Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh, the man who proposed the 27 per cent OBC quota, wants to implement the reservation from academic year 2008-2009.
"To start with, we were clueless about the proportion of SCs/STs in the private sector. In last one year, we have increased the proportion but still have to arrive at the exact figures. So we cannot commit on what their proportion is," said JJ Irani, chairman, CII Council for Affirmative Action. The industry chamber had earlier said that the proportion of SCs/STs in private companies could be 15-20 per cent at the clerical level and 90-100 per cent at lower levels.
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Chairperson Shantha Sinha spoke the work they have done. NCPCR was set up in March 2007, but actually started working from July onwards. As it was the first year, most of their time was spent in understanding the issues. She stressed the need to allocate at least 6 per cent of the GDP for education. She also calls for a benchmark for uniformity in definition of a child and his age in consultation with the UN and govt.
This year's Budget showers a lot of money for development of education in the country. In 2007-08, Rs 32,352 crore was allocated for education, which was 32 per cent above the allocation for 2006-07. However, the ministry demonstrated constraints to its absorptive capacity: The revised estimates indicated only Rs 28,674 crore had been spent.
The ministry aims to enroll 6.6 million additional students in secondary schools during the period. This, sources said, which contribute in taking the gross enrolment rate to 75 per cent by the end of the 11th Plan period and 100 per cent by the end of the 12th Plan period.
Union Labour Ministry has announced pension scheme for unorganised labour hands like mine and cine workers.
Small but significant labour reform laws are expected to be introduced in 2008, to benefit both the employees and employers.
Despite strong private sector interest and a Rs 750-crore (Rs 7.5 billion) Budget allocation, not a single agreement has been signed between the government and the private sector to upgrade 300 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) to centres of excellence within the target of this fiscal, which has three and a half months to run.
It was meant to be an independent body designed to promote institutional excellence in higher education. But 13 years after it was set up, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has been able to grade only 140 out of India's 409 universities and 3,492 out of 20,676 colleges in India.
Only around 27 per cent of the funds allocated to the flagship Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF) in the budget has been spent in nine months of the fiscal year.
One is to increase the intake capacities in the existing universities and colleges and the second, to increase the number of colleges and universities. But the real focus will be on increasing the enrolment of disadvantaged sections, like the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities and even the poor
The amendments will allow women to work night shifts (7 p m to 6 a m), benefiting not just a large section of the female workforce but also industries like textiles. However, the Left unions want better facilities and protection for women employees before the Bill, introduced on August 18, 2005, is passed in Parliament.
The farm sector's contribution to Indian economy is just around 20 per cent and rural India is in a shambles.
A World Bank report says that in comparison to 708 R&D researchers per million population in China, the number was a dismal 119 in India in 2004. While the same is 3,319 in Russian Federation, in Brazil the number of researchers per million population is a much better 344.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs is conducting an in-depth financial audit of some consumer awareness NGOs that have received financial assistance from it in recent years.
We are going to bring the Bill in the monsoon session of Parliament. About objections of trade unions, I got no representation from them. Nor did they have any discussions with me.
Arjun Sengupta, chairman, National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector, talks to Business Standard about why he wants two separate Bills for the agricultural and non-agricultural workers.
The Land Acquisition Act will be amended after the GoM submits its report.
The ministry of labour and employment plans to implement social security programmes only for the poorest of the poor in the unorganised sector, to begin with.
The government, industry and civil society groups agree they have no data, which they admit are the building blocks for any action for inclusive growth.
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