India Inc asked to focus on SC/STs

New Delhi: Industry chambers have begun to respond to the Government's call to address the issue of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) employees.

In a letter to the industry bodies, the Industry Secretary asks them to furnish details of SC/ST employees on their member companies' rolls as well as how to proceed with affirmative action.

"The industries which have more than 400 workers should give the list of reserves class people in the balance sheet," says President of ASSOCHAM, V Dhoot.

For now, ASSOCHAM and the CII has formed a committee to look into how to improve SC/ST recruitment in their member companies.

And all three chambers — ASSOCHAM, CII and FICCI — are speaking on the need to focus on skilling before recruitment.

"Anything that has to be changed cannot be done abruptly," says Dhoot. But the response hasn't been uniform across the industry spectrum.

Industry body FICCI has not replied to the Government. "Neither do they keep this kind of information in the first place, nor do they have this information in their employment form," says President of FICCI, Habil Khorakiwala.

FICCI says affirmative actions is indeed necessary at the workplace. "If there is a law, as businessmen, we have to follow and it would be the most unfortunate thing happening," says Khorakiwala.

But they have made it clear to the UPA Government that reservations should not be forced on the corporates. And as Dhoot says, there is complete consensus on this: "Even it is not liked by the industry, if the Government asks us to, we will do that."

Industry ministry sources say the responses have been sought from industry bodies on the matter once the UPA and especially the Congress have formulated a line on this matter and that decision may forever change the meaning of corporate social responsibility in India.

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