MCA amends CSR Schedule VII of Companies Act, 2013

Central Government hereby makes further amendments to Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013 which relates to Activities which may be included by companies in their Corporate Social Responsibility Policies.

MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 11th October, 2019

G.S.R. 776(E).—In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 467 of the Companies Act, 2013 (18 of 2013), the Central Government hereby makes the following further amendments to Schedule VII of the said Act, namely:-

In the said Schedule VII, for item (ix) and the entries relating thereto, the following item and entries shall be substituted, namely:-

“(ix) Contribution to incubators funded by Central Government or State Government or any agency or Public Sector Undertaking of Central Government or State Government, and contributions to public funded Universities, Indian Institute of Technology (IITs), National Laboratories and Autonomous Bodies (established under the auspices of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) engaged in conducting research in science, technology, engineering and medicine aimed at promoting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);”

2. This notification shall come into force on the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.

[F. No. 13/18/2019-CSR]
K. V. R. MURTY, Jt. Secy.

Note : The Schedule VII was brought into force with effect from the 1^st April, 2014 and was amended (effective from the 1^st April, 2014) vide notification number G.S.R. 130(E), dated the 27^th February, 2014, Corrigenda number G.S.R. 261(E), dated the 31^st March, 2014, notification number G.S.R. 568(E), dated the 6^th August, 2014, notification number G.S.R. 741(E), dated the 24^th October, 2014 and notification number G.S.R. 390(E), dated the 30^th May, 2019.

Also Read – CORRIGENDUM to above notification dated 19.11.2019

Editors Note-

Text of the  updated SCHEDULE VII of Companies Act, 2013 is as follows:-

SCHEDULE VII
(See Section 135)

Activities which may be included by companies in their Corporate Social Responsibility Policies Activities relating to:—

(i) Eradicating hunger, poverty and malnutrition, promoting health care including preventinve health care and sanitation including contribution to the Swach Bharat Kosh set-up by the Central Government for the promotion of sanitation and making available safe drinking water.

(ii) promoting education, including special education and employment enhancing vocation skills especially among children, women, elderly and the differently abled and livelihood enhancement projects.

(iii) promoting gender equality, empowering women, setting up homes and hostels for women and orphans; setting up old age homes, day care centres and such other facilities for senior citizens and measures for reducing inequalities faced by socially and economically backward groups.

(iv) ensuring environmental sustainability, ecological balance, protection of flora and fauna, animal welfare, agroforestry, conservation of natural resources and maintaining quality of soil, air and water including contribution to the Clean Ganga Fund set-up by the Central Government for rejuvenation of river Ganga.

(v) protection of national heritage, art and culture including restoration of buildings and sites of historical importance and works of art; setting up public libraries; promotion and development of traditional art and handicrafts;

(vi) measures for the benefit of armed forces veterans, war widows and their dependents;

(vii) training to promote rural sports, nationally recognised sports, paralympic sports and olympic sports

(viii) contribution to the prime minister’s national relief fund or any other fund set up by the central govt. for socio economic development and relief and welfare of the schedule caste, tribes, other backward classes, minorities and women;

(ix) Contribution to incubators funded by Central Government or State Government or any agency or Public Sector Undertaking of Central Government or State Government, and contributions to public funded Universities, Indian Institute of Technology (IITs), National Laboratories and Autonomous Bodies (established under the auspices of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) engaged in conducting research in science, technology, engineering and medicine aimed at promoting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);

(x) rural development projects

(xi) slum area development.

Explanation.- For the purposes of this item, the term `slum area’ shall mean any area declared as such by the Central Government or any State Government or any other competent authority under any law for the time being in force.

(xii) disaster management, including relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction activities.