CSR Unit3&4
CSR Unit3&4
CSR Unit3&4
Private contribution to societys economic and human resources and a willingness on the part of
business to see that those resources were utilized for broad social ends. Frederick (1960)
1960s1970s : Stakeholder approach : Instead of striving only for larger returns to its
shareholders, a responsible enterprise takes into account the interests of employees, suppliers,
dealers, local communities and the nation as a whole. Johnson (1971)
Three dimensional model : The concept consists of corporate responsibilities (i.e., economic,
legal, ethical and philanthropic), social issues of business (e.g., labour standards, human rights,
environment protection and anti-corruption) and corporate actions (e.g., reactive, defensive,
accommodative and proactive). Carroll (1979)
1980s-1990s: Three-dimensional model of principles, policies and processes : Integration of
the principles of corporate responsibility, the policies of social issue management and the process
of action into an evolving system. Wartick and Cochran (1985)
Institutional framework and extended corporate actions: Four types of corporate
responsibilities (i.e., economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic) were linked to three institutional
levels (i.e., legal, organizational and individual), while corporate actions are extended to
assessment, stockholder management and implementation management. Wood (1991)
2000s: Three Domains Approach: Three domains of corporate responsibilities: economic, legal
and ethical. Schwartz and Carroll (2003)
New concept: A process to integrate social, environmental, ethical, human rights and consumer
concerns into business operations and core strategy in close corporation with the stakeholders.
European Commission (2011)
The emerging concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) goes beyond charity and
requires the company to act beyond its legal obligations and to integrated social, environmental
and ethical concerns into companys business process.
Business has today, emerged as one of the most powerful institutions on the earth. Some of the
biggest companies in the world are in fact, bigger in size than some of the developing countries
of the world. Globalization makes the world smaller, and business, worldwide, is expanding like
never before. Companies are expanding their operations and crossing geographical boundaries.
Indian companies too have made their way into the business boom and are today globally
acknowledged as major players. India is currently amongst the fastest growing countries in the
world. The globalization and liberalization of the Indian economy has helped in stepping up
growth rates. Integration of the Indian with the global economy has also resulted in Indian
businesses opening up to international competition and thereby increasing their operations.
In the current scheme of things, business enterprises are no longer expected to play their
traditional role of mere profit making enterprises. The ever-increasing role of civil society has
started to put pressure on companies to act in an economically, socially and environmentally
sustainable way.
The companies are facing increased pressure for transparency and accountability, being placed
on them by their employees, customers, shareholders, media and civil society. Business does not
operate in isolation and there is today, an increased realization that not only can companies affect
society at large, but they are also in a unique position to influence society and make positive
impact.
Milton Friedman, Nobel Laureate in Economics and author of several books wrote in 1970 in the
New York Times Magazine that the social responsibility of business is to increase its profits
and the business of business is business. This represented an extreme view that the only social
responsibility a law-abiding business has is to maximize profits for the shareholders, which were
considered the only stakeholders for the company. However, time has given the term
stakeholder wider connotations.
Edward Freeman defines, a stakeholder in an organization is any group or individual who can
affect or is affected by the achievement of the organizations objectives. Thus, the term
stakeholder includes (apart from shareholders), but not limited to, customers, employees,
suppliers, community, environment and society at large.
These and a host of other such ideas have given rise to the concept of Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR). The concept of CSR goes beyond charity or philanthropy and requires the
company to act beyond its legal obligations and to integrate social, environmental and ethical
concerns into its business process. Business for SocialResponsibility defines CSR as achieving
commercial success in ways that honor ethical values and respect people, communities, and the
environment.
It means addressing the legal, ethical, commercial and other expectations that society has for
business and making decisions that fairly balance the claims of all key stakeholders. In its
simplest terms it is: what you do, how you do it, and when and what you say. A widely quoted
definition by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development states that Corporate
social responsibility is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute
to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families
as well as of the local community and society at large.
Though, there is no universal definition of CSR but the common understanding amongst most of
these definitions concern with how the profits are made and how they are used, keeping in mind
the interests of all stakeholders. The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility is constantly
evolving.
The emerging concept of CSR goes beyond charity and requires the company to act beyond its
legal obligations and to integrate social, environmental and ethical concerns into companys
business process. What is generally understood by CSR is that the business has a responsibility
towards its stakeholders and society at large that extends beyond its legal and enforceable
obligations.
The triple bottom line approach to CSR emphasizes a companys commitment to operating in an
economically, socially and environmentally sustainable manner. The emerging concept of CSR
advocates moving away from a shareholder alone focus to a multi-stakeholder focus. This
would include investors, employees, business partners, customers, regulators, supply chain, local
communities, the environment and society at large.
Corporate Governance: Within the ambit of corporate governance, major issues are the
accountability, transparency and conduct in conformity with the laws. Good corporate
governance policy would enable the company to realize its corporate objectives, protect
shareholder rights, meet legal requirements and create transparency for all stakeholders.
Business Ethics: Relates to value-based and ethical business practices. Business ethics defines
how a company integrates core values such as honesty, trust, respect, and fairness into its
policies, practices, and decision making. Business ethics also involves a companys compliance
with legal standards and adherence to internal rules and regulations.1
Workplace and labour relations: Human resources are most important and critical to a
company. Good CSR practices relating to workplace and labour relations can help in improving
the workplace in terms of health and safety, employee relations as well as result in a healthy
balance between work and non-work aspects of employees life. It can also make it easier to
recruit employees and make them stay longer, thereby reducing the costs and disruption of
recruitment and retraining.
Supply Chain: The business process of the company is not just limited to the operations internal
to the company but to the entire supply chain involved in goods and services. If anyone from the
supply chain neglects social, environmental, human rights or other aspects, it may reflect badly
on the company and may ultimately affect business heavily. Thus, company should use its
strategic position to influence the entire supply chain to positively impact the stakeholders.
Customers: The products and services of a company are ultimately aimed at the customers. The
cost and quality of products may be of greatest concern to the customers but these are not the
only aspects that the customers are concerned with. With increased awareness and means of
communication, customer satisfaction and loyalty would depend on how the company has
produced the goods and services, considering the social, environmental, supply-chain and other
such aspects.
Environment: Merely meeting legal requirements in itself does not comprise CSR but it
requires company to engage in such a way that goes beyond mandatory requirements and
delivers environmental benefits. It would include, but not limited to, finding sustainable
solutions for natural resources, reducing adverse impacts on environment, reducing environment-
risky pollutants/emissions as well as producing environment-friendly goods.
