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Leyland comes out with ‘affirmative action’ note

K. T. Jagannathan

To partner CII to train youths in soft skills

CHENNAI: For the first time ever, commercial vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland Ltd. (ALL) has come out with an ‘affirmative action’ note as part of its annual report for 2006-07. Though it has “voluntarily introduced a code of conduct” that would ensure a degree of social diversity in its workplace, it has never collected caste/community information in the past. The annual report for 2006-07, however, showed caste/community-wise data on its employees. “We have done this now to understand the situation and put in place an affirmative action plan,” the note said. The note also lists out the community/caste composition of recruitments made in 2006-07. ALL, the note says, is planning to partner the Confederation of Indian Industry to identify SC/ST/OBC youths and train them in soft skills. Further, it is now toying with the idea of working with non-government organisations to spot SC/ST graduates and diploma holders and train them in finishing school.

The company, the note says, is planning to take at least 75 per cent of the youth from the SC/ST community for the apprenticeship programme in its manufacturing units for possible placement with automobile dealers.

The ALL move assumes considerable significance in the light of the growing importance given for inclusive growth. There is a raging debate on whether there should be a mandatory legislation on quota in private companies. At a recent meeting of the co-ordination committee on affirmative action in the industry convened by the PMO (Prime Minister’s Office), the industry had reportedly assured the Government that it would promote `positive discrimination’ favouring recruitment of backward classes.

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