Sensitive Approach towards Women Employees.


   Article 16 of the Constitution of India guarantees equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to employment or appointment to any office under the State. Further, it provides that no citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, descent, place of birth, residence or any of them, be ineligible for, or discriminated against in respect of, any employment or office under the State.

   To enhance the employability of women, the Government is providing skill training to women through a network of Women Industrial Training Institutes. There are 11 National Vocational Training Institutes providing training facilities, exclusively for women in skills having high wage-employment and self-employment potential. Further there are women wings in general ITIs which are under the administrative control of respective State Governments. National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) has enhanced the percentage of reservation for women from 25% to 30% in training institutes.

Reservation of Seats in Medical Colleges.


   Reservation in undergraduate seats in medical colleges for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) varies from State to State as per the norms and rules prescribed by the respective State Governments. However, the following reservation quota is prescribed for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate medical courses under the All India Quota and central Government institutions:

  i. Scheduled Castes – 15%

   ii. Scheduled Tribes – 7.5%

   iii. Other Backward Classes – 27% ( only in central Government Institutions / Universities)

Consumer Price Index Numbers for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) July 2012.


   The All-India CPI-IW rose by 4 points and pegged at 212 (two hundred and twelve). On 1-month percentage change, it increased by 1.92 per cent between June and July compared with 2.12 per cent between the same two months a year ago.

   The largest upward contributions to the change in current index came from food prices which rose by 2.38 per cent, contributing 2.44 percentage points to the total change. The largest upward pressure came from Rice, Arhar Dal, Green-chilly, Onion, vegetables, mainly Potato and Tomato, and Sugar. This was, however, partially offset by downward contributions from French Bean, Brinjal, and Poultry (Chicken).

   House rent which increased by 2.96 per cent, contributed 1.05 percentage points to the overall change. The change was reported during the 21st round of Repeat House Rent Survey conducted from January to June, 2012 to capture the change in expenditure incurred on rent by industrial workers. The increase in the current round was mainly on account of annual increment awarded to the salaried persons under centre/state sphere as well as the rise in rent reported from private dwellings.