Leading Sustainable CSR Efforts: A Case of Sneha Opportunity School by NLCIL

Abstract

CSR is not a new practice and has been existing since ages; yet the role of a leader in driving responsible and sustainable CSR efforts is crucial. CSR is not just one-time activity and holds a high responsibility in ensuring the self-sustenance of the effort. There are very few organisations which guides its CSR efforts being sustainable. NLC India limited is one such organisation which believes in sustainable CSR efforts. The article explains the role of responsible leadership in being the drive behind enabling need based sustainable CSR efforts. The article shares the case of Sneha Opportunity School (SOS) at Neyveli, which is successful in its effort with the visionary leaders exhibiting responsible leadership over the years. Qualitative data has been collected using individual interviews of various stakeholders of the CSR initiative of SOS. The qualitative data shares perspectives on responsible leadership and SOS operations. The article also presents a model of responsible leadership in organisations leading to sustainable CSR efforts.

Keywords

CSR responsible leadership sustainable efforts case study stakeholder interaction NLC India Limited

Introduction

CSR in India has traditionally been seen as a philanthropic activity and in keeping with the Indian tradition, it was an activity that was performed, but not deliberated. As a result, there is limited documentation on specific activities related to CSR in its early form. However, what was distinct is that much of this had a national rectitude encapsulated within it, whether it was endowing institutions to actively participate in India’s freedom movement or driving it to the nation development embedded in the idea of trusteeship.

A governance perspective to CSR enables an understanding of the role of stakeholder engagement (Henisz et al., 2014) and leadership in regulating CSR and incorporates it as a part of policies. Governance perspective to CSR also suggests a critical influence of mainstream economic thinking on politics, regulation and research (Graaf & Colgan, 2016). Governance systems are nation-based regulative frameworks in which the relationship between a company and stakeholders is constituted (Collier, 2007). There have been studies which support the notion that there is a positive relationship between CSR efforts and performance (Graves & Waddock 2000; Preston & O’Bannon, 1997), while studies of Hillman and Keim, (2001) and others conclude a mixed effect. Studies of Meznar and Nigh (1995) and Wright and Ferris (1997) have referred to even a negative association to performance. While there have been varied views, Sharma (2009) concluded that companies that consider CSR basically a philanthropic activity are having a tough time continuing with it.

The Indian attempt to mandate CSR is focused on encouraging corporate social behaviour aligning to the strategic business goals (Sarkar & Singh, 2020). Friedman and Miles (2002) have explained that the organisations that are in a position to institute the drivers that can construct a better world and leadership in organisations play a major role in the development of nation. Sufficiency of financial resource is essential to pursue socially responsible practices and enjoy the economic advantages of CSR practices, yet what makes a large difference in the approach of how CSR efforts are undertaken in organisation is ‘Leadership’. Khoo and Tan (2002) has explained that leadership and strategy play a major role in enabling a socially responsible and sustainable organisation based on their work on Australian Business Excellence Framework.

It is in this context the article attempts to study how responsible leadership at NLCIL impacted the establishment and growth of Sneha Opportunity School (SOS). The qualitative study is aimed to understand the dimensions of responsible leadership in enabling society driven acts. SOS, the sapling, was planted in the year 1987 which started yielding creditable results in terms of churning the mentally challenged children as individuals capable of looking after themselves, while contributing to the society in a meaningful way over a period of time. It is now an institution to be reckoned with for all its professional approach, qualified staff, excellent infrastructure facilities and unflagging spirit to strive for the cause of the mentally challenged.

CSR Backdrop

The Companies Act, 2013 has introduced the idea of CSR to the forefront and is promoting greater transparency and disclosure. Schedule VII of the Act, which lists out the CSR activities, suggests communities to be the focal point. On the other hand, by discussing a company’s relationship to its stakeholders and integrating CSR into its core operations, the draft rules suggest that CSR needs to go beyond communities and beyond the concept of philanthropy. It is interesting to observe the ways in which companies translate into action at the ground level, and how the understanding of CSR is set to undergo a change with leadership. The new guidelines, which have replaced two existing separate guidelines on CSR and sustainable development, issued in 2010 and 2011 respectively, mentions that since CSR and sustainability are so closely entwined, it can be said that CSR and sustainability is a company’s commitment to its stakeholders to conduct business in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable manner that is transparent and ethical.