Community: A major stakeholder to the business is the community in which the company
operates. The involvement of a company with the community would depend upon its direct
interaction with the community and assessment of issues/risks faced by those living in the
company surrounding areas. This helps in delivering a community-focused CSR strategy
making positive changes to the lives of the people and improving the brand-image of the
company. Involvement with the community could be both direct & indirect through funding
and other support for community projects implemented by local agencies.
Prior to erecting a new plant or taking on a new project, prudent managers will conduct a cost-
benefit analysis as a means of evaluating all of the potential costs and revenues that may be
generated if the project is completed. The outcome of the analysis will determine whether the
project is financially feasible, or if another project should be pursued.
Process of quantifying costs and benefits of a decision, program, or project (over a certain
period), and those of its alternatives (within the same period), in order to have a single scale of
comparison for unbiased evaluation. Unlike the present value (PV) method of investment
appraisal, CBA estimates the net present value (NPV) of the decision by discounting the
investment and returns. Though employed mainly in financial analysis, a CBA is not limited to
monetary considerations only. It often includes those environmental and social costs and benefits
that can be reasonably quantified.
Definition: CBA can be explained as a procedure for estimating all costs involved and possible
profits to be derived from a business opportunity or proposal.
Description: CBA takes into account both quantitative and qualitative factors for analysis of the
value for money for a particular project or investment opportunity. Benefits to costs ratio and
other indicators are used to conduct such analyses.
The objective is to ascertain the soundness of any investment opportunity and provide a basis for
making comparisons with other such proposals. All positives and negatives of the project are first
quantified in monetary terms and then adjusted for their time-value to obtain correct estimates
for conduct of cost-benefit analysis. Most economists also account for opportunity costs of the
investment in the project to get the costs involved.
When it comes to goal setting or deciding on the best plan of attack, working up a cost-benefits
analysis will help you decide just which route would be best for you. And a cost-benefit analysis
doesn't have to be complicated. You simply draw a line down the middle of a piece of paper to
create two columns. On the left, list the benefits of achieving a given goal. On the right, list what
it will cost you to get there. Once you've done that, you can simply add up the benefits and costs
columns and see which has more, or assign weighted scores to each entry and total them at the
bottom. Of course, you may not want to let this quick and easy analysis make the final decision
for you. And it may sometimes be the nearest thing to a tossup. But even a simple cost-benefit
analysis can give you an idea of whether a given goal is worth investigating further.
An example is a sales director who needs to decide whether to implement a new computer-based
contact management and sales processing system. The sales department currently has only a few
computers, and its salespeople aren't computer savvy. Any system upgrade would require
extensive employee training. The company is likely to experience a drop in sales during the
transition period.
While total expenses, including equipment, installation and training costs, plus lost productivity,
are estimated to be $55,800, the company's analysis reveals the new computer system would
increase sales capacity, boost efficiency and enhance customer service and retention--financial
benefits the company pegs at $90,000 annually. Based on the cost-benefit estimates, the company
would see a return on its investment in eight months. (Payback time: $55,800 ? $90,000 = 0.62
of a year.)
Theory
Costbenefit analysis is often used by governments and other organizations, such as private
sector businesses, to evaluate the desirability of a given policy. It is an analysis of the expected
balance of benefits and costs, including an account of foregone alternatives and the status quo.
CBA helps predict whether the benefits of a policy outweigh its costs, and by how much relative
to other alternatives (i.e. one can rank alternate policies in terms of the cost-benefit ratio).
Generally, accurate cost-benefit analysis identifies choices that increase welfare from a utilitarian
perspective. Assuming an accurate CBA, changing the status quo by implementing the
alternative with the lowest cost-benefit ratio can improve Pareto efficiency. An analyst using
CBA should recognize that perfect evaluation of all present and future costs and benefits is
difficult, and while CBA can offer a well-educated estimate of the best alternative, perfection in
terms of economic efficiency and social welfare are not guaranteed.
Process
2. List stakeholders.
Jules Dupuit, a French engineer, first introduced the concept of Cost-Benefit Analysis in the
1930s. It became popular in the 1950s as a simple way of weighing up project costs and benefits,
to determine whether to go ahead with a project.
As its name suggests, Cost-Benefit Analysis involves adding up the benefits of a course of
action, and then comparing these with the costs associated with it.
The results of a cost-benefit analysis are often expressed as a payback period this is the time it
takes for benefits to repay costs. Many people who use Cost-Benefit Analysis look for payback
in less than a specific period for example, three years.
You can use Cost-Benefit Analysis in a wide variety of situations. For example, when you are:
However, bear in mind that Cost-Benefit Analysis is best for making quick and simple financial
decisions. More robust approaches are commonly used for more complex, business-critical or
high cost decisions.
First, take time to brainstormall of the costs associated with the project, and make a list of these.
Then, do the same for all of the benefits of the project. Can you think of any unexpected costs?
And are there benefits that you may not initially have anticipated?
When you come up with the costs and benefits, think about the lifetime of the project. What are
the costs and benefits likely to be over time?
Costs include the costs of physical resources needed, as well as the cost of the human effort
involved in all phases of a project. Costs are often relatively easy to estimate (compared with
revenues).
It's important that you think about as many related costs as you can. For example, what will any
training cost? Will there be a decrease in productivity while people are learning a new system or
technology, and how much will this cost?
Remember to think about costs that will continue to be incurred once the project is finished. For
example, consider whether you will need additional staff, if your team will need ongoing
training, or if you'll have increased overheads.
This step is less straightforward than step two! Firstly, it's often very difficult to predict revenues
accurately, especially for new products. Secondly, along with the financial benefits that you
anticipate, there are often intangible, or soft, benefits that are important outcomes of the project.
For instance, what is the impact on the environment, employee satisfaction, or health and safety?
What is the monetary value of that impact?
Finally, compare the value of your costs to the value of your benefits, and use this analysis to
decide your course of action.
To do this, calculate your total costs and your total benefits, and compare the two values to
determine whether your benefits outweigh your costs. At this stage it's important to consider the
payback time, to find out how long it will take for you to reach the break even point the point
in time at which the benefits have just repaid the costs.
For simple examples, where the same benefits are received each period, you can calculate the
payback period by dividing the projected total cost of the project by the projected total revenues:
Total cost / total revenue (or benefits) = length of time (payback period).
