“Sustainable development is the critical principle for meeting the human development Goals, on the one hand, and sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide natural resources and the proper ecosystem, on the other hand to support the economy and the society. ” said Shri Amitabh Kant, IAS, CEO of NITI Aayog while delivering a Distinguished Lecture at the University of Hyderabad on 1st November 2018.
Speaking to the students, faculty and staff, Shri Kant opined, “Sustainable Development, can be viewed as development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of the future generation. As the concept developed, it has shifted the focus more on economic development, social development and environmental protection for future”. “Sustainable development relates to the holistic approach and temporal processes that lead us to the end point of sustainability. The economic development brought by such principles and practices in an economy is called Managed Sustainable Development”, he added.
While focusing on the campaigns that were successfully initiated at NITI Aayog, Shri Kant said “The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as Global Goals, are universal call for action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity”. His lecture focused on the campaigns and the successful initiatives he has implemented in India, which have won international recognition.
Earlier a two-day (1-2 November 2018) International Conference on Sustainable Human Resource Management: Practices, Policies and Perspectives in South Asia was organized by Dr. Sita Vanka, School of Management Studies, University of Hyderabad in collaboration with Dr. M. Bhaskara Rao, IBS, Hyderabad.
The session started with a welcome and overview of the programme by Dr. Sita Vanka, SMS, University of Hyderabad. It was inaugurated by Dr. Sugumar Mariappanadar, expert in Sustainable HRM from Australian Catholic University, Australia. In his address he elaborated on the need for Sustainable HRM and why Indian companies must embrace the concept and called for collaborative efforts to popularise the concepts of Sustainable HRM. Prof. P.Appa Rao, Vice Chancellor, University of Hyderabad reiterated the importance of collaboration and extended all support for the same for the high impact research in the area. Prof. J. Mahender Reddy, VC, IFHE, Hyderabad reaffirmed the quality of research in educational institutions and welcomed the idea of collaboration with research institutions. Prof. P. Jyothi, Dean, School of Management Studies, welcomed the delegates and wished them enjoyable learning during the conference. The programme ended with a vote of thanks by Dr. Bhaskar Rao, the co-convener of the International Conference.
Sustainable Human Resources Management (HRM) is an emerging discipline within the field of HRM. It has attracted many international researchers and practitioners because of its relevance to corporate sustainability and business strategy. Corporate sustainability goes beyond the financial performance of companies in simultaneously achieving social and environmental outcomes for businesses. However, the current dominant strategic HRM practices focus on engaging human resources to improve the financial performance of companies, undermining the social and environmental outcomes. Thus, sustainable HRM as a new discipline emerged in the field of HRM to engage human resources in companies to achieve complementary economic, environmental and social outcomes of corporate sustainability. Sustainable HRM as a discipline is here to stay and support large, medium and small businesses to promote corporate sustainability for the foreseeable future.