The practice of CSR in India still remains within the philanthropic space, but has moved from institutional building (educational, research and cultural) to community development through various global influences and with communities becoming more active and demanding, there appears to be a discernible trend, that while CSR remains largely restricted to community development, it is getting more strategic in nature (that is, getting linked with business) than philanthropic, and a large number of companies are reporting the activities in their official websites, annual reports and publishing CSR activities in leading journals.

CSR in India tends to focus on what is done with profits after they are made. On the other hand, sustainability is about factoring the social and environmental impacts of conducting business, that is, how profits are made. Hence, much of the Indian practice of CSR is an important component of sustainability or responsible business, which is a larger idea. Camilleri (2017) explains it as a fact that is evident from various sustainability frameworks. The success of CSR initiatives depends on the leadership and the vision of the organisation.

Conceptual Framework: Responsible Leadership

Driving business for profits is a key responsibility of a business leader yet notwithstanding the fact the business operates due to the existence of a healthy society (Maak et al., 2016; Waldman & Siegel, 2008). Healthy future of society is a key element of healthy business. Healthy future can be enabled by a sustainable vision with a trust enabled culture. The qualities which drive responsible leadership are multidimensional (Voegtlin & Schwab, 2015). On the other hand, Haberthür (2018) explains that responsible leadership does not yet have a unifying definition. Shook and Lacy (2020) as a part of Accenture report shares that the five elements model of the responsible leadership are stakeholder inclusion, emotion and intuition, mission and purpose, technology and innovation as well as intellect and insight (refer Figure 1).

Figure 1.

Source: Authors.

Voegtlin and Schwab (2015) have described care being very important for demonstrating responsible leadership. Maak and Pless (2006), on the other hand, explain that vision is essential, while Voegtlin et al. (2012) have discussed the relevance of trust. Dimitrijevi´c et al. (2011) has explained the relevance of quality of empathy among leaders. There are various other qualities along with personality traits including Big 5 PF studied by LePine et al. (2000). The whole objective of responsible leadership driving CSR is enabling need based initiatives (Singh & Sarkar, 2018) which are sustainable in nature. CSR efforts should not be planned for continuously pouring money into one project, but it should be strategically designed in a manner where the CSR project should be empowered to make its own earnings and run on its own over a period of time. This will enable the CSR funds to be diverted to more specific needs or other areas of work. Responsible leadership effort is also about the drive which makes an impact on image of the organisation (Fombrun, 2005; Salmones et al., 1995) and also drives livelihood in the long run.

Methodology

The present study is based on qualitative approach using focus group discussions (FGD) and individual structured interviews. A case-based approach has been used to understand the responsible leadership in engaging in sustainable CSR effort. Beverland et al. (2007) has explained that case-based research in business has better impact. It is with this background an attempt has been made to understand how Sneha Opportunity School (SOS) has been implementing need based efforts since its inception and how it has made a difference to the differently abled in the region. The case enables an understanding of the dimensions of responsible leadership in NLCIL. The scope of the CSR effort involving SOS falls within the broader tasks outlined in the Companies Act, 2013 and National CSR and Sustainability guidelines issued by DPE.

Documentary evidences were verified.

Interactions with stakeholders of the project were also organised. The project site has been visited to confirm the initiative.

Data has also been collected from the beneficiaries by using FGD. The questions asked are based on the background, development, current conditions and overall implementation of the project.

Stakeholders like students, alumni, parents, teachers and other key officials involved in the project implementation were also approached to analyse the initiative.

About NLCIL CSR Activities

Traditionally, NLCIL has been contributing to the society at large for the upliftment of the poorer sections of the society in its operating region at Neyveli by extending various community welfare measures to the surrounding public, like preventive and primary health care services and sanitation, education, library and sports facilities and services, opportunity services to the special and differently abled children/persons, rural development works like: de-silting, drinking water facilities, road & transport facilities, schools, libraries, laboratories, primary health centres, community centres, and so on, for community development, on need basis. NLCIL is also ensuring environmental sustainability and ecological balance.

In year 1998, a structured Peripheral Development Scheme for backward district of Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu state was formulated and launched with the participation of state government, district administration and the concerned local bodies and departments. The same was continuing with progressive budget allocation for scaling up the development and to lessen the impacts of infrastructure deficit in the region. Refer Table 1 and 2 for financial components of NLCIL’s CSR and CSR expenditure of the company.

Table 1.

Financial Components of NLCIL’s CSR for the Last Four Years (All Figures are in Crores of ₹).