Example
Custom Graphic Works has been operating for just over a year, and sales are exceeding targets.
Currently, two designers are working full-time, and the owner is considering increasing capacity
to meet demand. (This would involve leasing more space and hiring two new designers.)
Recruitment costs
$11,250
Software licenses
$1,000
Construction downtime :Two weeks at approximately $7,500 revenue per week
$15,000
Total
$139,750
Benefits
Benefit Within
12 Months
Total $305,500
Stakeholder Commitment
Community
Consumers
9. Respects the rights of consumers.
Employees
Investors
Suppliers
Environmental Commitment
Principle 1
Principle 2
Principle 3
Managers should adopt processes and modes of behavior that are sensitive to
the concerns and capabilities of each stakeholder constituency.
Principle 4
Principle 5
Managers should work cooperatively with other entities, both public and
private, to insure that risks and harms arising from corporate activities are
minimized and, where they cannot be avoided, appropriately compensated.
Principle 6
Principle 7
Managers should acknowledge the potential conflicts between their own role
as corporate stakeholders, and their legal and moral responsibilities for the
interests of stakeholders and should address such conflicts through open
communication, appropriate reporting and inventive systems, and where
necessary, third-party review.
Administrative learning
Human Rights
Human rights belong to everyone. They are the basic rights we all
have simply because we are human, regardless of who we are,
where we live or what we do. Human rights represent all the things
we need to flourish and live together as human beings. They are
expressed in internationally agreed laws, and cover many aspects
of everyday life ranging from the rights to food, shelter, education
and health to freedoms of thought, religion and expression.
The roots and origins of human rights and the struggles to bring them about
lie deep in the history of many different societies, civilisations and
individuals. However, the first universally agreed statement of human rights
did not emerge until 1948, with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(UDHR). The UDHR is the most famous, most translated, and probably most
important, human rights document. All other human rights laws take the
UDHR as their starting point it is the foundation of modern human rights
law.
Human rights are political and legal claims to equal freedom in a universal
perspective. They constitute standards, which require political an legal
implementation through national, regional, and international institutions.
One of the oldest Western philosophies of human rights is that they are a
product of a natural law, stemming from different philosophical or religious
grounds. Other theories hold that human rights codify moral behavior which
is a human social product developed by a process of biological and social
evolution (associated with Hume). Human rights are also described as a
sociological pattern of rule setting (as in the sociological theory of law and
the work of Weber). These approaches include the notion that individuals in
a society accept rules from legitimate authority in exchange for security and
economic advantage (as in Rawls) a social contract. The two theories that
dominate contemporary human rights discussion are the interest theory and
the will theory. Interest theory argues that the principal function of human
rights is to protect and promote certain essential human interests, while will
theory attempts to establish the validity of human rights based on the unique
human capacity for freedom.
Who has responsibilities for human rights?
Human rights are based on the principle that we all have human rights we
are all rights holders. When an individual has a right, there is a
corresponding duty bearer, usually the state, who is responsible for making
sure that right is respected, protected and fulfilled. By the state, in broad
terms we mean the government and those acting on its behalf. Human rights
prevent states from doing certain things, like not treating you in a degrading
way. They also require states to take certain actions to make sure your rights
are protected and fulfilled, like taking steps to protect your life and improve
your quality of life.
This doesnt mean that human rights have nothing to say about the
responsibilities of individuals, or our relationships with each other. Human
rights recognise that we all live alongside each other, and everyone else has
rights too. If we compromise others human rights, we are subject to laws
that may limit our own rights as a result.
Human rights in India is an issue complicated by the country's large size, its
tremendous diversity, its status as a developing country and a sovereign,
secular, democratic republic. The Constitution of India provides for
Fundamental rights, which include freedom of religion. Clauses also provide
for Freedom of Speech, as well as separation of executive and judiciary and
freedom of movement within the country and abroad.
Right to life: Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall
be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life The right to life
is the essential right that a human being has the right not to be killed by
another human being. The concept of a right to life is central to debates on
the issues of abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia, self defense and war.
According to many human rights activists, the death penalty violates this
right. The United Nations has called on states retaining the death penalty to
establish a moratorium on capital punishment with a view to its abolition.
States which do not do so face considerable moral and political pressure.
Torture is prohibited under international law and the domestic laws of most
countries in the 21st century. It is considered to be a violation of human
rights, and is declared to be unacceptable by Article 5 of the UN Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. Signatories of the Third Geneva Convention
and Fourth Geneva Convention officially agree not to torture prisoners in
armed conflicts. Torture is also prohibited by the United Nations Convention
Against Torture, which has been ratified by 147 states.
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall
be prohibited in all their forms.
Despite this, the number of slaves today is higher than at any point in history,
remaining as high as 12 million to 27 million, Most are debt slaves, largely
in South Asia, who are under debt bondage incurred by lenders, sometimes
even for generations.[74] Human trafficking is primarily for prostituting
women and children into sex industries.
The right to a fair trial has been defined in numerous regional and
international human rights instruments. It is one of the most extensive human
rights and all international human rights instruments enshrine it in more than
one article.[77] The right to a fair trial is one of the most litigated human rights
and substantial case law has been established on the interpretation of this
human right.[78] Despite variations in wording and placement of the various
fair trial rights, international human rights instrument define the right to a
fair trial in broadly the same terms. [79] The aim of the right is to ensure the
proper administration of justice. As a minimum the right to fair trial includes
the following fair trial rights in civil and criminal proceedings:[80]
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The
term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes
any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless
of the medium used. In practice, the right to freedom of speech is not
absolute in any country and the right is commonly subject to limitations,
such as on libel, slander, obscenity, incitement to commit a crime, etc. The
right to freedom of expression is recognized as a human right under Article
19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and recognized in
international human rights law in the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (ICCPR). Article 19 of the ICCPR states that "[e]veryone
shall have the right to hold opinions without interference" and "everyone
shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom
to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of
frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through
any other media of his choice".
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this
right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either
alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his
religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Freedom of thought, conscience and religion are closely related rights that
protect the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to
think and freely hold conscientious beliefs and to manifest religion or belief
in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally
recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow
any religion.[81] The freedom to leave or discontinue membership in a religion
or religious groupin religious terms called "apostasy"is also a
fundamental part of religious freedom, covered by Article 18 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Freedom of movement
Main article: Freedom of movement
Rights debates
Events and new possibilities can affect existing rights or require new ones.
