CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

BRIEF OUTLINE OF CSR POLICY

Mathrubhumi’s Corporate Social Responsibility [CSR] Policy is framed in terms of the Companies Act, 2013 read with the Companies (Corporate Social Responsibility Policy) Rules, 2014, as amended from time to time.

Philosophy

Recognising that business enterprises are economic organs of society and draw on societal resources, it is Mathrubhumi's belief that a company's performance must be measured by its Triple Bottom Line contribution towards building economic, social and environmental capital.

Mathrubhumi believes that in the strategic context of business, enterprises possess - beyond mere financial resources - the transformational capacity to create game-changing development models by unleashing their power of entrepreneurial vitality, innovation and creativity. In line with this belief, Mathrubhumi will continue crafting unique models which have a significant multiplier impact on environmental conservation and sustainability. These initiatives are aligned to the activities listed in Schedule VII read with Section 135 of the Act and the CSR Rules.

CSR Policy

It is Mathrubhumi's Policy to direct its CSR Programmes, inter alia, towards achieving one or more of the following – ensuring environmental sustainability including environment education, ; enabling climate resilience; poverty alleviation; promoting education and skill development; promoting healthcare including preventive healthcare; providing sanitation and drinking water; rural development projects; creating livelihoods for people, especially those from disadvantaged sections of society; protection of national heritage, art and culture; preserving and promoting music and sports; and providing relief and assistance to victims of disasters, epidemics, and calamities.

Implementation

Mathrubhumi's CSR Programmes will be implemented directly through the Company appointed personnel and if the CSR Committee finds it necessary, it will also be implemented through external agencies as well. The Company shall also associate/partner with like-minded companies/legal entities for specific CSR projects in the identified areas.

ANNUAL REPORT OF CSR ACTIVITIES FOR 2020-21

As a socially responsible citizen, Mathrubhumi has undertaken several social responsibility initiatives. We feel a strong sense of responsibility towards the environment in which we thrive. The very essence of our CSR initiatives is based on a vision to enable and augment sustainable development. Mathrubhumi’s Management team across all businesses remain committed to a sustainable future.

SEED (Student Empowerment for Environmental Development)

Mathrubhumi’s SEED (Student Empowerment for Environmental Development) project with a network of 8,432 schools in Kerala and over 2.90 million participating students in the year 2020-21 has shown considerable growth since its inception in the year 2009. SEED, which has successfully entered the thirteenth year is supported by the Federal Bank Ltd.

COVID-19 pandemic not only presents critical threat to school education but also presents specific, potentially irreversible and long-term threats to environmental education – which requires numerous cognitive and collective outdoor work by the SEED students.

As policy makers, administrators and Governments cancelled all environmental engagement opportunities by adjusting for pandemic conditions, SEED in the last year [2020-21] re-invented its activities to ensure continuity and consistency in environmental education and conservation of environment through school children braving the pandemic, which shook the economies of the world. Nature-rich experiences are more necessary than ever before for the social, physical, and emotional well-being of a digitally glued generation, mandated by online classrooms.

Since its inception in 2009, SEED has demonstrated that children in their early childhood absorb and get influenced by the stimuli around them. SEED not only provided opportunities to learn directly about environment protection but also has proved and documented social-emotional, physical and societal benefits. Harnessing the creativity and expertise of the SEED team led by the SEED volunteers and teacher co-ordinators, we re-envisioned SEED during pandemic times through innovative methods in environmental education and environmental conservation not only through online sessions but also through various closer-to-home settings, out of the box activities and innovative learning.

SEED teachers were uniquely equipped to engage the young ones and their families in online learning opportunities, support and connect with local and community based learning outside the online classroom and leverage closer-to-home outdoor space in enriching knowledge about environment.

Covid-19 economic shifts brought pay cuts and lay-offs to many of the institutions, but Mathrubhumi SEED took the pandemic induced recession by the horn and what could turn out be a trauma for students was transformed into an opportunity for supporting kids in a way that are not only enjoyable but also leading to exploration of ideas metamorphosing Environment education from a “nice to have” to a “need to have” lasting structure which went on to broaden the array of learning opportunities not only among SEED students but also the society at large. SEED in the previous academic year [2020-21], supported the youth in developing actionable solutions for a more positive future by well-equipping and training them for working effectively under challenging, dynamic and unpredictable conditions. That in a nutshell is SEED combating the pandemic-battered school education.

SEED is not merely the conveyance of knowledge but a process of learning and transformation. SEED has impressively demonstrated as to how the young minds have internalised environmentally responsible behaviour. For example, during the last 12 years as many as 16,85,784 saplings were planted, out of which 8,43,956 saplings have been protected as on date. SEED students have harvested 3,95,363.50 kgs. of Paddy; 12,74,133.20 kgs. of vegetables and 5,93,582 kgs. of fruits in the past 12 years. 53,568 campaigns; 40,979 rallies; 61,190 poster exhibitions and 54,946 seminars focusing on environmental protection were carried out by the students in the last 11 years prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and during the last year [2020-21] 6,250 online webinars were held across Kerala. 9,424 study tours and nature camps were conducted for SEED students. SEED schools have conserved 62 lakh litres of water and remediated several water bodies saving innumerable quantities of fresh water. SEED students have collected around 5 lakhs kilograms of clean and dry plastic waste and sent it for recycling after properly segregating them in the past twelve years.

Season Watch, is a citizen science movement launched by Mathrubhumi SEED in association with National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore and Wipro Applying Thought in Schools, wherein students scientifically monitor trees to identify its leafing, flowering and fruiting pattern. The collected data will be used to understand the phenological pattern in our locality, across years and across seasonal cycles. 1,227 schools are actively involved in this project, wherein they have marked 4,62,740 observations from 91,482 trees observed by them in the year 2020-21.

Kandal Kaakkaan Kuttikkoottam – Cherukunnu Village, Kannur - Mangroves in the 116.50 cents of our land situated at Cherukunnu village, Kannur district is being protected and will soon be recognized as a unique centre for Mangrove conservation.

Arboretum at the Banks of Periyar River

We have planted and protected more than 1,770 rare and endangered species of plants at the Arboretum spread across 1.30 acres of urban forest on the Banks of River Periyar at Aluva. This the first such project with public-private partnership in environment protection.

Ente Edakkad project

This is a unique project aimed at end-to-end waste management in the Edakkad ward of Kozhikode Corporation.

Treating the concept of Waste segregation as its stepping stone for developing Green Living, Ente Edakkad project involved every stakeholder – citizens, NGOs, Residents Associations, Self-help groups, Local administration, Police and People’s elected representatives. Every household diligently practice waste segregation. Wet garbage / bio-degradable wastes are composted in each household and used as manure for the vegetable garden. Ente Edakkad proposes Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) or Take Back Waste (TBW) by the manufacturers, which will go a long way in retrieving the strewn packaging and other wastes after consumption and will trigger the manufacturers to continuously innovate in packaging and thereby reducing plastic wastes clogging the environment.

Ente Edakkad helped to create behavioural changes and bring in the necessary momentum in achieving Green Living. Vegetable seeds, grow bags and saplings were distributed to the 2,026 families with a desire to be self-sufficient in vegetables through homestead farming. With the increasing incidence of Covid-19 pandemic, preventive homoeopathic medicines and Cloth masks were distributed to the families at Edakkad ward. Ente Edakkad project is supported by Air India Express Ltd.

Social forums

Mathrubhumi is continuously supporting various social initiatives of Grihalakshmi Vedi (women’s forum) and Mathrubhumi Study Circle (youth forum).

COMPOSITION OF CSR COMMITTEE