Govt writes to India Inc: may ask you to fix 5% job quota for SC/ST in some areas

Clearly,none of the industry chambers want a quota legislation,although all acknowledge much more can be done for the disadvantaged sections. “We reckon that the government is under political pressure to show tangible results on the affirmative action front. But reservation will endanger merit,” said a senior chamber executive.

Top executives in the three chambers,who did not wish to be quoted,said India Inc was better off without job quotas. “But we are not opposed to the idea of affirmative action — improving the prospects of the disadvantaged sections in getting a job,” said a senior Ficci executive. Towards this end,each chamber has adopted a district about six months ago based on DIPP’s recommendations,he pointed out. Ficci has adopted Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh,CII Naushera in Punjab and Assocham Cooch Behar in West Bengal.

“But their intervention is restricted to promoting employability through vocational training,” noted a government official. In May this year,Social Justice Minister Mukul Wasnik had written to the Prime Minister seeking a review of the government’s efforts to persuade the private sector to take affirmative action. In his meeting with the trade and industry council,the Prime Minister did ask the corporate sector to chip in more to improve social inclusion.