Particulars	2014–2015	2015–2016	2016–2017	2017–2018	2018–2019
Average net profits (three immediately preceding financial years)	2,080.22	2,213.37	2,172.78	1,865.87	2,258.63
Norm for CSR budget (in % of PAT) as per DPE guidelines	2%	2%	2%	2%	2%
Minimum budget to be allocated by NLCIL as per Section 135, Companies Act 2013	41.60	44.27	43.46	37.32	45.17
Budget allocation made by NLCIL for the year	41.60	46.60	43.46	43.59^a	49.46
Minimum requirement vs. budget allocation	100%	105.26%	100%	116.80%	109.5%
Total expenditure	47.49	81.93	37.17	43.59	49.46
Expenditure as % of average net profits of the company made during the three immediately preceding financial years, calculated in accordance with the provisions of section 198.	2.28%	3.70%	1.71%	2.34%	2.19%

Source: Data collected.

Notes: ^a means ₹37.32 crores year allocation + carry forward amount ₹6.27 from 2016–2017.

Table 2.

CSR Expenditures in 2018–2019 (₹ in Crore).

S. No	CSR Focus Area	Expenditure(₹ in lakhs)
I. Promoting Health
1.	(a) NLCIL-Arogya camps and healthcare	598.65
	(b) Poshak—nutritious food & supplements	44.26
	(c) Sanitation	307.16
	(d) Distribution of drinking water & butter milk	151.21
	Sub-total I	1,101.28
II. Promoting Education and Enhancing Vocation Skills
2.	(a) Formal education	1,050.27
	(b) Education to the differently abled students	17.98
	(c) Skill/entrepreneurial development training	284.61
	Sub-total II	1,352.86
III. Promoting Gender Equality, Empowering Women
3.	Skill/entrepreneurial development training to women	36.67
3.	Sub-total III	36.67
IV. Promoting Environmental Sustainability
4.	Plantation of trees and conservation of natural resources	242.61
4.	Sub-total IV	242.61
V. Promoting Rural Sports
5.	Promoting sports	120.28
5.	Sub-total V	120.28
VI. Rural Development Projects
6.	(a) Water resource augmentation	1,508.30
	(b) Community assets	216.13
	Sub-total VI	1,724.43
VII. Protection of National Heritage, Arts and Culture
7.	Sociocultural events	14.44
	Sub-total VII	14.44
VIII. Welfare of SC, ST & OBC
8.	Tution fees to SC/ST/OBC students	338.26
8.	Sub-total VIII	338.26
IX. Relief for National Calamities
9.	Gaja cyclone relief measures	15.00
9.	Sub-total IX	15.00
	Grand total (sub-total I to sub-total IX)	4,945.83

Source: Organisational data compiled.

SOS: Background

The SOS managed by Sneha Society remains the cynosure of CSR of NLC India Limited for over two decades since its inception during the year 1987. With its institutional approach the school has achieved sustainability and come of age to be recognised as one of the pioneering institutions in the state of Tamil Nadu dedicated to the cause of rehabilitation of mentally challenged children. The institution has given spring to the steps and lighted up the life of many children with differential abilities to walk the path of success in a society which is yet to brace itself to accept them and integrate them into the social mainstream.

The SOS is a registered society under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975. SOS, a special school, for the mentally challenged children and run by the Sneha Society is functioning since April 1987, to train and assist the mentally challenged to become self-reliant and productive to bring them into the mainstream besides creating public awareness regarding the problem, and in the year 2014 it was registered under PWD Act.

SOS: Operation

SOS was started with 2 teachers, 1 Ayah and 7 mild moderate students. Slowly the number of students increased year after year and during the current year reached the level of 77. So far 347 students have been admitted and trained in different skills. All the 347 students do not have the same issues. Each one is unique based on their physical characteristics, behavioural problems including levels of severity. The students are classified based on types of mental retardation like Down syndrome, Cerebral palsy and Autism. The students’ enrolment keeps changing depending on the parents’ occupation and location. The placement records reflect that 12 students got placed in NLCIL and other private firms, while others got married. On the other hand, there were nearly 9 students who died due to the severity of the disease, while others left due to family reasons.

Governance of the SOS operation is very structured. The Chairman-cum-Managing Director and functional directors of NLCIL, constitute the apex body giving strategic directions, futuristic vision to Sneha. With NLCIL top brass remaining at the helm of affairs, the institution is well positioned to sustain its growth, expand into economic activities that buttress its policy to gainfully employ the children, acquire infrastructure facilities including transport, housing for the staff and receive financial assistance to meet the administrative needs and staffing requirements.

