NonProfit/NGOs
http://telegraphindia.com/1060508/asp/nation/story_6195878.asp#
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Quota string tied to NGO aid
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New Delhi, May 7 (PTI): Even as the controversy over the proposed quota for OBCs in higher education institutions rages, the ministry of social justice and empowerment has directed government-aided NGOs to provide job reservation in their projects. “This provision has been made according to Financial Rules, 2005. NGOs receiving more than 50 per cent of their funds from the central government have been asked to provide 49.5 per cent reservation to SCs, STs and OBCs,” senior ministry officials said. The ministry has written to all other ministries and departments at the Centre to follow this policy while sanctioning grants to NGOs, they added. It has directed the NGOs, mainly those employing more than 20, to give details of people working on projects funded by the government and suggest measures to implement the quota for OBCs, SCs and STs, the officials said. “As a precondition to the sanction of grants-in-aid to the agencies, the grant sanctioning authority should ensure that a suitable clause is variably included in the terms and conditions under which the grants are given to provide for reservation to these sections,” the general financial rules of the ministry say. While sanctioning grants-in-aid, the financial rules also state that the sanctioning authority should keep in view the progress made by such institutions or organisations in employing SC, ST or OBC candidates in their services on the lines indicated by the government of India. Senior ministry officials said this provision was not new and that it was introduced by the NDA regime. “Though these guidelines existed even during the NDA regime, it is only during the UPA rule that it has been insisted that NGOs should grant reservation to these sections of the society,” they said. They said the ministry would soon make statutory provisions to ensure that the NGOs do not ignore the claims of the OBCs as well as SCs and STs in the jobs offered by them. The ministry, they added, would ensure that no NGO getting grants-in-aid from Union ministries or from their departments skips the provision for reservation and asked them to submit the list of beneficiaries to ensure that the policy was followed strictly. Claiming that the response from NGOs was encouraging, the officials contended they would have no problems in implementing the quota norms. NGOs getting assistance from the government regularly would be asked to earmark quota for OBCs, SCs and STs not only for projects, but in internal appointments too, the ministry officials said. During 2004-05, the ministry of social justice and empowerment assisted 366 voluntary organisations working for the SCs. It also assisted 190 NGOs working for the welfare of OBCs, extending financial aid of several lakh rupees. |
