

support to Reliance Inter -Cricket Tournament, G1 Cricket Tournament, affi l iated

MPCA's All India Cricket Tournament, Central Board of Cricket, etc. Financial

support was given to International Tournament for upcoming chess -players; Gujarat

State Chess Association for conducting under -09 chess tournament; as well as to one

upcoming chess -player . Support was also given to Gujarat State Football Association

and Jamnagar District Football Association for players ' coaching fees, uniform and

their daily allowances as well as to the publication of a special handbook on the

Football World Cup. Third Gujarat Maj or Ranking Badminton Tournament at

Ahmedabad, Hockey League Night Tournament at Rajkot, Tennis Tournament of

Government Employees at Ahmedabad, Table Tennis Championship Tournament at

Vadodara, Kabaddi Tournament of Maharashtra Krida Mandal, Shutt le Tourna ment at

Kochi and Sports Carnival at Bhopal were some of the major sports -events that were

supported during the year.

Mumbai Indians (MI), the Mumbai -based IPL franchise owned by IndiaWin Sports

Pvt . Ltd, a subsidiary company of Reliance Industries Limited is led by Sachin

Tendulkar. MI registered the most number of wins in Season III of the Indian Premier

League, and reached the finals. MI has been the most followed team in the IPL and

enjoys a huge global fan base.

IMG Reliance Private Limited (IMGR), the equal joint venture between IMG and RIL,

Page 43

forged partnerships with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Basketball

Federation of India (BFI). Through i ts partnership with AIFF and BFI, IMGR is set to

revolutionize the Indian Sports scenario. IMGR will work with the Federations to

improve the standard of game in India by participating from grassroots to professional

levels.

IMGR has init iated "IMG Reliance Scholarships for India" to identify and train young

athletes in India. The first batch of "IMG Reliance Scholars", is undergoing training

at IMG Academies, at Bradenton, Florida. IMGR also operates India 's premier

l ifestyle event, "Lakme Fashion Week"; "Aircel Chennai Open", India 's only ATP

level Tennis event and "Avantha Masters", the professio nal golf tournament on

European and Asian Tour.

Acknowledging and supporting talent 'Real Heroes ', an init iat ive of CNN-IBN in partnership with RIL honors the si lent

warriors of change. In i ts fourth year, 'Real Heroes ', acknowledges the extraordinary

contribution from ordinary cit izens in the fie lds ranging from 'Women's Welfare ' to

'Social Welfare ', from 'Youth ' to 'Education and Children ' and from 'Health and

Disabil i ty' to 'Sports ' . The Real Heroes are felici tated at a grand event with a trophy

and cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh each.

RIL partnered with the Stanford University and Stanford Graduate School of Business

for creation of the 'Reliance- Dhirubhai Ambani Undergraduate Scholarship Fund '

as well as 'Reliance Dhirubhai India Education Fund ' with the aim of identifying

and supporting promising Indian students with financial need for higher education.

The 'Reliance Dhirubhai Fellows ' receive ful l f inancial support for education of

Stanford.

RIL insti tuted 'NASI-Reliance Industries Platinum Jubilee Awards ' covering both

'Physical and Biological Sciences ', in partnership with National Academy of Sciences,

India (NASI) . Backed by an endowment from RIL, NASI recognizes scientists for their

significant contribution for application -oriented innovations and research.

In December 2006, jointly with UDCT Alumni Association (UAA), RIL insti tuted

'UAA-Dhirubhai Ambani Lifetime Achievement Award ' for innovative and

outstanding contributions in the field of chemical sciences.

To commemorate the 78th Birth Anniversary of RIL's Founder Chairman Dhirubhai

Ambani, in December 2010, district level quiz competit ion (RDHA Quiz 2010) was

organised, where more than 500 schools in East Godavari district part icipated.

Supporting Institutions Dahej Manufacturing Division extended financial assistance to 'Swajaldhara Scheme"

organized by Water and Sanitation Management Organization (WASMO), Government

of Gujarat , for developing drinking water facil i ty by laying pipeline in the

neighbouring vil lages.

RIL also extended financial support to students and educational insti tutions such as:

Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT), Consumer Education and

Research Council (CERC), Pt . Deendayal Petroleum University, MP Shah Medical

College, Jamnagar, Gramshree Trust , Patan esp ecially engaged in vocational training

of needy women. Premdhara Shishu Vihar, Gandhinagar was given a special f inancial

support for the slum-children school run by i t . In another such unique assistance,

f inancial assistance was given to Shri Vidyamrut Var shini , Valsad, a 100 year old

school known for i ts Sanskrit teaching. The School had even impressed Mahatma

Gandhi and Kasturba when they visi ted i t .

