MINISTER FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE MUKUL WASNIK HAS SLAMMED INDUSTRY BODIES AND CHAMBERS FOR BEING LAGGARD IN MAINTAINING EVEN BASIC RECORDS OF EMPLOYMENT FIGURES OF BACKWARD COMMUNITIES IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR
The green signal to caste-based census enumeration has also put the spotlight back on the whole question of reservations including affirmative action in the private sector.M inister for social justice and empowerment Mukul Wasnik has prepared a status report on the progress on that front and slammed industry bodies and chambers for being laggard in maintaining even basic records of employment figures of backward communities in the private sector.
It may be recalled that as far back as 2006, the issue of affirmative action in the private sector was taken up with industry bodies volunteering a code of conduct to help increase access to employment by backward communities.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at that time had asked his principal secretary TKA Nair to look into the matter.
After being in cold storage for sometime Wasnikhadstirredthe
coals yet again by writing a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the matter in May this year.H e had been asked to prepare a status report on the issue thereafter.
The document, accessed by Financial Express states explicitly that, “the number of companies which have adopted a code of conduct on affirmative action remains limited. In respect of Ficci and PHDCCI this information is
not available.” The voluntary code also enjoined upon companies to initiate skill development among backward communities,w hich toohave beenfound to be lacking.
The report states,“ CII, Assocham, and Ficci have taken certain steps for skill development of the SC/ST youth, the actual training provided is quite marginal.” “The number of companies which are reporting data on appointment of SC and ST in their annual reports is also not available,”the report said.
The report makes it clear that, “there is no information available on the appointment of an Ombudsman by Industry Associations to monitor compliance with the voluntary code of conduct.” In the UPA-I, the issue of affirmative action in the private sector had been a big issue,but had gradually lost steam thereafter.
Wasnik’s report is to revive the process yet again.
Source: The financial Express dated 16.08.2010
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