Policy implementation, execution of strategic action plan remains the domain of responsibility of the executive body. The top echelons of this body are constituted by the president, vice president(s), general secretary, treasurer and the joint treasurer, joint secretary and executive committee members. This body acts as the linchpin of overall administration, directing and controlling the entire package of activities that flow from the school. Doctors, educationalists and the psychologist who form part of the management committee contribute the know-how to the core-services area. Whereas professionals like engineers, finance and personnel executives who sit on the committee contribute to the non-core services areas, namely, accounts organising, special events and maintenance, administration of downstream programmes.

SOS has witnessed varied leaders during its operation past 33 years and it would be very reflective to understand that each leader at NLCIL has groomed SOS in its own way and helped it to evolve to what it is today. SOS was initially started as an initiative of women’s wing with the first lady of NLCIL during 1987 heading it. This effort was later given wider shape due to its nature of operation inclined in addressing society driven requirement of mainstreaming the disabled children who otherwise had to travel 250 km to Chennai for undergoing special training. This would lead to huge cost for the parents as they had to spend 15–20 days at a stretch in Chennai for training their wards.

The objective of the school is to provide day care, education and skill training services, to the special children free of cost. The activity of running SOS for providing day care, education & vocational training to the special children has been regularised as an on-going CSR activity of NLCIL. Refer Table 3 for SOS expenditure.

Table 3.

Running Expenditure for the Sneha Opportunity School Cost of Project: 28 Lakhs for 2018–2019.

S. No	Name of the Activity	Budget Amount in ₹
1	Salary and overheads	1,800,000
2	Student stipend	147,000
3	Security wages	1,464,000
4	Annual events & programmes	185,000
5	Staff welfare	60,000
6	Student welfare	4,000
7	Printing & stationary	25,000
8	Office admin./general expenses	83,000
9	Audit charges	26,000
10	Occupational therapy expenses	324,251.50
	Total	2,800,651.50

Source: Compiled from NLCIL CSR annual report, 2018 (NLCIL, 2018–2019).

Staff Team: Presently, Sneha’s staff team consists of 5 special educators—all of whom had the mandatory exposure to the one-month National Programme of B.C. Organised by the Rehabilitation Council of India and other refreshing and continuing rehabilitation education programmes—1 yoga teacher, 1 music teacher, 4 vocational instructors, and 5 helpers. The Principal, who is in charge of the school programme, supervises the academic and vocational training activities and one manager looking after the administration.

Student Heterogeneity: The school serves a heterogeneous student community with varied problems as mentioned below:

Figure 2.

Source: Based on information provided by SOS.

Students by occupation of their parents—major findings is that SNEHA takes care of less privileged children whose strength is on the higher side.

As explained earlier children with NLCIL background are slightly higher than children who hail from rural background. The breakup of children with NLCIL background further indicates that of the 16 children with NLCIL background, 15 represent lower economic strata as the main bread winner are contract workmen, this analysis goes to establish that SNEHA takes care of less privileged children than those who have a sound economic background. There are 38 students from rural area enrolled to the school.

Rehabilitation and Management: Mental retardation is a lifelong condition and it cannot be cured with medical treatment. Research has shown that by providing the right kind of support and services, it is possible to ensure that individuals with mental retardation can live healthy and relatively independent lives. These services comprise many areas such as, health care, early intervention, education, therapies, vocational training, employment and leisure time activities.

Education: Children with mental retardation need to be imparted education, like other children, going to school is essential for them to learn not only academic skills but also discipline, social skills and practical skills for community living. Though they are slow in learning, research has shown that by applying the right kind of educational techniques, it is possible to impart the basic skills of reading writing and arithmetic to many children with mental retardation. Providing children, the basic education is the responsibility of every parent.

Figure 3.

Source: Based on information provided by SOS.

Children grouped under different levels as mentioned in the Figure 2 need focused attention in order to make them work their way to curricular training. The grouping is done for all categories of children with mental retardation between the age group 3–18 years. The main principle of this grouping ensures that no child is rejected for rehabilitation programme. The various groups include pre-primary, primary I, primary II, secondary, prevocational and vocational as seen in the above Table 3. In the classroom the children are taught based on the functional curriculum namely concepts like money, time, size, shape, general topics (refer Figure 3).

