NEW DELHI, Jan 17: Apparently mindful of legal and political wrangles involving its initiaves on quotas, Congress today emphasized the need to look at “other forms of affirmative action as well” to help socially disadvantaged sections of society.
“The reservation model has served India well over the years since independence to ensure social justice, especially for the weakest sections of society, dalits, adivasis, OBCs and women.
“Whilst it is important to review the contours of the model for more effective implementation and to address the issue of reservation in promotion, Congress believes that it is also an opportune time to look at other forms of affirmative action,” a resolution adopted by AICC meeting here said.
It also said the proposal to set up an Equal Opportunity Commission has been in principle accepted by the government.
The government’s last few initiatives on quota have run into controversies. Its decision to carve out a minority sub quota of 4.5 percent from the existing 27 OBC reservation ran into rough weather with the courts snubbing the government.
Its another move to give reservation in promotion was recently passed in Rajya Sabha amid fierce opposition by Samajwadi Party while the issue of reservation in AIIMS faculty is also in legal knot.
The resolution also addressed the issue of internal security claiming “considerable success” during the ten years of UPA government in tackling Left Wing Extremism through better trained and equipped security forces, a better intelligence network and through the more sensitive implementation of development programmes.
“Congress remains committed to the approach even while it acknowledges that vigil can never be relaxed against those forces that are out to create panic and fear,” it said.
The party also chose the occcasion to flag its committment to make India, the world’s first and foremost knowledge economy and accelerate the implementation of initiatives like National Knowledge Network, National Optical Fibre Network and Aadhar initiative.
Claiming Congress-led government’s initiatives ensured an unparallel faster growth in agricultural GDP, the party said it was committed to increasing agriculture growth to over four percent annually.
Noting that terrorism is a major challenge, it said it was committed to tackling it through global cooperation and to follow a foreign policy rooted to India’s interest. (PTI)
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