The brands that will be big in the future will be those that tap into the social changes that are taking place." - Sir Michael Perry, Chairman of Centrica PLC  
 
Corporate Social Responsibility is the deliberate inclusion of public interest into corporate decision-making, and the honoring of a triple bottom line: People, Planet, and Profit. In this dog-eat-dog world, it has become imperative for the corporate to concentrate their energy on social and environmental development to obtain a holistic national and societal growth, while ensuring their own development.

CSR Cognizance includes a paper presentation event where participants are required to present their original ideas on a specific theme such as Rural Development.  
These ideas need to include a corporate model which conflates the essence of Corporate Social Responsibility and community development. The best model, apart from being awarded a lucrative cash prize, will also be implemented in real-time for the benefit of the society. The event would also include guest lectures by prominent leaders on the social responsibility of today‘s corporate.

Cognizance has always been actively involved in promulgating the concept of CSR and has even taken up initiatives on its own. In 2008, the best proposal for rural development was implemented in Kaliyar, a village in the vicinity of IIT Roorkee.

Eduslum and Ruraisle

Under the Eduslum and Ruraisle programs, NSS IITR helps in educating children of slums and villages around Roorkee. They also provide with clothes, books and other stationary. While the Eduslum program focuses on materializing Slumdog Millionaire, by educating slums around Roorkee, Ruraisle conducts case studies and developmental research on the large-scale alleviation of Rural India.

As responsible Technovators of the future India, the torchbearers at NSS, IIT Roorkee Chapter, strive hard at arriving at sustained development of the country, paying special focus to employment generation among the adults of rural India, while creating the zeal for learning among its youngsters.

Also run within this program is Nirmaan, which is focused on the village children. Extensive surveys have been done to find out the conditions of children in villages, also the general populace.

Cogni-Grant

Cognizance has also created a special Cogni-grant with the IIT Roorkee administration for the purpose of providing financial assistance to IIT Roorkee students who wish to pursue research activities or participate in other technical festivals countrywide. With the theme of Cognizance this year being "Technovating India", CSR is all set to reach new levels.

NACO - National Aids Control Organization

A marathon for spreading awareness about one of the most lethal pandemic of the nation- AIDS,was also organized in the same year in association with National AIDS Control Organisation(NACO). It is important to spread the message amongst the youth so as to prevent the spreading of the deadly disease.

Roorkee School for the deaf

NSS IITR has taken it up to help the Roorkee School for the Deaf. This is one of the few institutes present in the country which not only helps the differently abled, but also does so successfully. NSS IITR helps in raising awareness and raising funds.

On a concluding note, Cognizance 2010, yet again has undertaken the massive task of reaching out to rural India, besides just the urban or the college-going junta. As all good things must serve their profound purpose before coming to a grand end, CSR Cognizance 2010 promises to witness an honest noticeable bridging of rural and urban India.