Tobacco industry corporate social responsibility activities amid COVID-19 pandemic in India

Yadav, Amit; Lal, Pranay; Sharma, Renu; Pandey, Ashish; Singh, Rana J

doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2020-056419

Cited by 11 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 4 publications

(4 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Alongside justification based on the need to access an available source of funding in resource-constrained contexts, the data highlight the importance of policy tensions between local efforts to counter tobacco industry CSR and the wider legitimation provided by India’s Companies Act. Within Karnataka, their ongoing salience is illustrated by the state’s Revenue Department accepting a donation from one tobacco company’s education trust for COVID-19 relief efforts, which received public appreciation from the Chief Minister’s office ‘for their generous donation’ 28 40. This is consistent with reports on the ongoing significance of CSR as a mechanism of tobacco industry interference in India, heightened in the context of COVID-19 15 28.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 62%

“…Udupi and Bengaluru (rural), by contrast, prohibit district government officials and employees from accepting ‘any direct/indirect/in-kind sponsorship/donation/funding in [the] form of CSR support’ from tobacco industry actors. This is an important point of distinction given the ongoing significance of tobacco industry CSR in Karnataka and across country,27 28 where policy tensions are shaped by India’s Companies Act requiring large businesses (including tobacco companies) to allocate 2% of net profits to CSR actions 29…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Institutional tensions, corporate social responsibility and district-level governance of tobacco industry interference: analysing challenges in local implementation of Article 5.3 measures in Karnataka, India

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

IntroductionAccelerating progress on tobacco control will require Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to be systematically integrated into policies and practices of sectors beyond health at diverse government levels. However, no study has explored implementation challenges of Article 5.3 within multilevel systems such as India, where political decisions on tobacco control occur at diverse government levels, which may constrain action at local level.MethodsBased on 33 semi-structured interviews with diverse government and civil society stakeholders across four districts in Karnataka, India (Mysore, Mangalore, Bengaluru (rural) and Udupi), this study examines challenges to implement Article 5.3 arising from competing agendas and policies of different actors at multiple levels.ResultsOur analysis reveals generally low levels of awareness of Article 5.3 and its guideline recommendations, even among those directly involved in tobacco control at district level. Efforts to implement Article 5.3 were also challenged by competing views on the appropriate terms of engagement with industry actors. Scope to reconcile tensions across competing health, agriculture and commercial agendas was further constrained by the policies and practices of the national Tobacco Board, thereby undermining local implementation of Article 5.3. The most challenging aspect of Article 5.3 implementation was the difficulties in restricting engagement by government officials and departments with tobacco industry corporate social responsibility initiatives given national requirements for such activities among major corporations.ConclusionsPromoting effective implementation of Article 5.3 in Karnataka will require policymakers to work across policy silos and reconcile tensions across India’s national health and economic priorities.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 62%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Institutional tensions, corporate social responsibility and district-level governance of tobacco industry interference: analysing challenges in local implementation of Article 5.3 measures in Karnataka, India

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This tension across issue areas and across different levels of government is particularly evident with respect to limited efforts to regulate tobacco industry CSR. The Government of India’s 2013 revision to its Companies Act requires major businesses to allocate at least 2% of net profits in the previous 3 years to CSR activities,31 32 which in the case of the tobacco industry is difficult to reconcile with Article 5.3 guidelines. An interviewee from West Bengal noted that one tobacco company had ‘co-sponsored’ nutrition-related programmes in the state, reflecting that ‘according to Article 5.3 we should not be doing that—the government should not be taking those sponsors.’ A civil society representative from Karnataka similarly reflected how mandated CSR activities undermined principles within the state government’s Article 5.3 notification:…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Only the West Bengal districts of Darjeeling and Howrah explicitly address this key measure, a policy gap that reflects tensions between FCTC implementation guidelines and the requirement in India’s Companies Act 201341 that large companies spend at least 2% of average net profits on CSR activities. While a 2016 ‘clarification’ by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs purported to reconcile this requirement with COTPA’s prohibition of direct and indirect forms of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship,42 analyses of tobacco industry interference in India have highlighted the ongoing strategic significance of CSR 24 32. Another key omission in state-level notifications is the absence of provisions to prevent giving preferential treatment to the tobacco industry or treating state-owned interests differently to the wider tobacco industry.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the dynamics of notification and implementation of Article 5.3 across India’s states and union territories