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Similarly, RIL has extended financial assistance to development of Dhirubhai Ambani

Vanijya Bhavan - the new premise of Jamnagar Chamber of Commerce and Industry

and for repairing and refurbishing Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Memorial at

Shahibaug, Ahmedabad.

Reliance Foundation Reliance Foundation, envisaged to become one of the foremost professional

philanthropic organizations in the world, was incorporated in 2010. The Foundation

focuses on five core pi l lars: education, health, rural development, urban renewal, and

promotion and protection of India 's art and culture. The Foundation embodies

corporate systems and processes driven organization operating on a not for profit

basis, with the overall aim to create and support meaningful and innovative activit ies

that will address some of India 's most pressing development challenges.

In October 2010, Reliance Foundation launched Mission BIJ , i ts f lagship program

focusing on supporting smallholder farmers. BIJ , which stands for ' Bharat India

Jodo ' (BIJ) aims to bridge the gap between rural and urban areas . I ts overall goal is to

make farming a profession of first choice by empowering smallholder farmers.

Start ing in over 6 geographic si tes spread across four states, Mission BIJ will provide

support to smallholder farmers along the supply chain through input support , technical

assistance, post harvest and marketing support . Init ial ly envisaged as an agricultural

focused program, Mission BIJ will eventually work with farmers and communities on

a comprehensive rural development strategy, including education, health, and

infrastructure and community development.

Reliance Foundation has also launched an ini t iat ive to set up a world -class

multidisciplinary university in Maharashtra as well as revamping and creating a world

class tert iary care hospital in Mumbai. Reliance Foundation is also planning

interventions in the space of education and health services that aim to address the

service delivery challenges on the ground in rural India.

Dhirubhai Ambani Foundation Dhirubhai Ambani Foundation (DAF) has Education and Public Healthcare as i ts focus

areas. The Foundation 's "Dhirubhai Ambani Undergraduate Scholarship Scheme" has

been motivating students excell ing at the +2 level and assist ing them to pursue higher

education. Similarly, the Foundation 's "Dhirubhai Ambani SSC Merit Reward Scheme"

has been recognizing and rewardin g the Board toppers at Std X exams. The Schemes

also makes special provision to reach out to the Physically Challenged Category and

the girl child.

On a district -wise basis for the State Education Boards and state -wise basis for CBSE,

the Schemes are in implementation in several states, viz. Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat

and the Union terri tories of Daman, Diu and Dadra Nagar Haveli .

In the rest of the states and union terri tories, the scheme rewards the physically

challenged category of the State Boards and th e top five students per state per year are

given the Scholarships and the Rewards. With a sustained follow -up, DAF has now

succeeded in taking i ts Schemes for the physically challenged to 19 other states which

have State Education Boards. This has benefite d addit ional 232 physically challenged

students, 129 rewardees and 103 scholars. Til l date the Schemes have benefited 8,153

students, 1,389 of whom are physically challenged.

Sir Hurkisondas Nurrotumdas Hospital and Research Centre Sir Hurkisondas Nurrotumdas Hospital and Research Centre (HNHRC) is a renowned

insti tution in South Mumbai, having rendered quali ty healthcare to the society for

more than 85 years. It is a multi -specialty tert iary care hospital with some rare

specialt ies l ike Oro-facial Surgery, Onco-Surgery, Paediatric Hematology and

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Paediatric Endocrinology. It is one of the most renowned insti tutes for transplant

surgeries and eye donations. Strengthening and renovation work was carried out in the

HNHRC building. Intens ive care units and operation theatres have been upgraded.

HNHRC has periodical ly conducted programmes l ike free health camps and public

education sessions on prevention of diseases . Free health checkups and screening

programmes for senior cit izens and phys ically challenged were also organized.

HNHRC has started B. Sc. Nursing course which will help to generate more graduates

in the field of nursing. The construction of new hospital has started and is in full

swing.

Sir Hurkisondas Nurrotumdas Medical Resea rch Society Sir Hurkisondas Nurrotumdas Medical Research Society (HNMRS), a non -profit

research organisation based in Mumbai was established with the sole aim of

undertaking scientific research in the area of biomedical sciences and all ied

disciplines. The HNMRS has undertaken over 150 research projects on a wide range of

topics, most of which are of national importance in the areas of the preventive,

diagnostic, therapeutic , and rehabil i tat ive aspects of health. Several high -budgeted

research projects, of considerable medical and scientific relevance to the community,

have been completed and are also on hand currently at the HNMRS. Most of the

studies done at this insti tute have the potent ial for translation into tangible benefits

for humanity, and several of them have already found expression in terms of new

inventions or innovations which have empowered doctors in the difficult task of

decreasing the mortali ty and morbidity of disease. Upgrading of scientific knowledge

and infrastructure is done incrementa lly in HNMRS. It is poised for further paradigm

upgradation of i ts capabil i t ies in the area of Applied Research.

