QUESTION 4(b)
GS4
10 marks
Corporate social responsibility makes companies more profitable and sustainable. Analyse.
WRITE IN
7 min
150 words
What the examiner wants
Analyse whether CSR genuinely makes companies more profitable and sustainable.
AnalyseBreak it into parts, show how the parts connect, and judge which matter most.
Demand-wise check
- 1How CSR helps: brand and trust, social licence to operate, employee loyalty, investor (ESG) preference, risk reduction, new markets≈30 words
- 2Sustainability: supply chain resilience, community goodwill, environment≈30 words
- 3Counter-view: compliance or greenwashing, short-term cost, Friedman's view≈30 words
- 4India: mandatory CSR under Companies Act; BRSR reporting≈30 words
Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.
Answer plan
CSR meaningProfitability linkSustainability linkCounter-viewIndian frameworkConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Only describing Section 135
- No counter-argument
Draw this
- Flow: CSR → reputation and trust → long-term value
Value addition
- LawSection 135, Companies Act 2013: qualifying companies spend 2% of average net profit of three years on CSR.Companies Act, 2013
- ThinkerPorter and Kramer's 'Creating Shared Value' (2011) links social progress with competitiveness.Harvard Business Review, 2011
- ThinkerMilton Friedman (1970): the social responsibility of business is to increase its profits.New York Times Magazine, 1970
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 23 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Vidushi Singh · AIR 13 · Page 5 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Aakash Garg · AIR 5 · Page 7 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 7 minutes, then get it checked.