News

Volume 2 Issue 18 - September 15, 2004

The missing link in reservations

DNIS News Network - The UPA government has formed a group of ministers (GoM) panel on "affirmative action" to take ahead its proposal of extending job reservations to the private sector.

The GoM has been assigned to hold talks with industry and to examine all dimensions of the issue of affirmative action, including reservations.

Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar will head the panel, which includes aggressive stalwarts of reservation politics, such as railway minister Lalu Prasad, steel minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Communications minister Dayanidhi Maran.

While the proposal talks about reservation for Schedule Castes and Schedule tribes it does not make any mention of reservations for disabled people. It is up to the disability sector to ensure that this oversight is amended before the proposal becomes law.