Going beyond quotas

The CII-ASSOCHAM action plan has set out proposed steps with specific targets in the fields of promoting entrepreneurship and building capacity through training for SC/ST. It also proposes that companies will voluntarily increase employment of SC/ST in accordance with their competitiveness profiles. Such collective commitments by industry for social inclusion are unprecedented in Indian economic history. Therefore, it is imperative that industry be given adequate opportunity to demonstrate its adherence to its commitments.

For instance, in the meeting chaired by the secretary, DIPP, it has been unanimously agreed that the calendar year of 2007 would be the time period in which industry would be required to prove how serious it is about taking voluntary measures to address the issues of inclusivity with regard to the SC/ ST community of the country.

The key point emerging from the meeting was that industry is committed to empowering disadvantaged sections of society on a voluntary basis.

CII is in favour of setting numerical targets in order to ensure that all round empowerment of SC/STs is being done by industry. CII is of the firm belief that just employment commitments would be far short of the kind of interventions that are required from industry. It is in this context that CII has been advocating affirmative action in the areas of education, entrepreneurship development and creation of employability, besides actions at the work place.

This is not to divert focus from the demand for job quotas, but to address the issue in a much more comprehensive way. In fact, even in the workplace, CII is in favour of expanding the definitions of merit and competency to include factors like initiative, perseverance, originality, hard work, etc, which would only help the Socially deprived.

CII has circulated a code of conduct for affirmative action by companies to avoid discrimination in employment against any sections of society, and has given a December 31 deadline for companies to voluntarily adopt it. If the government wishes to evolve an alternative code, CII would help adoption of that as well. CII believes that affirmative action is in better business interest of Indian industry, and therefore, has not set pre-conditions of fiscal and other incentives for its actions.

CII is already working on training modules for its member companies that would help them comply better with their commitments to affirmative action. Sensitisation programmes are important and CII is committed to carry these out across the country.

There have been talks of whether the Code for Industry is enforceable. As proposed in our set of concrete steps, CII has already committed to set up an Office of the Ombudsman. This is one way to ensure that non-compliant companies are encouraged to keep to their commitments.

This is an opportunity for industry to demonstrate its commitments to inclusiveness and I am certain that Indian industry would live up to its expectations, like it has on every other occasion.

The writer is chairman, CII Affirmative Action Council and former president, Confederation of Indian Industry