Dhirubhai Ambani International School Dhirubhai Ambani International School recognizes the imperative of imparting an

educational experience that is world-class in every respect and which prepares

children for global ci t izenship. The School 's vision is to provide a learning

environment that encourages children to bring out the best in themselves and which

supports their al lround development, thr ough discovering the joy of learning,

awakening and i l luminating their intellect in multidimensional ways and insti l l ing

abiding values in themselves.

Building on the School 's excellent track record all these years, across all i ts three

streams - the ICSE, the IGCSE and the IB Diploma - our students have achieved

impressive results in the examinations held in 2010. As against the average score of

36 (out of the maximum possible score of 45) achieved by the first f ive batches of our

IB students, the sixth batch, the Class of 2010, at tained an average score of 37,

compared to the world average of 29.8 points. And 2 of them earned the perfect score

of 45 points, a score that was only achieved by 86 children worldwide in the previous

year. For the fourth year in a row, our ICSE children have achieved excellent results -

earning an average score of 94.06%, with 45% of them scoring 95% and above and the

topper scoring 96.80%. 85.3% of all IGCSE grades achieved were A* and A grades, as

compared to the world average of 35% and the Indian average of 34%. Some of our

children have topped the world in several subjects while some have been national

toppers. For the fif th year in a row, one of our children received the ' Best IGCSE

Student in India ' award from the Cambridge International Examinations.

The School 's performance on the university placement front continues to be excellent.

Page 46

The IB Class of 2011 has earned admission offers from the world 's top universit ies. 4

students were accepted at Oxbridge, 15 at University College London, 7 at Imperial , 9

at King's College, 1 at University of Edinburgh, 3 at University of Bristol , 8 at

University of Manchester, 19 at Warwick and 6 at London School of Economics,

among others. Amongst the Ivy League and other leading universi t ies, Yale has

accepted 1 student, University of Chicago 5, Princeton 1, Columbia 4, U -Penn 3,

Stanford 3, Michigan 2, Cornell 3 , Northwestern 1, UC Berkeley 9, Carnegie Mellon

11, University of California LA 19, Brown 1 and New York University 19. Other

reputable universit ies that have offered admission to our students include McGill ,

Brit ish Columbia, University of Toronto and University of Hong Kong. Students who

applied to universit ies in other countries and those who plan to study in India are

expected to do equally well when their admissions are finalized.

The School 's students are involved in several service activit ies. They work with NGOs

like Advitya, Akanksha, Muktangan and Pratham. Through the 'Across the Road'

neighbourhood service init iat ive and education and health programmes, our students

reach out to community members in Bandra -Kurla Complex, Mumbai. The

Empowering Villages Everywhere (EVE) init iat ive provides solar lamps to vil lages

where electrici ty is scarce. Our students are enthusiastic ally continuing their work to

construct houses and roads in Hassachipatt i (a vil lage near Matheran) and also provide

educational opportunit ies for children there; through a fete they raised substantial

funds to support this init iat ive.

In 2010, our School hosted the Round Square South Asia and the Gulf Region Junior

Regional Conference at the School, DAIS Study and Activity Centre at Matheran, with

participation of 20 Schools from Bangladesh, Jordan, Sultanate of Oman, UAE and

India. The theme of this conference was water conservation. The School celebrated i ts

Annual Day on the theme 'Chirstmast '. It consisted of a musical 'The Gift ', showcasing

the School 's talent and reinforcing the spiri t of giving and the Chirstmas Carnival,

which was organized by our students to raise funds towards community service. The

Annual DAIMUN (Dhirubhai Ambani International School Model United Nations)

Conference 2010 deliberated on the menace of corruption and how it could be

addressed with the urgency i t deserves. 'Paigaam' Peace Conference, which fosters a

harmonious relationship with people from across the border, was another highlight of

the year at the School.

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LIMITATIONS:

Every attempt will be taken to obtain the error free and meaningful result

but as nothing in this world is 100% perfect I believe that there will still the

chance for error on account of following l imitations -

(1) Respondent’s unavailability.

(2) Time pressure and fatigue on the part of respondents and

Interviewer.

(3) Courtesy bias.

Page 48

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

http://www.tehelka.com/uttarakhand-a-model-of-disaster/1/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_management

http://www.livemint.com/Politics/n5bjC5WoyW22T8UyB6z26N/How -the-

Uttarakhand-disaster-was-managed.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disaster

http://www.ril.com/html/aboutus/social_resp_comm_dev.html

http://www.ril.com/html/aboutus/corporate_governance.html