Social Impact Awards

Over 60 years have passed since Indias tryst with destiny - the attainment of independence. There has been undoubted progress but it is overshadowed today by persistence of poverty, ignorance and disease among a vast number of our fellow citizens. The dream of a strong and prosperous India cannot be fulfilled unless deprivation and inequality that is rife in our society is rooted out. While most people will agree with this, they despair at the vastness of the problems. Some close their eyes and strive only for personal advance. Others hope that state policies will somehow change the prevailing order. Fortunately for India, there are wonderful and amazing people and organizations who have been battling enormous odds and making great personal sacrifices so that the lives of disadvantaged people are changed for the better. To acknowledge and honor these unsung heroes of India, The Times of India has decided to institute The Times of India Social Impact Awards, in partnership with J P Morgan,. This paper, which has over the past few years launched such initiatives as Teach India and Lead India, believes it has a responsibility towards this nation, and its people, that goes beyond merely reporting the news of the day. In addition to recognizing the efforts of those struggling to bring developmental justice to the deprived and underprivileged millions, we hope that the TOI Awards will help focus greater attention on five critical spheres: education, healthcare, livelihood, environment and advocacy/empowerment. For all our successes, we will have failed as a nation if we cannot provide the less fortunate with at least the expectation of a dignified life. Because we want to credit outstanding contributions from different sections of society, there will be three awards in each of the five spheres - a non-governmental organization (NGO); a corporate-backed organization; and a government body at the state or district level. There will also be a Lifetime Achievement Award, and an Award thatll recognize the contribution of overseas (of foreign or Indian origin) individuals or organizations to Indian society. Widespread and tangible impact, which has the quality of changing lives forever, is the key criterion for these awards. This could be through providing education or affordable healthcare to communities, or it could be through such income-generating, job creating initiatives that make families become economically self-reliant. Innovative and self-sustaining measures that have the potential of bringing about far-reaching efficiencies will be given preference. The awards will also recognize work for environmental issues. Applications in various sectors will be evaluated for promotion of social justice and equity so that sections that are usually bypassed by conventional development efforts - like women, dalits, tribals and minorities - are kept in focus.

Selection process There will be a 3-stage selection process consisting of: I. Initial Application: in a prescribed format; open to all through online submissions II. Short listing by Experts: Designated experts in each of the 5 categories will short list potential winners in the framework of the parameters given below. For objective assessment, Jury will receive a Report based on field visit to each of the short listed persons work area. III. Jury Award: A 5-6 member jury will finalise the 18 awards (3 in each of the 5 categories). The following parameters will form the basis of selection: 1. Significance of the issues addressed [The issues should not be trivial or already being addressed on a large scale successfully. For Example: polio drops or mid day meals are out] 2. Scale [There should be a quantifiable and large impact in terms of numbers of people and/or economic indices like income] 3. Replicability [The work should be such as can be replicated in other parts of the country or region by the applicant or by anyone else] 4. Sustainability (economic, social and environmental) [The work should provide economic returns, be socially acceptable and environmentally benign] 5. Finances [The costs incurred during the work should not be too high on a per capita basis. Related to sustainability and replicability] 6. Participation of people in planning, execution & monitoring [The work should not be a mere installation or contractual intervention - like building houses or installing a solar pump.] 7. Innovativeness [This may be evident in the concept/idea, technology, methodology, etc.] 8. Promotion of Equity [Includes gender and social equity]

Tracing its roots to 1838, the Times Group is Indias largest media house with a dominant presence across all media platforms and a footprint spanning the whole of Indian sub-continent. It has been involved in the business of publishing newspapers and magazines, television broadcasting, running internet portals, creating and distributing multimedia products and music publishing and retailing. Some of the best brands in the media industry- The Times of India, Economic Times, Radio Mirchi, Times Music, indiatimes.com etc. have emerged from this group. The flagship daily of the group - The Times of India - is today the largest English newspaper in the world with its sister publication - The Economic Times being worlds second-largest English business daily. With over 24 publishing centres, 71 ad-sales offices and close to 7,000 employees - BCCL enjoys unparallel success with its 12 titles generating sales of over 7 million copies every day. Besides TOI and ET, the Times Group is present in the language market in India through Maharashtra Times and Nav Bharat Times - both leaders within their respective markets. The acquisition of Vijayanand Printers Limited in 2006 has given it a leadership position in the Kannada market with the flagship title Vijay Karnataka. The Times Group has also sparked considerable interest among the youth through its city- centric tabloids - Mumbai Mirror, Bangalore Mirror, Ahmedabad and Pune Mirror- which enjoy dominant position in their segment. With the mainstay of the group being creation and distribution of content, the Times Group employs some of the best minds in the business, who constantly endeavor to set new benchmarks in providing cutting-edge news, views and analysis to a varied section of the society - day in and day out. With a readerbase of 4 million, The Times of India has always strived to awaken the readers consciousness with heartfelt initiatives like Lead India, Teach India and Aman ki Asha. Teach India was a first of its kind campaign with an underlying idea of - giving back to society. The response to the same was overwhelming with 90,000 volunteers ready to dedicate 3 hours of their time to teach underprivileged children. Teach India 2010 specifically focuses on making youth employable through English training. Through a more focused program we intend to complete the loop from education to employment in a time span of 3 months. On ground the group through the Times Foundation has worked for many a cause. The Times Foundation is a strategic organisation, working on a macro canvas - it acts as a catalyst, primarily through information dissemination, issue-based mobilization and fund-raising. Times Foundation is a point of convergence for government agencies, NGOs, the corporate sector and individuals to bring issues to the fore, heighten awareness, and encourage dialogue and deliberation to synergise initiatives for inclusive and equitable socio-economic development.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of US$2.2 trillion and operations in more than 100 countries. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan Chase & Co. serves millions of consumers in the United States and many of the worlds most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under its J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. The firm commenced operations in India in 1945 and has been helping clients to do business and manage their wealth for more than 65 years. The business in India has been built upon the core principle of putting our clients' interests first. The firm is a leader in investment banking, commercial banking, treasury and securities services, and asset management. India is also home to a rapidly expanding Global Service Center that services the firms various lines of business and supports customers around the world. At JPMorgan Chase, corporate responsibility is about what we do every day in our businesses and how we do it. We are committed to doing business in a way that benefits our clients, employees and shareholders, and has a positive impact on the communities in which we operate around the world. Our commitment to corporate responsibility extends to every facet of our business - in both good economic times and bad. We are proactively assisting customers and clients as well as supporting efforts to achieve financial market stability throughout these unprecedented economic times. As we look to the future, we remain committed to doing business in a responsible way, to being responsible stewards of shareholder capital and to being a good corporate partner to our communities across the globe. Responsibility is at the center of our social finance, environmental and employee engagement efforts, which are focused on: Assisting organizations serving the base of the economic pyramid. Helping clients manage the challenges and opportunities of a low carbon economy. Creating opportunities for our employees to participate in socially responsible initiatives.