Advances of technology, medicine, and philosophy constantly challenge the
status quo of human rights thinking.
The right to keep and bear arms for defense is described in the philosophical
and political writings of Aristotle, Cicero, John Locke, Machiavelli, the
English Whigs and others.[85] In countries with an English common law
tradition, a long standing common law right to keep and bear arms has long
been recognized, as pre-existing in common law, prior even to the existence
of national constitutions.
Future generations
In 1997 UNESCO adopted the Declaration on the Responsibilities of the
Present Generation Towards the Future Generation. The Declaration opens
with the words:
Mindful of the will of the peoples, set out solemnly in the Charter of the
United Nations, to 'save succeeding generations from the scourge of war' and
to safeguard the values and principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights, and all other relevant instruments of international law.
A global charter for sexual orientation and gender identity rights has been
proposed in the form of the 'Yogyakarta Principles', a set of 29 principles
whose authors say they apply International Human Rights Law statutes and
precedent to situations relevant to LGBT people's experience.[96] The
principles were presented at a United Nations event in New York on
November 7, 2007, co-sponsored by Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.
Trade
Although both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights emphasize
the importance of a right to work, neither of these documents explicitly
mention trade as a mechanism for ensuring this fundamental right. And yet
trade plays a key role in providing jobs.
Some experts argue that trade is inherent to human nature and that when
governments inhibit international trade they directly inhibit the right to work
and the other indirect benefits, like the right to education, that increased
work and investment help accrue. Others have argued that the ability to trade
does not affect everyone equallyoften groups like the rural poor,
indigenous groups and women are less likely to access the benefits of
increased trade.
On the other hand, others think that it is no longer primarily individuals but
companies that trade, and therefore it cannot be guaranteed as a human right.
[citation needed]
Additionally, trying to fit too many concepts under the umbrella of
what qualifies as a human right has the potential to dilute their importance.
Finally, it is difficult to define a right to trade as either "fair" or "just" in that
the current trade regime produces winners and losers but its reform is likely
to produce (different) winners and losers.
See also: The Recognition of Labour Standards within the World Trade
Organisation and Investor state dispute settlement
Water
See also: Water politics and Right to water
the human right to water is indispensable for leading a life in human dignity.
It is a prerequisite for the realization of other human rights.
This principle was reaffirmed at the 3rd and 4th World Water Councils in
2003 and 2006. This marks a departure from the conclusions of the 2nd
World Water Forum in The Hague in 2000, which stated that water was a
commodity to be bought and sold, not a right. [106] There are calls from many
NGOs and politicians to enshrine access to water as a binding human right,
and not as a commodity.[107][108] According to the United Nations, nearly 900
million people lack access to clean water and more than 2.6 billion people
lack access to basic sanitation. On July 28, 2010, the UN declared water and
sanitation as human rights. By declaring safe and clean drinking water and
sanitation as a human right, the U.N. General Assembly made a step towards
the Millennium Development Goal to ensure environmental sustainability,
which in part aims to "halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population
without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation".
Reproductive rights
Main article: reproductive rights
Reproductive rights rest on the recognition of the basic right of all couples
and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and
timing of their children and to have the information and means to do so, and
the right to attain the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health.
They also include the right of all to make decisions concerning reproduction
free of discrimination, coercion and violence.
Reproductive rights may include some or all of the following rights: the right
to legal or safe abortion, the right to control one's reproductive functions, the
right to quality reproductive healthcare, and the right to education and access
in order to make reproductive choices free from coercion, discrimination,
and violence.[113]
According to the estimates of Reporters Without Borders, India ranks 122nd worldwide in 2010
on the press freedom index (down from 105th in 2009). The press freedom index for India is
38.75 in 2010 (29.33 for 2009) on a scale that runs from 0 (most free) to 105 (least free).
The Indian Constitution, while not mentioning the word "press", provides for "the right to
freedom of speech and expression" (Article 19(1) a). However this right is subject to restrictions
under subclause (2), whereby this freedom can be restricted for reasons of "sovereignty and
integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order,
preserving decency, preserving morality, in relation to contempt of court, defamation, or
incitement to an offence". Laws such as the Official Secrets Act and Prevention of Terrorism Act
[25]
(POTA) have been used to limit press freedom. Under POTA, person could be detained for up
to six months before the police were required to bring charges on allegations for terrorism-
related offenses. POTA was repealed in 2004, but was replaced by amendments to UAPA. [26] The
Official Secrets Act 1923 is abolished after right to information act 2005
For the first half-century of independence, media control by the state was the major constraint on
press freedom. Indira Gandhi famously stated in 1975 that All India Radio is "a Government
organ, it is going to remain a Government organ..." With the liberalisation starting in the 1990s,
private control of media has burgeoned, leading to increasing independence and greater scrutiny
of government. Organisations like Tehelka and NDTV have been particularly influential, e.g. in
bringing about the resignation of powerful Haryana minister Venod Sharma. In addition, laws
like Prasar Bharati act passed in recent years contribute significantly to reducing the control of
the press by the government.
LGBT rights
Main article: LGBT rights in India
Until the Delhi High Court decriminalised consensual private sexual acts between consenting
adults on 2 July 2009, homosexuality was considered criminal as per interpretations of the
ambiguous Section 377 of the 150 year old Indian Penal Code (IPC), a law passed by the
colonial British authorities. However, this law was very rarely enforced. In its ruling
decriminalising homosexuality, the Delhi High Court noted that existed law conflicted with the
fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India, and such criminalising is violative of
Articles 21, 14 and 15 of the Constitution.
Human trafficking
Main articles: Human trafficking in India and Child trafficking in India
Human trafficking is a $8 million illegal business in India. Around 10,000 Nepali women are
brought to India annually for commercial sexual exploitation.[30] Each year 20,00025,000
women and children are trafficked from Bangladesh.[31]
Babubhai Khimabhai Katara was a Member of Parliament when arrested for smuggling a child to
Canada.
Religious violence
Main article: Religious violence in India
Communal conflicts between religious groups (mostly between Hindus and Muslims) have been
prevalent in India since around the time of its independence from British Rule. Among the oldest
incidences of communal violence in India was the Moplah rebellion, when Militant Islamists
massacred Hindus in Kerala. Communal riots took place during the partition of India between
Hindus/Sikhs and Muslims where large numbers of people were killed in large-scale violence.
