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Climate change poses significant challenges to human societies and natural ecosystems, necessitating comprehensive vulnerability assessments to develop appropriate adaptation stratigies. This study focuses on Central India and employs a multidimensional approach to evaluate the composite vulnerability at the district level. By integrating environmental (8 indicators) and socio-economic (5 indicators) factors, this study offers a nuanced understanding of vulnerability patterns in the region. The methodology involves the selection of indicators based on past literature and preliminary investigation, followed by secondary data collection from environmental and socio-economic factors. The data is analysed using an indicator-based approach, normalisation, weighting, and developing vulnerability indexes. This analysis is structured in three phases: Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI), Socio-economic Vulnerability Index (SVI), and Composite Vulnerability Index (CVI). The results of CVI revealed that districts with a lower CVI (0.321–0.378), such as Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Bhopal, exhibited decreased vulnerability because of a lower level of climatic extremes affected areas, reduced percentage of socially deprived population and a higher value of HDI. Districts with medium CVI (0.381–0.407), such as Damoh, Indore, and Shahdol, exhibited moderate resilience. On the other hand, districts with high (0.409–0.402) and very high CVI (0.448–0.540), such as Narsimhapur, Betul, Balaghat, Chhindwara, Alirajpur, and Barwani, encountered notable susceptibility because of factors such as dependence on agriculture, a substantial proportion of socially deprived population, occurrences of droughts and floods. Hierarchical cluster analysis validated vulnerability classifications, enhancing the credibility of assessments. The research underscores the importance of considering climate change vulnerability assessments for effective policy formulation and adaptive strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of any corporation is essential to its success as it helps in decision-making, budget allocation and strategy-making. The debate on what should constitute corporate purpose is not new, particularly as regards the shareholder primacy and stakeholder models. The first model focuses on maximising shareholder value, but the second goes beyond shareholders and considers the interests of stakeholders (shareholders, employees, community and environment). Corporate law and culture in most jurisdictions worldwide have not subscribed to just one of these models but have switched between them or mixed them. Recent developments like the Business Roundtable statement, the Davos Manifesto, and the pandemic have brought the debate on corporate purpose into focus, and events such as the global financial crisis made governments reconsider their corporate policies. Even India has made specific changes to its corporate law that have enlivened the purpose debate - implicitly if not explicitly. These changes include enacting directors' duties, including corporate social responsibility and the stakeholder's relations committee under the Companies Act 2013. The government of India has also played a pivotal part in global developments on climate change, business and human rights, adopting sustainable development goals. These developments have a bearing on the conception of corporate purpose, especially for the corporations domiciled in India. This article analyses how corporate law and political economy inform corporations' purpose in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]