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Corporate Social Responsibility

Ion Exchange has set up the Ion Foundation to develop, undertake and assist charitable activities in the fields of education, health, medical relief, drinking water and environment protection. To start with, the Foundation Is supporting Chetna Learning Centre, which facilitates and aids the education of economically challenged children. The Foundation is also supporting the activities of Ion Exchange Services to assist the SOCARE Orphanage in the education and welfare of children of convicts.

Our socially and environmentally responsible approach is enshrined in the Ion Exchange vision ‘To be the leader in our business which is so vital to people’s lives and the environment.’

Various CSR Initiatives implemented include development if low-cost water purification to make safe drinking water increasingly available to the masses and development of technology for rural India for removing iron, nitrates, fluoride and arsenic contaminants from water to make it safe for potable purposes. Ion Exchange also provides its Zero B drinking water purifiers, free or at subsidised cost, to schools and educational institutions that cater to the lower economic strata. A training and employment initiative was the diploma course in water treatment operation, established in collaboration with the Babasaheb Ambedkar College, to provide practical theoretical training and employment to the students. The organic herbal crop protectors developed by Ion Exchange Enviro Farms are yielding tremendous benefits to farmers and crops from the hazards of chemical pesticides. The Ion Foundation will now bring all the various CSR and charitable initiatives under one umbrella.

Chetna Learning Centre
The Chetna Learning Centre was founded in 2002 by Mrs. Aruna Sharma, wife of our Vice Chairman& Managing Director, with the objective of facilitating underprivileged schoolgoing children in the pursuit of education. It is run by Dr. Sharma on an honorary basis, along with two other volunteer teachers with sponsorship from Ion Exchange India and the Altrusa Club of Mumbai. Ion Exchange provided space for the classroom which can accommodate 16 students at a time.

There is growing awareness amongst the poor urban population regarding the importance of education. A large number of them spend substantial amounts on fees, books, etc. to send their children to English medium schools. In spite of this, there is a wide gap between the children’s potential and achievement, mainly due to the lack of remedial teaching (as most of the children are first generation learners). They are also unable to afford private coaching.

Chetna Learning Centre attempts to bridge this gap through remedial teaching on various subjects pertaining to their school curricula and teaching methods that recognize individual capacity and potential. Scholarships are provided to deserving students for higher secondary and graduate education in addition to career guidance.

The centre has students from English, Marathi as well as Hindi medium
At present there are 36 students studying in the centre in three batches
A few non-schoolgoing children are also enrolled with the centre

The centre’s library is stocked with help books, dictionaries, encyclopedias, thesauruses as well as story books and other recreational reading material and games. The Centre also provides psychological and emotional support to students and their parents on family and personal problems.

Achievements

A remarkable improvement in the comprehension level and the academic performance of students after joining the centre
Shift from rote learning to understanding and memorizing, and an increased level of interest in learning
About 150 students have benefited from the centre over the last seven years
Several s have appeared for the SSC Board (10th class), and have passed with first or higher second division

Successful students are provided summer training with Ion Exchange and assisted with job placements.

IESL’s SOCARE
In recognition of the continuous patronage by Ion Exchange Services Ltd. (IESL) to SOCARE over past few years, a memento was presented to Mr. Dinesh Sadasivan, ED & CEO, IESL, by the chief administrator of Sringeri Math, Mr. Gauri Shankar. SOCARE houses 136 underprivileged children of convicts. As a part of CSR, IESL supports SOCARE in the areas of health & education. A drinking water treatment system was donated and is being maintained by IESL and an annual donation towards education fees is made by the staff and management of IESL.

Safety & Environment Protection
The Company is committed to providing and maintaining a safe and healthy work environment, by establishing safe operating procedures and practices that protect employees from ill health and injury. The Company’s businesses are undertaken in an environmentally responsible manner and it is committed to conservation of resources and continual improvement of processes and activities in order to minimise impact on environment, prevent pollution and protect the environment.

Jal Shudhi for Nargis Dutt Memorial Trust
Our Community and Commercial Water Solutions (CCWS) division donated 5000 Jal Shudhi disinfectant tablets, a 3000 litre/day capacity Zero B water vending machine and 500 units of Zero B Suraksha water purifiers to the Nargis Dutt Memorial Trust, for providing safe drinking water to Bihar flood victims. Presenting the contribution to Mrs. Priya Dutt, MP, Govt. of India are Mr. K. S. Raghuveer, and Mr. Kishalay Chakravarty, Institutional Sales, of CCWS.

CSR for School
As a CSR initiative, our resin manufacturing facility at Ankleshwar visits the Sarangpur Prathmik Shala every republic day. They take care of items like stationery, cupboards and other requirements of the school children.

Technical Education
Ion Exchange Services has tied-up with Trinity College of Technical Education, Pune for the training of their students. After successful completion of their term, selected students from their batch will be introduced to the company.

Rural Employment
Ion Exchange Services and the Mass Trust & Handicapped Association had shared the platform for assisting technically qualified unemployed rural candidates to develop career in Water & Waste Water Management. A three month course on water treatment is being conducted by Ion Exchange Services and its first batch of 22 candidates will be joining the company.

Building a Strong Base
Under the umbrella of the recently established Ion Foundation. Ion Exchange continues various corporate social responsibility programmes in the areas of education, health & hygiene, drinking water and environment protection.

Muktangan (Paragon Charitable Trust)
During the academic year 2010-2011, Ion Foundation extended support to a Muktangan school at Worli, Mumbai, where 109 primary students benefited from this initiative. Muktangan uses a “whole-school” based approach, providing alternatives to conventional educational practices. Children learn with understanding and are able to connect new concepts to earlier ones due to the innovative learning techniques. A collaborative culture encourages team spirit in the classroom. As a result, there are fewer dropouts and an increase in the number of students seeking such education.

SHARE (Society to Heal, Aid, Restore, Educate)
The Ion Foundation funded training in agro-based skills to five Ashramshalas around Thane district through NGO SHARE (Society to Heal, Aid, Restore, Educate). The training is imparted to higher secondary children, over a period of three years and covers around 293 tribal children.

Bethesda Orphanage
Ion Foundation has sponsored primary education for the children of Bethesda Orphanage, Goa. 53 children from the orphanage who attend the Rising Star School for slow learners and 35 children who attend the Santa Cruz School (for regular learners) are being sponsored. We will also be providing two Zero B solar water purifiers to the orphanage.

Indian Council for Mental Health (ICMH)
The Ion Foundation is funding the occupational therapy for 60 children with special needs at the Skills and Ability School run by the Indian Council for Mental Health at Nerul, Navi Mumbai.

Timbaktu Collective - The Chiguru Alternative Education Programme
The Ion Foundtion provided holistic aid to 100 needy children at Timbaktu Collective, a voluntary organisation in rural Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. We are also in the process of finalising a drinking water treatment unit based on water test reports and electricity connection.

Sarangpur Prathamik Seva School
This year we will once again assist the Sarangpur Prathamik Shala, Ankleshwar, Gujarat by providing school books and infrastructure support.

Chitkul Primary School
We have begun extending infrastructure support to the Chitkul Primary School at Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh - co-sponsoring the required staff, providing stationery for the 150 students and supplying a drinking water purification system.