The 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots was a four-day period during which Sikhs were massacred by
members of the secular-centrist Congress Party of India; some estimates state that more than
2,000 were killed.[32] Other incidents include the 1987 Hashimpura massacre during communal
riots in Meerut, 1992 Bombay Riots and the 2002 Gujarat violence in the latter, more than 100
Muslims[33] were killed following a militant Islamist attack on a train full of Hindu pilgrims in
the Godhra Train Burning, where 58 Hindus were killed.[34] Lesser incidents plague many towns
and villages; representative was the killing of five people in Mau, Uttar Pradesh during Hindu-
Muslim rioting, which was triggered by the proposed celebration of a Hindu festival. [34] Other
such communal incidents include the 2002 Marad massacre, which was carried out by the
militant Islamist group National Development Front, as well as communal riots in Tamil Nadu
executed by the Islamist Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazagham against Hindus.
According to a report by Human Rights Watch, "Dalits and indigenous peoples (known as
Scheduled Tribes or adivasis) continue to face discrimination, exclusion, and acts of communal
violence. Laws and policies adopted by the Indian government provide a strong basis for
protection, but are not being faithfully implemented by local authorities."
The UN stated in 2011 that the caste system of India will be declared a human rights abuse. The
UN's Human Rights Council, meeting in Geneva, is expected to ratify draft principles which
recognises the scale of persecution suffered by 65 million 'untouchables' or 'Dalits' who carry out
the most menial and degrading work.[36]
Amnesty International says "it is the responsibility of the Indian government to fully enact and
apply its legal provisions against discrimination on the basis of caste and descent.[37]
Denotified tribes of India, along with many nomadic tribes collectively 60 million in population,
continue to face social stigma and economic hardships, despite the fact Criminal Tribes Act
1871, was repealed by the government in 1952 and replaced by Habitual Offenders Act (HOA)
(1952), as effectively it only created a new list out of the old list of so-called "criminal tribes.
These tribes even today face the consequences of the 'Prevention of Anti-Social Activity Act'
(PASA), which only adds to their everyday struggle for existence as most of them live below
poverty line. National Human Rights Commission and UNs anti-discrimination body Committee
on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) have asked the government to repeal this
law as well, as these former "criminalised" tribes continue to suffer oppression and social
ostracization at large and many have been denied SC, ST or OBC status, denying them access to
reservations which would elevated their economic and social status.[38][39][40]
Other violence
Conflicts such as Anti-Bihari sentiment have sometimes escalated to violence.
It has been found that more than half of the prisoners of the country are detained without
adequate evidence[according to whom?]. Unlike in other democratic countries, the investigation in India
generally commence with the arrest of the accused. As the judicial system is understaffed and
sluggish, it is not uncommon to find innocent civilians languishing in jail for many years. For
instance, the Bombay high court in September 2009 asked the Maharashtra government to pay
100,000 as compensation to a 40-year-old man who languished in prison for over 10 years for a
crime he didnt commit.
People or organizations with needs and wants; both have the willingness and ability to buy or
sell. The global economic environment plays a large role in the development of new markets for
organizations.
When the natural environment is damaged and contaminated to the extent that it threatens life,
health, food, shelter, and minimum work standards, it also becomes a threat to established human
rights. When people must struggle to obtain the basic necessities of life, political freedoms and
human rights may appear meaningless to them. The destruction of life-sustaining ecosystems, the
pollution of the world's water, land, and air, the inability to control the world's wastes, and other
related environmental problems prevent people from securing the minimum requisites for health
and survival, there by impeding and even prohibiting the effective exercise and enjoyment of
human rights for much of the world's population. The correlation between human rights and the
environment has been recognized by the international community in such forums as the recent
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio deJaneiro (UNCED), in
proposed United Nations Resolutions and other multilateral agreements, and by writers in the
field of international
environmental law.' This Note proposes recognition of a new human right to a clean and
ecologically balanced environment as a "third generation" human right, necessary to facilitate
fulfillment of the first and second generations of human rights which already guarantee basic
rights and freedoms to all people. The term "generation" distinguishes the various conceptual
groups of human rights currently recognized in international law. Use of this term does not imply
a hierarchical division of human rights, nor does it imply that succeeding generations preempt or
gain primacy over earlier generations; rather, it recognizes that the human rights regimes
essentially dynamic and that additional human rights may be proclaimed as changing human
needs are recognized and addressed. Maintaining an effective human rights regime presents the
challenge of "balanc[ing] between the need to maintain the integrity and credibility of the human
rights tradition, and the need to adopt a dynamic approach that fully reflects changing needs and
perspectives and responds to the emergence of new threats to human dignity and well-being.",
In ecosystem ecology we put all of this together and, insofar as we can, we try to
understand how the system operates as a whole. This means that, rather than worrying
mainly about particular species, we try to focus on major functional aspects of the system.
These functional aspects include such things as the amount of energy that is produced by
photosynthesis, how energy or materials flow along the many steps in a food chain, or what
controls the rate of decomposition of materials or the rate at which nutrients are recycled in
the system.
Process of Ecosystem
Ecological Balance
Balance of Nature
Biological Productivity
Regulation climate
Degradation of Waste
Cleaning of Air and Water
Cycling of Nutrients
Control of potential pest and disease causing species
Detoxification of soil and sediments
Stabilization of land against erosion
Carbon sequestration and global climate change
Maintenance of soil fertility
Pollution
Hunting
Global warming and Climate
Agriculture
Domino effect
Concern of Global Warming
Global warming and climate change refer to an increase in average global temperatures. Natural
events and human activities are believed to be contributing to an increase in average global
temperatures. This is caused primarily by increases in greenhouse gases such as Carbon
Dioxide (CO2).
A warming planet thus leads to a change in climate which can affect weather in various ways, as
discussed further below.
Global warming is the rise in the average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans since
the late 19th century and its projected continuation. Since the early 20th century, Earth's mean
surface temperature has increased by about 0.8 C (1.4 F), with about two-thirds of the increase
occurring since 1980.
Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and scientists are more than 90% certain that it is
primarily caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human activities
such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. These findings are recognized by the
national science academies of all major industrialized nations.
Climate model projections were summarized in the 2007 Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) by
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). They indicated that during the 21st
century the global surface temperature is likely to rise a further 1.1 to 2.9 C (2 to 5.2 F change)
for their lowest emissions scenario and 2.4 to 6.4 C (4.3 to 11.5 F change) for their highest.
The ranges of these estimates arise from the use of models with differing sensitivity to
greenhouse gas concentrations.
