FICCI unveils initiative on affirmative action

Industry body FICCI on Wednesday said it has set up three internal committees to oversee work on affirmative action among its member companies.

The announcement has come ahead of the July-14 meeting of Prime Minister's Office with apex chambers to discuss measures taken by them to improve the education and employment situation for backward classes.

FICCI said its panels would focus on filling the seats reserved for SCs/STs in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), development of entrepreneurship among them and promote investments in districts that are dominated by backward classes.

"These committees have been charged with the responsibility of empowering SCs/STs in order to widen the benefits of the economic growth process... The focus is on raising quality of training and skill development in a bid to make them employable," FICCI said.

Apollo Tyres Chairman and Managing Director Onkaw S Kanwar would head the standing committee on development of public-private-participation (PPP) model for the ITIs.

Modi Enterprises Chairman KK Modi would lead the initiative on development of entrepreneurship among the SCs/STs while Poddar Heritage Investments chief Saroj K Poddar has been given the responsibility of promoting investments to the districts, dominated by these castes.

The chamber said it has identified 27 districts with over 40 per cent of SC/ST population. These districts offer good potential for industrial development based on local resources.

FICCI has also proposed to adopt 300 ITIs for upgradation under PPP mode in the next three years and has identified 42 institutes in 13 states for first phase.