VEDANTA CSR: December 2017

Hindustan Zinc improving academic opportunities of these specially abled children by distributing Android Smartphones to educate & learn…

Hindustan Zinc under its unique initiative - “Jeevan Tarang”, on the occasion of World Disability Day distributed Android Smart Phones to blind students of Pragya Chakshu School, Udaipur and Badhir Baal Kalyan Vikas Samiti, Bhilwara on 4^th December, 2017 with an objective of enhancing academic opportunities for these children and mainstreaming them into the society.

These Android Smart phones will enable the visually impaired students to ‘Read & Write’ using Accessibility Features on the device. These phones will allow these students to access their textbooks in DAISY format from the world’s largest Online Library for the Print Disabled – ‘Bookshare’. This will bring these students at par with other students by allowing them to comprehend, read and prepare their academic content for better understanding hence making them competitive & ready for any exam. These Accessible devices will also allow the students to access the power of the internet and also gain worldly knowledge. They will also be able to enjoy games specially designed for Blind users on their phones.

The report says, India is home to the world's largest number of blind people. Out of 37 million people across the globe who are blind, over 15 million are from India. It is also known that quality education is an absolute necessity in order to succeed and progress in this knowledge driven world. Most of the current educational curriculum is oriented towards the use of the eyesight thus poses paramount challenges to the blind and visually impaired students.

Many organizations are working consciously and tirelessly to ensure these children get their due attention. Through Jeevan Tarang, Hindustan Zinc has provided these Android phones to the students from Class 1^st – Class 5^th of Pragya Chakshu School, Udaipur and to all the students of Badhir Baal Kalyan Vikas Samiti, Bhilwara accessing them the basic human right to educate & learn, a critical step on the path to economic, educational, and social development. Hindustan Zinc has partnered with experts to build capacities of these institutions and under this initiative Mr. Nitin Patel has been appointed in both these schools as a trainer to train these students in these advanced gadgets.

The Chief Guest of the event, Amitabh Gupta – CFO, HZL expressed his happiness to see the passion of these students to learn and climb up the ladder of success. He emphasized that through Jeevan Tarang, Hindustan Zinc strives to provide better opportunities to these students to grow and learn.

Pavan Kaushik – Head Corporate Communication said “There is a need to understand and up-bring these children with all love and care. Jeevan Tarang is an initiative to ensure that every single ability & disability gets the same opportunities and recognition thus ensuring the development of both social & cognitive skills.”

‘Jeevan Tarang’ endeavours to support people with disabilities, with a focus to identify needs of deaf-mute, visually impaired and children with brain damages. Around 500 beneficiaries have been identified from HZL’s operational areas; Kayad Mine, Rampura Agucha Mine, Chanderiya Smelting Complex and Udaipur.

Shri Gaurgopal Das, motivational lecturer and lifestyle coach from ISKCON, visited Udaipur to interact with the employees of Hindustan Zinc.

“Life is like a mathematical equation. There is a constant and there is a variable. Happiness does not happen automatically in life. You have to choose it to feel it”, said Shri Gaurgopal Das Ji during his interaction with employees of Hindustan Zinc on 29^th November 2017 at Hindustan Zinc Yashad Auditorium. Shri Gaurgopal Das was in Udaipur to deliver a lecture under the new initiative launched by Hindustan Zinc – “An Insight”.

His interaction focused on secrets to renew one’s energy and enthusiasm. He said, “In chasing professional success, one may have missed the key to satisfaction, peace and balance in life. Achievement is not the only parameter to judge success. It is not about ‘to have it’ but ‘to live it’”.

With spiritual humour, he emphasized on doing something you love, investing in interpersonal and spiritual time apart from the daily job. It will aid in consciously liking your life. Also, it is important to be thankful for what you have received and achieved in life by writing a gratitude journal.

“In the journey of life, there is birth and death; and in the middle there are challenges and turbulence but it depends on a person how he chooses to live and handle the situations as they come. One can be like a soda bottle which when shaken, gushes out with force or one can be like water in a bottle that remains calm and stable no matter how much it is shaken”, Shri Gaurgopal Das Ji described the way of living the life with this simple example.

Sunil Duggal, CEO of Hindustan Zinc said, “Shri Gaurgopal Das Ji has been very humble to visit Hindustan Zinc and address the employees. On behalf of Hindustan Zinc, I thank him for lending us his insights as to how to look at life and deal with problems while coming up with simple solutions. I also believe that we should take life as a privilege and an opportunity to do something bigger, beyond one’s own capacity.”

The interaction was reached out to more than 500 employees of Hindustan Zinc, where the employees of Head Office and the units joined to listen to the address of Shri Gaurgopal Das Ji.

Shri Gaurgopal Das Ji also participated in tree plantation along with CEO, Hindustan Zinc in Yashad Bhawan premises.

Pavan Kaushik, Head - Corporate Communication, Hindustan Zinc said, “Shri Gaurgopal Das Ji beautifully explained the difference between ‘being successful’ and ‘feeling successful’ and has enlightened us with the key to achieve happiness by focusing on the good things in life rather than dwelling upon the negatives.”

Shri Gaurgopal Das Ji has been addressing corporate firms & headquarters of Google, Sales Force, Infosys, Barclays, Bank of America, E&Y, Ford etc. along with TEDx, celebrities, corporate leaders, medical professionals and prestigious colleges in India & abroad. He has also addressed audience at the British Parliament in London. Author of three books, he has also been awarded Super Achiever Award by Rotary International in 2016 for outstanding contribution in field of spirituality and inspiration.

An Insight is a new initiative launched by Hindustan Zinc to break the monotony and to touch upon the finer points in life.