Future climate change and associated impacts will vary from region to region around the globe.
The effects of an increase in global temperature include a rise in sea levels and a change in the
amount and pattern of precipitation, as well a probable expansion of subtropical deserts.
Warming is expected to be strongest in the Arctic and would be associated with the continuing
retreat of glaciers, permafrost and sea ice. Other likely effects of the warming include a more
frequent occurrence of extreme weather events including heat waves, droughts and heavy
rainfall, ocean acidification and species extinctions due to shifting temperature regimes. Effects
significant to humans include the threat to food security from decreasing crop yields and the loss
of habitat from inundation.
Carbon dioxide and other air pollution that is collecting in the atmosphere like a thickening
blanket, trapping the sun's heat and causing the planet to warm up. Coal-burning power plants
are the largest U.S. source of carbon dioxide pollution -- they produce 2.5 billion tons every year.
Automobiles, the second largest source, create nearly 1.5 billion tons of CO2 annually.
Here's the good news: technologies exist today to make cars that run cleaner and burn less gas,
modernize power plants and generate electricity from nonpolluting sources, and cut our
electricity use through energy efficiency. The challenge is to be sure these solutions are put to
use.
Global warming is one of the major problems which is not divided by the boundaries of various
countries. Global warming is the hottest topic that anybody learned can relate to. But for those of
you who do not understand what is Global Warming, here we are, it is the rise in the average
temperature of the atmosphere of Earth (in Lehman language) and youll be able to know its
causes and effects after reading this write up.
It is important to understand that the consequences of global warming are very significant. It
must have not escaped or rather cannot escape our notice that devastations like tsunami,
avalanches, landslides and some other significant changes like increasing average temperature
across the globe and many more in-direct effects. The major cause of global warming is the
developing number of industries in developing countries. But its better not to play the blame
game rather join hands together and work together as one and fight against it so that we can save
our planet from further damage. Recognizing the causes of global warming will be the first step
for the universal cause.
Greenhouse Gases
Greenhouse effect is the process in which the atmosphere of the Earth trap some of the heat
coming from the sun, making the Earth warm but due to burning fuels, cutting trees, the
concentration of heat on Earth is increased to abnormal levels making greenhouse effect as one
of the major causes of global warming. Carbon Dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide are the
greenhouse gases which helps to keep the Earth warm. It is a natural phenomenon that takes
place with the adequate concentrations of the greenhouse gases. But when the concentration of
these gases rises, they disturb the climatic conditions, making the Earth more warm. These gases
are not able to escape, which is the cause of worldwide increase in temperature. So the balance
of carbon dioxide and other gases should be maintained so that it does not become the major
reason of global warming.
The build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere during the 20th century has resulted from
the growing use of energy and expansion of the global economy. Over the century, industrial
activity grew 40-fold, and the emissions of gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulphur
dioxide (SO2) grew 10-fold.
The amount of CO2 in the air increased from some 280 parts per million by volume (ppmv) at
the beginning of the century to 383 ppmv at the end of 2007. The amount of CO2 varies within
each year as the result of the annual cycles of photosynthesis and oxidation (see graph). Of the
other greenhouse gases, methane (CH4), which is formed by anaerobic decomposition of organic
matter, rose from a preindustrial atmospheric concentration of around 700 parts per billion by
volume (ppbv) to about 1 789 ppbv by 2007. Other important greenhouse gases include the
oxides of nitrogen, notably nitrous oxide (NO2) and halocarbons, including the
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other chlorine and bromine containing compounds.
The build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere alters the radiative balance of the
atmosphere. The net effect is to warm the Earth's surface and the lower atmosphere because
greenhouse gases absorb some of the Earths outgoing heat radiation and reradiate it back
towards the surface. The overall warming from 1850 to the end of the 20th century was
equivalent to about 2.5 W/m2; CO2 contributed some 60 per cent of this figure and CH4 about
25 per cent, with N2O and halocarbons providing the remainder. The warming effect that would
result from a doubling of CO2 from pre-industrial levels is estimated to be 4 W/m2.
Air Pollution
The harmful gases emitted from the vehicles and factories and the greenhouse gases cause
pollution in the air and these gases get captured in the atmosphere. The smoke, gather up in the
atmosphere forming clouds full of harmful gases which later on fall as acid rain which destroys
the buildings and also lead to many dangerous diseases like cancer, skin burns and the death of
plants. Plants provide us with the oxygen and if they die, the level of carbon dioxide will
increase in the atmosphere which is a harmful gas. These gases also emit heat which increases
the temperature of the Earth (following the same pattern as in the above paragraph) and causes
global warming.
Ozone Depletion
The ozone layer is the layer outside atmosphere which protects the surface of the Earth from the
harmful Ultra-violet and infrared radiations causing dangerous diseases like skin cancer. Ozone
layer depletion is also one of the causes of global warming; entering of harmful gases which
helps in heating up the Earth but the other greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, that
helps in heating up and also tears up the ozone layer making an Ozone Hole. Mostly the CFCs
(chlorofluorocarbon) damages the ozone layer. So the ozone layer depletes due to these gases
which allow the UV radiations to enter the Earth making the Earth more warm than normal and
affects the temperature leading to global warming. It is interesting to note that Ozone Holes are
created mainly on the poles which is the reason of melting glaciers, increase in the water level of
the sea and of course significant rise in temperature.
In 1985 Joe Farman, of the British Antarctic Survey, published a paper showing the decline of
ozone levels over Antarctica during the early 1980s. The response was dramatic: large-scale
international scientific programmes were mounted to prove that CFCs (used as aerosol
propellants, in industrial cleaning fluids and in refrigeration equipment) were the cause of the
problem. Even more important was immediate international action to curb the emissions of
CFCs.
Plummeting ozone levels in the stratosphere over Antarctica during September and October are
the result of complex chemical processes. The return of the Sun at the end of winter triggers
photochemical reactions that lead to the destruction of ozone in the stratosphere. The October
values of ozone have declined by up to 70 per cent compared to the pre-ozone hole years, and the
size of the ozone hole had grown to more than 25 million km2 (twice the size of Antarctica) by
2000.
Over the Arctic the gradual development of an annual decline during the 1990s is a significant
trend. More generally, over northern middle latitudes the concentration of stratospheric ozone
has decreased since 1979 by 5.4 per cent in winter and spring, and by about 2.8 per cent in
summer and autumn. There has been no discernible trend in the tropics and subtropics.
