Government panel for appointment of more SC/STs to PSU top posts

NEW DELHI: Appointing more persons from SC/ST communities to the top post in PSUs, distribution of land among homeless dalits and their "hand-holding" by banks to promote entrepreneurship figure in the list of recommendations of a high-level government panel, set up for commemoration of the 125th birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar.

Encouraging the admission of students belonging to SC/ST communities in private universities was another key suggestion, on which the government has asked the Secretary of Higher Education of the HRD Ministry to take appropriate action.

A national committee, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and its Executive Committee, led Home Minister Rajnath Singh, have met a number to times to finalise the plans to observe the Dalit icon's birth anniversary and implement them.

Official sources said in one of the meetings, the Executive Committee noted that there are a very few chairman-cum-managing directors of public sector undertakings (PSUs) belonging to the SC/ST communities, hence efforts should be made to appoint capable and talented persons from these communities to such posts.

After the committee's recommendations, the Secretary of the Department of Finance has been asked to take up the matter.

Noting that entrepreneurship opportunities for SC/ST youths may be made available by extending training programmes and arranging work capital for them, the panel also suggested that each branch of public sector banks should try to "handhold" at least one SC/ST youth, as an entrepreneur, to generate more employment among them.

Responding to it, the government said the Ministry of Finance has written to all CMDs, CEOs and MDs of banks in this regard.

The suggestions were discussed in the meeting of the Executive Committee chaired by the Home Minister, which met on February 1 to give a final shape to the decisions.

Organising a "Run for Casteless India" and setting up a virtual museum with 3D interactive panorama to highlight the Dalit icon's life and achievements are the other suggestions.