135. Corporate Social Responsibility
(1) Every company having net worth of rupees five hundred crore or more, or
turnover of rupees one thousand crore or more or a net profit of rupees five crore or more
during any financial year shall constitute a Corporate Social Responsibility Committee of the
Board consisting of three or more directors, out of which at least one director shall be an
independent director.
(2) The Board’s report under sub-section (3) of section 134 shall disclose the
composition of the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee.
(3) The Corporate Social Responsibility Committee shall,—
(a) formulate and recommend to the Board, a Corporate Social Responsibility
Policy which shall indicate the activities to be undertaken by the company as
specified in Schedule VII;
(b) recommend the amount of expenditure to be incurred on the activities referred
to in clause (a); and
(c) monitor the Corporate Social Responsibility Policy of the company from time
to time.
(4) The Board of every company referred to in sub-section (1) shall,—
(a) after taking into account the recommendations made by the Corporate Social
Responsibility Committee, approve the Corporate Social Responsibility Policy for the
company and disclose contents of such Policy in its report and also place it on the
company’s website, if any, in such manner as may be prescribed; and
(b) ensure that the activities as are included in Corporate Social Responsibility
Policy of the company are undertaken by the company.
(5) The Board of every company referred to in sub-section (1), shall ensure that the
company spends, in every financial year, at least two per cent. of the average net profits of
the company made during the three immediately preceding financial years, in pursuance of
its Corporate Social Responsibility Policy:
Provided that the company shall give preference to the local area and areas around it
where it operates, for spending the amount earmarked for Corporate Social Responsibility
activities:
Provided further that if the company fails to spend such amount, the Board shall, in its
report made under clause (o) of sub-section (3) of section 134, specify the reasons for not
spending the amount.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this section “average net profit” shall be calculated
in accordance with the provisions of section 198.