The scale and suddenness of the ozone decline shocked the scientific world, and led to the 1985
Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the 1987 Montreal Protocol and
subsequent amendments to eliminate certain CFCs from industrial production. As a result of this
rapid action the global consumption of the most active gases fell by 40 per cent within five years
and the levels of certain chlorine-containing chemicals in the atmosphere have started to decline.
It will be decades before the CFCs already in the atmosphere fully decay. In the meantime, the
substantial destruction of ozone in the stratosphere over Antarctica during September and
October will continue.
Volcanic Eruptions
Volcanic eruptions is also one of the major reason of global warming. These eruptions contain
dust particles and gases like sulphur dioxide which stay in the atmosphere for years and block the
sunlight from reaching the surface of the Earth making it cool. These dust particles affects the
balance of the atmosphere and becomes a contributing factor of global warming. Though
volcanic eruptions cannot be controlled but efforts can be made to decrease the sulphur dioxide
levels.
Melting of the glaciers is a natural phenomena. Large mountains of ice melt due to warmer
temperature of the Earth so that new ice can accumulate. These ice mountains helps to equalize
the temperature by beating up the heat. But there is excess melting of the ice due to the
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These gases contribute to the melting of the ice at faster rate
which leads to increased sea levels and eventually floods. If the temperature kept on rising then
there is a chance that glaciers might disappear which will lead to flooding of earth and
destruction of land resources.
Deforestation
Plants give us oxygen which is the most important thing for our survival. They undergo a process
of photosynthesis in which they give out oxygen and take carbon dioxide. Plants consume the air,
sunlight and the carbon dioxide we breathe out to make food and oxygen. So if trees are cut,
plants will not produce oxygen and the concentration of carbon dioxide will increase. Increase of
carbon dioxide in the air is harmful for human beings and also disturbs the water cycle and hence
the total imbalance of our ecosystem. So being one of the greenhouse gases it will lead to global
warming. Its very much like not parking your car under a tree, the car gets excessively heated
up, making it uncomfortable to sit in the vehicle.
Industrial Advancement
More and more industries and factories are set up in this modern world to meet the needs of
human beings. These big factories need large amount of fuels like coal, petroleum for power and
electricity required by the machines to work. Burning of these fuels releases large amount of
carbon dioxide which absorbs the harmful radiations from the sun making it warm, hence global
warming. The smoke that is produced from these factories is mixed with the air, making it
harmful for breathing. As written earlier developing countries are the major contributors towards
this.
The use of artificial chemicals for the crops has become one of the reason for global
warming.These chemicals are very dangerous not only for Earth but also for human beings
too. These fertilizers are rich in nitrogen oxide which is even more dangerous than carbon
dioxide. These oxides of nitrogen destroys the ozone layer even more faster than any other
greenhouse gas and hence let the harmful ultraviolet rays enter the atmosphere, making the Earth
warm and leading to global warming.
Fossil fuels are burnt on a day-to-day basis and they contain high percentage of carbon, coal and
petroleum and many other gases. So burning of these fuels releases large amount of extra carbon
which has been entombed inside the Earth millions of years ago. The carbon that is emitted by
burning these fuels is the extra carbon which is not a part of the cycle. So carbon dioxide being
the greenhouse gas is provided in excess in the atmosphere which again leads to global warming.
Human Activities
It has been said that human activities are primarily responsible for global warming. These
activities are destroying the Earth at a faster rate. The emission of carbon dioxide from the
vehicles, the burning of the fuels, cutting down of trees and forest to build buildings and malls,
the dumping of trash everywhere and not recycling it, excessive use of plastics, smoke from the
factories, etcetra. All these activities performed by human beings are major factors of the
polluted gases in the air and the warming up of the Earth which destroys the ecological balance
of the nature leading to global warming.
Atmospheric aerosols are able to alter climate in two important ways. First, they scatter and
absorb solar and infrared radiation and, second, they may change the microphysical and chemical
properties of clouds and possibly their lifetime and extent. The scattering of solar radiation acts
to cool the planet, while absorption of solar radiation by aerosols warms the air directly instead
of allowing sunlight to be absorbed by the surface of the Earth.
The human contribution to the amount of aerosols in the atmosphere takes many forms. Dust is a
biproduct of agriculture. Biomass burning produces a combination of organic droplets and soot
particles. Industrial processes produce a wide variety of aerosols depending on what is being
burned or produced in the manufacturing process. In addition, exhaust emissions from transport
generate a rich cocktail of pollutants that are either aerosols from the outset, or are converted by
chemical reactions in the atmosphere to form aerosols.
The concentrations of condensation nuclei are about three times higher in the Northern
Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere. This higher concentration is estimated to result in
radiation forcing that is only about 50 per cent higher for the Northern Hemisphere.
The non-renewable resources are those natural resources, which can be used only
once. They are exhaustible resources, which tend to diminish in quantity, owing to
their constant usage. It is, hence, important to use the non-renewable resources
wisely so that we do not run out of them. Non-renewable resources include coal,
natural gas, petroleum, uranium, etc.
The renewable resources are those natural resources, which can be naturally
restored. While some of these resources are available in plenty everywhere and at
all times, like wind, sunlight, etc., some other renewable resources, such as timber
and water require time to be replenished. So, if these resources are used up at a
faster pace than the time taken by nature to restore them, even they are prone to
getting exhausted.
Several economists of the world have observed that the availability of abundant
natural resources, whether renewable or non-renewable, in a particular region,
accelerates the economic development therein. However, it should be noted that
the use and exploitation of the natural resources depends on the attitude of the
people of a particular region, and hence, the above observation has also been seen
to be reversed in some cases.
Natural resources :- Natural resources are the resources available in a nature like
air, water, sunlight, soil, minerals, forests, wild life etc.
Natural resources are of two main types. They are renewable and non-renewable natural
resources.
Those resources which can be replenished in a short period of time like air, water, sunlight,
forests etc.
Human activities produce a lot of waste materials which are thrown away into the
environment. These wastes cause pollution of natural resources like air, water and soil.
The Ganga Action Plan or GAP was a program launched by Rajiv Gandhi in 1986 in order to
reduce the pollution load on the river.
Human waste- domestic usage like bathing, laundry and public defecation
Religious events -During festival seasons, people bathe in the Ganges to cleanse themselves
from their sins.. A Hindu belief is that dropping the ashes of cremated bodies (at Varanasi) in the
Ganges would give Moksha (liberation) to the jiva (soul).
