Report of the Expert Group on Diversity Index (Record no. 168906)

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005 - DATE AND TIME OF LATEST TRANSACTION
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008 - FIXED-LENGTH DATA ELEMENTS--GENERAL INFORMATION
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082 ## - DEWEY DECIMAL CLASSIFICATION NUMBER
Classification number 305.8 IND
100 ## - MAIN ENTRY--PERSONAL NAME
Personal name India, Ministry of Minority Affairs
245 #0 - TITLE STATEMENT
Title Report of the Expert Group on Diversity Index
260 ## - PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC.
Place of publication, distribution, etc. New Delhi
Name of publisher, distributor, etc. The Author
Date of publication, distribution, etc. 2008
300 ## - PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Extent 64p.
520 ## - SUMMARY, ETC.
Summary, etc. he Expert Group has been formed to identify the areas of concern in the<br/>context of unequal access of different segments of population to public<br/>space and institutions, to propose an appropriate Diversity Index and work<br/>out the modalities for implementation, of policies and programmes based<br/>on the index. Although the task of the Sachar Committee was to evaluate<br/>and enumerate the conditions of a specific minority group, the idea of a<br/>diversity index is floated to operationalize a broader notion of diversity,<br/>countering the tendencies of discrimination and deprivation in production,<br/>distribution and social sectors in India. The need for such index stems from<br/>the fact that there is definite evidence of community based discrimination and<br/>deprivation in all social spheres. Understandably, the government in direct<br/>or indirect command over some of these spheres should assume a proactive<br/>role in containing these undesirable outcomes. The Sachar committee amply<br/>demonstrates the case for the minorities, but in the process also reflects on<br/>the conditions of somewhat more disadvantaged groups such as the SCs<br/>and STs. However, there are spheres and regions where the minorities lag<br/>behind the SCs and STs in terms of basic attainments.<br/>A significant point made in the World Development Report 2006 (Equity<br/>and Development) that disparities arise among different sections of a society<br/>due to various factors such as caste, gender, schooling, work/occupation<br/>and sources of income generation. As regards schooling, various forms of<br/>discrimination that are practised are highlighted. A matter of serious concern<br/>is that teachers from upper caste often look down upon students from lower<br/>castes goading them incipiently to absent themselves. Also, “The perceived<br/>value of female education is quite different from that of boys, because girls<br/>are expected to spend most of their adult life in domestic work” (p.27).<br/>While over the years, the importance of education has been understood,<br/>access to schooling is still uneven and unfairly tilted against the Muslims,<br/>lower castes and women.<br/>“Inequality traps” prevent the marginalised and work in favour of the<br/>dominant group in a society. Political system does not assign equal<br/>preference to all of them. Furthermore, policies and institutions are the<br/>outcomes of the process of political economy in which different groups<br/>endeavour to make an impact through political mobilisation and seek to<br/>protect their own interests. In all this, those that have more power tend to<br/>corner a disproportionate share of the benefits.<br/>Understandably, the political, economic and sociocultural inequalities move<br/>in coherence to shape the outcomes for a specific institution. Also, the<br/>way these institutions function would affect people's opportunities and<br/>their ability to invest and prosper. Unequal economic opportunities lead to<br/>unequal outcomes which in turn lead to unequal access to<br/>political power.<br/>nature and functioning of the institutions and their policies. All these result<br/>This creates a vicious circle since unequal power structure determines the<br/>in persistence of initial conditions.<br/>The Sachar Committee had recommended that the idea of providing certain<br/>incentives linked to a diversity index’ should be explored in an attempt to<br/>make a departure from the business as usual scenario in a significant manner.<br/>Admittedly, this is a complex proposition. However, if a transparent and<br/>acceptable method to measure diversity can be dexcloped, a wide variety of<br/>socia<br/>housing. The diversity principle which entails equity is to be applied not only<br/>groups in the areas of education, government and private employment and<br/>between the majority and minorities but also in between minorities so that<br/>the truly disadvantaged can stand to benefit.<br/>Given an acceptable diversity index, policies can provide for:<br/>Incentives in the form of larger grants to those educational institutions that have<br/>higher diversity and are able to sustain it over time. These incentives can apply<br/>to both colleges and universities, both in public and private sector.<br/>Incentives to provide the public and private sector enterprises and institutions<br/>to encourage diversity in their work force. While such initiatives should be<br/>part of the corporate social responsibility, some affirmative action<br/>help initiate this<br/>process.<br/>.<br/>may<br/>Incentives to builders for housing complexes that have more diverse' resident<br/>populations to promote "composite living spaces' for 'socioreligious communities'.<br/>The Expert Group holds the view that all these would help in initiating a<br/>new process and trend in the country. Ultimately, the idea of diversity must<br/>take root in the minds of the decision makers at all levels. That alone can<br/>erase out the deeply entrenched prejudices and result in elimination of all<br/>discriminatory practices.<br/>This new approach must gradually take the shape of a social movement and<br/>transform the society. It should go beyond creating socially well represented<br/>opportunity spaces in various forms of public and private life and make<br/>India's enormous diversity and its social manifestations a matter of pride<br/>rather than a source of problem and turmoil.
650 ## - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
Topical term or geographic name entry element Minorities
942 ## - ADDED ENTRY ELEMENTS (KOHA)
Koha item type Books
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  Not Missing Not Damaged   Gandhi Smriti Library Gandhi Smriti Library   2020-02-08   305.8 IND 150964 2020-02-08 2020-02-08 Books

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