Activities of Sneha School: The various activities at the Sneha School are physiotherapy, music therapy, dance and drama therapy, play therapy, speech therapy, sports and yoga. The newer therapies included are occupational therapy and sensory Integration. The children are also involved in celebrations of festivals including national days, Deepavali celebration, yoga day, teachers and children day celebration, Pongal celebration and annual day celebration. Sports participation is also encouraged including participation in external visits like tour to parks, afforestation, and so on. The students also undergo regular medical check-ups.

Vocational Training: The schools rehabilitation programme turns a full circle with vocational instruction constituting the final lap in its long process of behaviour modification, basic skills training, and curricular activities. Between ‘care group’ level in the lower reaches of the rehabilitation programme and pre-vocational stage in the higher rungs, children are helped to overcome physical, social, behavioural and learning problems that would give them the confidence to chart the unknown territory of vocational skills. Keeping track of a child’s development right from the period of entry down to the pre-vocational stage, the special educator is able to find out the art, craft work or any skill he/she is more inclined to do—the skill that could be converted into bread earning capacity and a prop to carry on productive life once the child steps out of SOS.

Matching individual’s aptitude and latent skill with the vocational training requirements of different art, craft work demands the utmost professional ability of special educators, who after making objective analysis of various parameters of a child’s development, assign each of the children in the appropriate areas of training where he/she can excel. Another important facet to SOS programme group is the more pragmatic and broad based approach which combines highly skill-intensive training in selected vocations with an overall exposure to a wide range of jobs like gardening, cooking, tailoring, weaving, screen printing, carpentry, envelop making, arts and crafts. Multiskill training with specialisation approach provides the children with ample opportunities to fit themselves in some economic activity or the other that would propel them on in the face of stiff challenges in the society. Leave alone vocational skill, the children who are braced with domestic skills can at least be helpful to their parents, while they can manage their daily routines without their interference.

Training Methodology: The principle of ‘One-task-at-a-time’ holds good for the SOS children. This philosophy indicates that the essential run-up to mastering a particular skill or vocation involves many steps which the child is helped to one at a time. Though painstaking the approach may sound, the child is sure of picking up momentum once the learning process sets in and the initial steps are mastered by them. After overcoming the initial hiccups, the child finds the path to higher-end tasks easier to take on, even as they work their way up to accomplishing vocational skills. Special education and the vocational instructor join hand in a collaborative manner to design training strategies and for developing various inputs, methodologies that would present the much complicated vocational programme in the most simplified from for the child to grasp and learn easily.

Sustainable Impact: The SOS operation has been a sustainable effort since 1987. It has been able to continue its efforts over three decades and has evolved to better over the period of time by generating and rotating its income in operationalising SOS. The following exhibit clarifies the details regarding the different vocational skills imparted and the number of children grouped under each category of training along with the stipend earned (refer Table 4).

Table 4.

Outcome: Enrolment to Vocational Courses and Stipend Beneficiaries.

S No.	Skill area	Number of Students	Stipend Details	Number of Beneficiaries
1.	Carpentry	4	No. of students working as permanent employees(₹1,500 to ₹2,500)	5
2.	Cover making	5
3.	Candle making	3
4.	Arts & crafts	10	No. of students getting ₹1,000/-	7
5.	Cooking	10
6.	Gardening	7
7.	Paper cup making	9	No. of students getting ₹500/-	11
8.	Mat weaving	2	No. of students getting ₹500/-	11
	Total	50	Total	23

Source: Based on information provided by SOS.

SOS is providing stipend to the students in the vocational area as an encouragement and to develop the concept of ‘earn while learning’. Table 4 shows the detail information regarding stipendiary students (refer Table 4).

One of the spin-off benefits of this institution’s determined effort is the dent it had managed to create on the stone wall that surrounded the attitude of parents and the society towards mentally challenged children. The change is quite ostensible with the local community willing to throw employment opportunities to the rehabilitated children. Figure 4 reflects the placement of the children in the Neyveli community.

Figure 4.

Source: Based on information provided by SOS.