The three Rs to save the environment are Reduce, Recycle and Reuse.
i) Reduce :- means using less of natural resources and avoiding wastage of natural resources.
ii) Recycle :- means the materials like paper, plastic, glass, metals etc used for making things
can again be used for making new things instead of synthesising or extracting new paper,
plastic, glass or metals.
iii) Reuse :- means using things again and again like the plastic bottles in which we buy jams,
pickles etc can be again used for storing things in the kitchen.
All the things we use and consume are obtained from natural resources. Due to increase in
population, industrialization and urbanization the demand for natural resources is increasing and
their availability is limited . So there is a need for proper management of natural resources. The
proper management of natural resources consists of :-
ii) Long term planning for the use of natural resources so that it last not only for the present but
also for future generations.
iii) The exploitation of natural resources should not be for the benefit of a few people but should
be distributed equally for all.
iv) While extracting and using natural resources we should also plan for the safe disposal of
wastes and avoid pollution so that no damage is caused to the environment.
Forests :-
Importance of forests :-
nature.
indirectly are :-
i) People living in and around forests depend on forests for their livelihood.
ii) Industrialists who use the raw materials from forests for manufacturing paper, medicines,
furniture etc.
iii) Forest Department of the Government who owns the forests and controls the resources from
the forests.
iv) Nature and wild life organisations who want to conserve and preserve forests.
Conservation of forests :-
Importance of wildlife :-
iii) We get useful products from wildlife like food, medicines, leather,
b) Conservation of wildlife :-
reserves etc.
The activities for reinforcing the basic role of the market mechanism in the natural
resource management are:
(a) To establish and improve a system of property rights for natural resources which
requires the separation of ownership from the rights on exploitation, repayable use and
transfer of resources;
(b) To develop and establish effective and comprehensive planning and management
methods for those organizations or institutions responsible for the management of natural
resources;
(c) To adjust the existing economic measures and financial incentives including the
resource taxes and subsidies for compensation to ecological environment to meet the
objectives of sustainable development;
(d) To encourage the development of a new market eligible for the sustainable and
effective utilization of natural resources to facilitate the development of the sustainable
resource industry;
(e) To encourage, study and adopt techniques for risk assessment, resource pricing and
exploitation which are favourable to the environment;
(f) To carry out market economy incentives for more efficient control over the natural
resources along with measures assuring an equitable distribution of resources for the
whole society;
(h) To establish sectoral and regional mechanisms for the planning and distribution of
natural resources, inter alia a medium and long term mechanism for the distribution of
resources;
(i) The government will develop and implement a family contracting and responsibility
system in the areas of exploitation and protection of the natural resources other than
agriculture for encouraging family creativity and income generation;
(a) To establish a natural resource management system which is suited to the market
economy;
(c) To establish a physical account and an account based on the magnitude of value for a
variety of natural resources in order to support the creation of an integrated valuing and
accounting system (see the programme area D of Chapter 4) to supplement or improve
the existing economic accounting system;
(d) To allow the exchange of licensing agreements and responsibility for exploitation of
resources under the direction or control of the central government except those scarce
resources which should be kept under special control;
(e) To gradually abolish those pricing policies which are unfavourable to the sustainable
utilization of natural resources and rational use of environmental resources, such as the
policy which provides subsidies for deforestation, which are at a level much lower than
their production costs, non-repayable exploitation of mineral resources and subsidies to
the prices for water and energy;
(f) To formulate and implement as fast as possible the Act for Comprehensive Utilization
of Resources and its enacting terms to bring the comprehensive exploitation and
utilization of natural resources into line with the legislative system.
The activities for upgrading the collection of data and information are:
(a) To establish an information system related to the management, protection and rational
utilization of natural resources, under the direction of the government and in
collaboration with the international organizations, enterprises and research institutions;
(c) To set up a mechanism for the coordination and sharing, between the relevant
departments, of existing data and information for natural resource management in order
to reinforce the capability of the state in data collection, processing and evaluation;
(d) To provide in a simple and clear way to people from all walks of life the appropriate
techniques and economic information suited for activities of policy making concerning
the exploitation of resources;
(e) To support and encourage the building of low cost local data and information systems
applicable to natural resources.
International and regional cooperation. The Chinese government and its relevant
departments with the support of the regional and international organizations, are poised to
reinforce at the appropriate level, regional cooperation and exchange of materials
concerning the management and protection of natural resources. The specific activities
are:
(a) To establish a stable relationship with the relevant agencies under the United Nations
(UNESCO, FAO, UNEP, UNDP, WMO and WHO);
(b) To set up plans for materials exchange and personnel training and cooperation with
the related countries and non-governmental organizations;
UNIT -4
Corporate Ethics: Fundamental principles of ethics, Values concepts, types and formation;
principles and concepts of managerial ethics; relevance of ethics and values in business;
corruption in businesses; values of Indian managers; factors influencing business ethics.
Corporate Ethics:
The study of proper business policies and practices regarding potentially controversial issues,
such as corporate governance, insider trading, bribery, discrimination, corporate social
responsibility and fiduciary responsibilities. Business ethics are often guided by law, while other
times provide a basic framework that businesses may choose to follow in order to gain public
acceptance.
Ethics involves a discipline that examines good or bad practices within the context of a moral
duty
Moral conduct is behavior that is right or wrong
Business ethics include practices and behaviors that are good or bad
Inventory of Ethical Issues in Business
Employee-Employer Relations
Employer-Employee Relations
Company-Customer Relations
Company-Shareholder Relations
Company-Community/Public Interest
Two Key Branches of Ethics
Descriptive ethics involves describing, characterizing and studying morality What is
Normative ethics involves supplying and justifying moral systems What should be
Conventional Approach to Business Ethics
Conventional approach to business ethics involves a comparison of a decision or practice to
prevailing societal norms Pitfall: ethical relativism
Decision or Practice Prevailing Norms
Sources of Ethical Norms
1. Religious values
2. Philosophical values
3. Cultural values
4. Legal values
5. Professional values
Theoies of thics
8. Principle Ethics states: that principles are merely value states or guidelines
toactions (as opposed to rules or laws). Thus when principles encounter each other
inconflict it is not a conflict of norms, but rather an exercise in reasoning and logic.
Principle ethics is the most difficult to study because it demands the area test study
and the most incisive analysis of principles and cases with the goal of determining
which principles apply to which case. The decision that is made is based upon test
oflogic, reasoning, and rationale.