Bassi¹,

Ralston

Arora³

et al. 2022

Tob Control

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

IntroductionIn federal systems, state and local governments may offer opportunities for innovation in implementing the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). This paper explores the implementation of WHO FCTC Article 5.3 within India’s federal system, examining how its guidelines have been operationalised across states and union territories.MethodsInterviews with officials from government and civil society organisations across key states, and a document review of state government and district administration notifications adopting Article 5.3 guidelines between 2015 and 2019.ResultsThe data reveal subnational leadership in formulating intersectoral committees, which are designed to limit interactions with the tobacco industry, and corresponding measures to reject partnership and conflicts of interest for government officials. There are notable omissions across states and union territories in adoption of key Article 5.3 guidelines; only four districts and state governments refer to regulating aspects of ‘socially responsible’ industry activities, and no notifications include measures to prevent the tobacco industry receiving preferential treatment or requiring that information provided by industry actors be transparent and accountable. Interview data indicate that dynamics of notification across states have been shaped by lesson drawing and the catalytic role of civil society. The adoption of protocols is impacting on the practices of health officials, but there are concerns about engagement by other departments and the regulatory capacity of empowered committees.ConclusionThe spread of state- and district-level policies illustrates opportunities federal structures can provide for accelerating tobacco control. Given significant omissions and policy tensions, there remains a need for national action to build on these innovations, including in revisions to India’s tobacco control legislation.

show abstract

“…Alongside conflicts with wider governance norms and practices, prospects for coordinated implementation of Article 5.3 measures can also be affected by specific policies. In India, practices around managing industry interference are circumscribed by a requirement in its Companies Act that large businesses allocate 2% of net profits to CSR actions 33. Interviewees reported difficulties in reconciling this legislative requirement with Article 5.3 implementation guidelines that specify denormalising and regulating tobacco company CSR activities.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advancing whole-of-government approaches to tobacco control: Article 5.3 and the challenge of policy coordination in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India and Uganda

Barry

Abdullah

Chugh³

et al. 2022

Tob Control

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

IntroductionDespite an extensive evidence base on the diverse economic, environmental and social benefits of tobacco control, difficulties in establishing coordinated national approaches remain a defining challenge for Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) implementation. Minimising tobacco industry interference is seen as key to effective coordination, and this paper analyses implementation of Article 5.3 guidelines, exploring implications for whole-of-government approaches to tobacco control in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India and Uganda.MethodsBased on 131 semistructured interviews with government officials and other key stakeholders, we explore barriers and facilitators for promoting: (1) horizontal coordination across health and other policy spheres, and (2) vertical coordination across national and subnational governments on Article 5.3 implementation.ResultsOur analysis identifies common barriers to coordination across diverse geographical contexts and varying approaches to implementation. They highlight broadly shared experiences of limited understanding and engagement beyond health agencies; restricted responsibility and uncertainty amid conflicting mandates; tensions with wider governance practices and norms; limited capacity and authority of coordination mechanisms; and obstacles to vertical coordination across local, state and national governments. Interview data also indicate important opportunities to advance coordination across sectors and government levels, with Article 5.3 measures capable of informing changes in practices, building support in other sectors, allowing for ‘bottom-up’ innovation and being shaped by engagement with civil society.ConclusionSupporting effective implementation of Article 5.3 is key to advancing multisectoral approaches to FCTC implementation and tobacco control’s contributions to global health and sustainable development.

show abstract

Tobacco industry corporate social responsibility activities amid COVID-19 pandemic in India

Cited by 11 publications

References 4 publications

Institutional tensions, corporate social responsibility and district-level governance of tobacco industry interference: analysing challenges in local implementation of Article 5.3 measures in Karnataka, India

Institutional tensions, corporate social responsibility and district-level governance of tobacco industry interference: analysing challenges in local implementation of Article 5.3 measures in Karnataka, India

Understanding the dynamics of notification and implementation of Article 5.3 across India’s states and union territories

Advancing whole-of-government approaches to tobacco control: Article 5.3 and the challenge of policy coordination in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India and Uganda

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About