SVKM’S NMIMS

School of Business Management

Program: MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Year: I, Trimester: II Academic Year: 2020-21
Final Examination (2020-2022 Batch)

Course: Creating Shared Value: Competitive Advantage Marks: 20

Duration: 2 hrs
Candidates should carefully read the instructions printed on the question paper and the answer book.
Answer all the following three questions based on the “Development, deprivation and bio-
diversity” caselet given below.
1. Based on your understanding of the below caselet explain with appropriate justification any three
relevant SDGs that are directly impacted. Explain the consequences of the violation of these
identified SDGs on business as well as local communities. (Marks 5)
2. The Mining Companies Association has invited you to explain to them what is shared value, the
requirements of mandatory CSR, and CSR policy features. How will you help their team develop a
sustainable business model. (Marks 10)
3. If you are a consultant to the Mining Company operating in the affected areas, identify any three
community development activities that would you urge company to undertake. Explain the rational
of selecting the activities proposed by you. (Marks 5)

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Development, deprivation and bio-diversity1

During the last hundred years, humans as a species rapidly altered the world that provided them the
evolutionary and ecological context. The consequences of these changes demand urgent attention.
Development affected social and ecological fabric at many places and often very badly. The damage
often appears irreversible and one shudders. The affecting party has to become sensitive to the larger
stakeholders is the quick wish. We have an immediate example of the above in our neighbourhood of
western-central India. As Joe Biden recently said about climate change that “we are left with no time
to lose”, here too one can’t lose more time.
Great Indian Buster (GIB) is a beautiful, shy bird local to Indian sub-continent. Its natural habitat
ranges from Rajasthan to border areas of Karnataka/Andhra Pradesh, spanning Gujarat, Madhya
Pradesh (MP), Maharashtra (MH) in between. Once commonly seen in these areas, now it takes an
effort to spot one. This itself is an informal measure of knowing the endangered nature. It is not now
or recently that shrinking numbers of this coy species caught the attention of the policy makers, long
ago GIB made it to 1972’s Indian Wildlife Protection Act. Over years the awareness that increasing

1
Situation compiled and developed for illustrating concepts for academic use. The purpose is illustrative and not
normative. No inference needs to be drawn on the efficacy of handling of the situation by mentioned actors.
industrialization, humans making inroads into traditional wild life zones or areas is leading to the
dwindling number of these GIB. The government established protected areas for its conservation in
Rajasthan (at Jaisalmer), MP, Gujarat, and Maharashtra specifically Solapur and Ahmednagar
districts. Still the result is reducing number of birds.
Development for humans can be endangerment for wild. The expansion of roads into interiors helps
with quicker transport but is leading to the GIBs getting hit/crushed by speeding vehicles. Electricity
transmission lines are unwelcome, unknown, new entities in their zones. These don’t know that while
flying if they touch the cables, they may get electrocuted and die. Renewable energy focus has led to
establishing windmills in traditionally GIB areas. The windmill blades have huge momentum and
can chop off the wings when GIBs fly into their “operational zone”. Again, the poor bird doesn’t
know this “renewable danger”. Occasional poaching and attack from village stray dogs too are risks
for GIBs. Consequentially, their numbers have shrunk sharply.
GIBs in MH were seen in Ahmednagar (locally called Nagar) in addition to neighbouring Solapur.
Nagar has areas earmarked as the GIB protection areas. Around ten kilometers of radius, no
threatening activity can be carried out is the understanding. But this expectation clashes with the
“developmental models” that see highways moving into protected zones and deep forests, wind mills
getting established in otherwise eco-sensitive zones, mining and crushing activities happening often
24x7. These affect the flora and fauna adversely. Around the area where GIB is found and area
notified, one could reportedly see intense mining activity happening with stones getting crushed with
heavy noise. Legal or illegal is a question one may ask. Whether the permission of National Wildlife
Board is taken, another may question! What is the impact on the silent creature which is already on
the path of extinction in the neighbouring country due to heavy poaching, none may ask.
The authorities who are supposed to prevent such mining/crushing activities are Pollution Control
Board of the state of Maharashtra and district administration. These may not act for strange reasons.
The district administration headed by a mid-career IAS may have many other issues to commit
bandwidth than the silent bird. Within the zone of ten kilo meters in Nagar one may find a sugar
plant as well as a power generation unit, came up as result of development.
Local community hosts these silent creatures and community also bears the industrial activity. And
community was concerned. There were number of representations given to authorities on violations.
Authorities claimed that necessary permissions are there. Upon further enquiry by locals it was
reportedly found that against one location mining lease that already expired, the company was
carrying out at dozen different sites, causing heavy damage to the natural eco-system, agriculture,
and drinking water facilities. These damages are almost permanent ones. Finally, the knock at the
Nation Green Tribunal (NGT) and order in 2019 resulted in action by the inertia ridden
administrative setup. The activities are stopped then. But the damage is already done. Re-
classification of the sensitive zone by reducing 10 km radius into 400 meters radius makes the other
industrial activity like Sugar mill a ‘non-violator’. But whether definition change and re-
classification stop the pollution and ecological disturbance? Poor farmers are having their cultivable
land becoming spoilt, open water sources getting reduced to non-usability and seen many negative
consequences. The endangered GIBs have been losing their home to unwelcome, hostile guests.
When and how shall the troubles end for both? Time is ticking away.

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