A glance at Figure 4 reveal that SOS children are very well accepted in various job positions, both within and without NLCIL. It is gratifying to see NLCIL, SNEHA and private entrepreneurs forging together in the rehabilitation process by sharing the responsibility of getting the mentally challenged children employed meaningfully in various economic set ups. As part of related diversification strategy, the school runs an eatery called as Sneha Poushtika and Sneha Amruth in the main bazaar which is the heart of Neyveli township. This attracts customers to use services besides recognising the efforts of SOS. These economic activities also serve the twin purpose of training and employing the rehabilitated children who are stepping out of the school. Leading by example SNEHA gives the clarion call to philanthropists, private organisations, businesspeople to open up opportunities for the rehabilitated children. Without community participation SOS institution cannot address the potential to develop among the mentally challenged children and prove to the external world that these children are not disabled but differently to our children in order that they find their life worth living and the community a responsive one to their special needs.

Stakeholder Interaction

Name: Mr Samsun Mohan, (Alumni, SOS)

Age: 52 years

Disability: Partially mentally retarded with partial eyesight

Mr Samsun was a student of Sneha FY 1996–1998, during which basic life skills were taught to him. He had suffered the illness because of genetic disorder due to intra family marriage of his parents which is a very common scenario in southern India. Mr Samsun acquired carpentry skills during his stint in SOS and expresses that it is because of this training he was empowered enough to make small decisions of his life in undertaking work in NLCIL canteen as a contractor employee. Today, he lives a semi-normal life and has a son who is studying BTech who was born soon after his marriage in early 2000. The two years Mr Samsun spent in SOS made a difference to his life, while making him more acceptable in a normal society.

Name: Ms Salma Philip

Designation: Principal, SOS

Ms Salma Philip clearly explains the role of leadership in the success of SOS. She strongly mentions it is the top management support that nurtures the growth of SOS as one of the flagship CSR project of the company. Governing body of SOS is headed by the CMD as chief patron with all functional directors forming the core group to provide policy direction and strategic vision for SOS. There is also a high managerial support from senior executives drawn from HR, finance, hospital and township administration forming the task force for translating the vision of SOS into actionable programs to provide quality rehabilitation services to special children. Infrastructural facilities provided by the company to facilitate SOS to launch income generating programmes and for marketing of products of various vocational sections like carpentry, tailoring, candle making, doormat weaving and paper cup making. The company’s various production and service units are the veritable ground for meaningfully engaging trained children in works that make them productive members of the society.

Name: Mr Shanmughsundram, Former ED (L&D).

Designation: Advisor to LDC, NLCIL former advisor of SOS NLCIL representation

Mr Shanmughsundram clearly indicated that SOS has grown from a mere concern based organisation to an objective based organisation over the years. Neyveli is remote location and parents with kids who are differently abled had to travel more than 250 km to Chennai and stay for more than 15 days at a stretch prior to SOS operations. SOS is a relief to such parents who cannot afford to spend time and money for their kids. He expressed that it is because of the visionary leaders at NLCIL that SOS has been able to achieve what it is today and explained that the quality of a responsible leader includes empathy, care and vision.

Role of Leadership in the Success of SOS

It was very evident from the stakeholders’ discussions that the role of leadership played an important element in determining the success of the efforts undertaken in operationalising SOS. Over the years the leaders at NLCIL has been displaying all qualities like empathy, care vision and trust in identifying and understanding the growing need in establishing a centre like SOS in community, establishing a clear vision in setting up the SOS centre and building and exhibiting trust for the operational committee in managing the operations. The leaders at NLCIL in varied time frames have driven SOS as a sustainable and impactful CSR effort which enables livelihood generation and operational sustainability over a period of time.

Conclusion

NLCIL plays a larger than life role by extending all facilities—capital building, fund and above all the visionary support, guidance from the top leaders of the organisation. Retracing the low and high of the path which SOS had traversed right from its inception to the noble but gargantuan mission of rehabilitating the mentally challenged children, leaders at NLCIL over the years needs to be acknowledged. With SOS remaining NLCIL’s window of social responsibility, it is the mutual understanding of each other’s vision and mission that keeps the former making great strides and creating a name for itself in the arena of special education and rehabilitation of mentally challenged children. Having come this far, the futuristic vision of SOS aims at foraying into comprehensive rehabilitation model, incorporating elements of entrepreneurial approach in vocational rehabilitation, preventive education aim at parents who run the risk consanguinity, genetic problems, research activities and expanding beyond the day care programme in order to reach out to a larger community at the district level. SOS proved that the differently abled children can lead a normal life provided they are accepted in the community. Three boys and two girls got married and have normal children and living happily along with their family and this achievement is truly a stand of leaders who have thought of this as a cause to promote and drive.

Footnotes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

Funding

The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.

ORCID iDs

Vikraman R

Shulagna Sarkar

Selvarasu A

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