Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1993, published 80th ILC session (1993)

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - India (Ratification: 1960)

With reference to its previous direct requests, the Committee notes the information contained in the Government's report.

1. Regarding the recommendation of the Mandal Commission to reserve 27 per cent of jobs in the public service for disadvantaged classes (as distinct from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes), the Committee notes that the issue is sub judice and that the Government will provide information when the Supreme Court renders a decision. The Committee trusts that it will receive information in this regard in the next report, including a copy of the Supreme Court's final determination in the matter.

2. Noting with interest the strategy outline for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Seventh Five-Year Plan (1985-90), in particular the Special Component Plan set up in the States and Central Ministries, the Special Central Assistance Fund to be used for income-generating developing schemes and the establishment of a National Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Finance Development Corporation, whose objective is to innovate and promote the work of existing agencies, as well as the information on the Tribal Sub-Plan and the establishment of ten Tribal Advisory Councils under the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution, the Committee requests the Government to continue supplying information on the socio-economic development of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes with regard to equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation and with regard to equal access to education and vocational training.

3. Regarding the emphasis in the Seventh Five-Year Plan on women's employment opportunities and its objective of increasing and improving women's work opportunities in various sectors through skill upgrading, group organization, involvement in decision-making and training in various recently established national women's bodies, the Committee again requests the Government to provide information on the activities of the National Expert Committee on Women Prisoners and the National Commission on Self-Employed Women with regard to equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation and equal access to education and vocational training. It would also appreciate receiving details on the results obtained and the progress achieved in promoting equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation through the Seventh Five-Year Plan and the National Perspective Plan of 9 October 1988 which contained a long-term policy for Indian women.

4. The Committee notes with interest the enactment of the National Commission for Women Act, 1990, which has broad functions to eliminate discrimination against women, inter alia, in employment and occupation and which shall submit annual reports to the central Government. The Committee requests the Government to supply information on the activities of this Commission, including its annual reports and any reviews it carries out under its responsibility for safeguarding the rights provided for women in the Constitution and other laws and for promoting their socio-economic development.

5. The Committee also notes with interest the statistics provided by the Government in its report on the percentage of female students at vocational training institutes. The Committee asks the Government to continue supplying information of this nature and hopes that the Government also will be able to include in its next report statistics on the percentages of male and female students at institutes of higher education which could help in the assessment of the implementation of the Government's promotion of equality of opportunity and treatment in respect of employment and occupation.

6. The Committee again requests the Government to provide detailed information on the measures taken to seek the cooperation of employers' and workers' organizations and other appropriate bodies in promoting the acceptance and observance of the national policy to promote equality of opportunity and treatment in respect of employment and occupation.