Companies starting to take affirmative action to help SC/STs

NEW DELHI: Despite their initial reluctance, a host of private companies have come forward to provide benefits to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates through affirmative action, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Meira Kumar has said.

"Initially when this idea of affirmative action, including reservation, was floated, most private firms ridiculed the idea," Kumar told.

But now, some companies have come forward to train students from backward classes to prepare them for the job market and "we are holding discussions with them", she said.

Infosys has trained 100 such IT students, she said. Out of 89 who qualified, 76 have got jobs with the company itself.
   
"Bharti Enterprises has also expressed interest in going in for such an arrangement and we are in talks with the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) on this," Kumar said.

"The companies have asked us to provide a list of such deserving Scheduled Caste/Tribe candidates who can be trained leading to their subsequent absorption by the firms," she said.

The government was, however, facing problems in this regard as it did not have the relevant information to give them.
   
"We are not geared up for it and do not have any mechanism whereby we can address this," the minister said.