A report by The News Minute, cited by National Herald, has claimed that Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) allocated nearly Rs 670.97 crore in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds to 20 organisations linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) between 2013 and 2025.
According to the report, the findings are based on ONGC’s CSR annual reports covering a ten-year period. During this time, ONGC reportedly spent Rs 4,531 crore on approximately 2,000 organisations and projects across India through its CSR programme. Around Rs 668 crore, representing nearly 14.7 percent of the company’s total CSR expenditure, is said to have gone to organisations identified as having links with the RSS.
The report divides these organisations into three categories: nine directly affiliated with the RSS, nine founded or led by individuals associated with the organisation, and two institutions that have collaborated closely with it.
Among the largest recipients is Swargadew Siu-Ka-Pha Hospital in Assam’s Sivasagar district. The hospital is jointly managed by ONGC and the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Vaidyakiya Pratishthan, which states that it draws inspiration from RSS ideology. Another significant recipient is the Nagpur-based Dr Aabaji Thatte Seva Aur Anusandhan Sanstha, which reportedly received Rs 140 crore between 2017 and 2022 to establish the National Cancer Institute.
Other organisations identified in the report include S-VYASA, various Sewa Bharati units and the Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation, which received CSR support for projects related to healthcare, education, disaster relief, yoga programmes and student welfare.
The report has prompted debate over how public sector enterprises distribute CSR funds and whether government-owned companies should support organisations associated with ideological groups. Supporters argue that CSR allocations are made based on the nature of social service projects undertaken by recipient institutions. Critics have questioned whether public sector CSR funding should remain institutionally neutral.
The disclosures have brought renewed focus to CSR governance, transparency and the criteria used by public sector enterprises when allocating social responsibility funds.
