CII boost for affirmative action

Amid talks that the Centre is mulling job reservation for underprivileged sections in the private sector, the industry lobby Confederation of Indian Industry has a set a voluntary affirmative action target for its member companies, of employing 50,000 scheduled cast and scheduled tribe people in 2011-12.

Amid talks that the Centre is mulling job reservation for underprivileged sections in the private sector, the industry lobby Confederation of Indian Industry has a set a voluntary affirmative action target for its member companies, of employing 50,000 scheduled cast and scheduled tribe people in 2011-12.

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Another 50,000 people from these sections will be given skill development training, CII president said B Muthuraman said here on Wednesday.

Working in tandem with the Dalit Chamber of India, CII member companies will also increase procurement from SC/ST entreprenuers to 15-20% during the year. A website detailing CII members’ affirmative action initiatives will be set up soon, he said.

The industry body plans to submit to the government a review of its affirmative action efforts each quarter. “Our position on affirmative action is that anything that is forced upon anyone will not work,” Muthuraman said. “But companies should feel the need to employ people from weaker sections of the society. The industry realises that if this (affirmative action) is not done it can impede growth.”