I was admitted in the Horizon Academic Research Program and learnt about Environmental Problems through an anthropological and social lens under Harvard lecturer Dr. James Truncer.
The course involved discussion on urban city design, scientific frameworks, biomagnification, Malthusian philosophies, and agricultural sustainability. There were also multiple assigned readings-
- David Montgomery- Dirt the Erosion of Civilization
- Thomas Homer Dixon- The Upside of Down
- Jonathon Rose- The Well Tempered City
During the same period, I authored a research paper evaluating Corporate Social Responsibility in India. The abstract of the paper is below-
With an increasing threat of climate change and social issues, and a
strengthening global commitment towards sustainable development, the
spotlight has increased on businesses to also play their part for people and
planet. India’s introduction of Section 135 to the country’s Companies Act
comes at a crucial time, albeit with criticism. The law, which took effect
on 1 April 2014, requires companies earning above a certain profit (5 crore
Rupees) to create a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Committee,
in charge of formulating, carrying out, and reporting the company’s CSR
policy. This brings with it a variety of unprecedented challenges, as CSR
which originated as a charity act and later developed as a business strategy, is suddenly being forced to be an integral component of business.
This research paper aims to explore these problems associated with both
the language and the implementation of Section 135. It also discusses
whether it is against the very spirit of CSR to mandate it or not. Towards the end, the paper provides suggestions to further amend Section
135 based on previous real-world examples of successes and failures of
business-targeted government policies.
My paper was among the 20 published in the Horizon Academic Research Journal. The paper can be found on the following DOI- https://doi.org/10.47611/harp.101
