Patna, April 13: Accountability and willingness should be the yardstick for corporate social responsibility, said Ajay Kumar Gupta, a faculty member of Indian Institute for Technology and Management, Navi Mumbai.

Addressing a seminar on “Corporate social responsibility in Bihar” at Scada Business Centre today, Gupta said: “People think the corporate sector should contribute some amount of their profit towards the society but the responsibility is optional. If a corporate house makes a profit of Rs 100 crore, they should be willing to share it for the cause of the society. So, there is a need to change willingness into accountability when we talk about corporate social responsibility.”

Gupta said people who have been in the service sector for 25 years and have reached the top often do not invest in the society.

“Social responsibility engulfs all sections of the society and instead of corporate, it should be individual accountability,” added Gupta. “The concept is to engage existing players like the government, policy-makers, businessmen and private players, who are capable of influencing society,” he added.

Students of Chandragupt Institute of Management, Patna, Indian Institute of Business Management, Patna, and Amity Global Business School, Patna, took part in the seminar organised by research and development organisation Anusandhan.