Govt not to impose quotas on India Inc

Amid opposition from the private sector to reserving jobs for SCs and STs, the government on Tuesday said it will not impose quotas on India Inc, but only wanted more "affirmative action" from the industry for the socially underprivileged.

"The government is not talking of any enforced action for the industry that would be run down your throats," Minister of State of Commerce and Industry Ashwini Kumar said at a CII conference for the specially-abled people.

"You (industry) are already into affirmative action through your corporate responsibility initiatives. It does not need any enforced action, you are already doing it", he said, referring to the ongoing difference of opinion between the government and the industry on reservation and affirmative action, which he termed as "spurious".

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"There is no incongruity between what the government proposes and what the industry seeks to do," Kumar added.

He said the UPA Government was committed to ensuring equal participation for all sections of the society and would purposefully assist those who were in need.

"We are committed to creating more employment for the specially-abled. There will be a renewed thrust and we will encourage the private sector to absorb more of the disabled to achieve the targeted three per cent job reservation for the disabled."

Currently, around 0.60 per cent disabled is employed in the public sector and only 0.28 per cent in the private sector.