The Union Labour Minister Dr. Satayanarayan Jatiya will be leading the tripartite Indian delegation at the ILC, comprising representatives of employers, trade unions and senior officials of the labour ministry.

    The proposed new Convention on child labour was first discussed at the 1998 ILC and will be placed for second round of discussions. The Government of India considers that the social evil of child labour be addressed to in a very comprehensive manner and effective measures taken to eliminate it in a phased manner. It was in this context and spirit that India decided to support the ILO instrument to prohibit the worst forms of child labour. India had supported the proposed international instrument last year in the first round of discussions. The instrument mainly envisages immediate prohibition of worst kind of child labour include:-

• All forms of slavery and practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, forced or compulsory labour, debt bondage and serfdom;
• The use, procurement or offering of a child for prostitution, production of pornography or pornographic performances;
• The use, procurement or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs;
• Work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to jeopardise the health, safety or morals of children.

    There are also a number of issues remain to be considered during the meetings. These involve whether the definition of the worst forms of child labour should include an explicit reference to children in armed combat or military activity; whether work which denies children access to education should be deemed as a worst form of child labour; the definition of hazardous work; the role of NGOs and other concerned groups in the Convention.

    The second item of the agenda concerns Maternity Protection. The ILO has already adopted a convention (no. 103) in 1952 in this regard. India’s Maternity Protection Act, by and large, is in conformity with the above convention. However, India could not ratify this convention so far due to wide coverage envisaged in the application of the convention. Out of 315 million work force in the country only a small fraction of the work force is in the organised sector and most of the labour welfare and social security laws apply to the organised sector only. The 90 per cent of the work force which constitute the unorganised sector is still to receive adequate social security measures. India is making efforts through tripartite fora to organise workers in the unorganised sector and simultaneously social security and labour welfare measures including maternity protection for workers in the unorganised sector in a phased manner with progressive improvement.

    The proposed text of the new instrument on Maternity Protection is by and large in conformity with the Indian Laws and regulation except for the fact that it envisages wide coverage in its application. Since India is committed to social security for the workers and to demonstrate its commitment to the cause, India will be supporting the revision of Convention No. 103 and adoption of a new instrument in its place.
 
 

     The NBCC completed 7 works during April ,1999. These are, civil works of modernisation of India Government Mint, Mumbai at a cost of Rs.7.18 crores, construction of NBCC Place Real Estate Project at Pragati Vihar, Lodhi Road, New Delhi at a cost of Rs.72.66 crores, Integrated Brackish Water Aquaculture Development Project at Nayachal Island, Midnapor (West Bengal) for the Bengal Fisheries (BENFISH) at a cost of Rs.8.01 crores, civil works of Ash Handling Plant for Vindhyachal Super Thermal Power Project Stage II, Vindhyachal (Madhya Pradesh) at a cost of Rs.7.48 crores and construction of Workshop Sheds at Maruti Udyog Ltd. (MUL), Gurgaon (Haryana) for MUL at a cost of Rs.5.14 crores.

    The NBCC was set up in 1960 as a premier national construction agency both in the country and abroad. Since then there is no looking back for it as it has several milestones in construction technology. It has been appointed as a nodal agency for development, supply and use of trenchless technology in the country.
 
 

During the month under report Wheel and Axle Plant (WAP), Bangalore has exceeded its target producing 8615 wheels against a target of 8614 and 4065 axles against a target of 4152. Diesel Component Works, Patiala have achieved its target by rebuilding six locomotives.
 
 

    The three mountaineers who today successfully reached the Mount Everest Summit are part of a ten-member team led by two-time Everester Santosh Yadav.
 
 

    The guidelines issued are : a) Ragging in any form inside or outside the campus should be banned by executive order of the head of the institution/university, b) Senior students found indulging in ragging junior students should be summarily expelled from the institution/university, c) The head of the Institution/university should write before the start of the new session, to the parents/guardians of students in senior classes, informing them of the possible consequence of ragging and requesting them to instruct their wards against getting involved in ragging, d) Full publicity should be given to the punishment for ragging through open circulars to students and suitable posters in halls of residence, e) Telephone numbers of senior faculty/administrative officers be given to every new entrant with the advice that they should report all incidents of ragging through these numbers even anonymously, if circumstances warranted, f) Senior students of hall of residence should be invited to cooperate with the faculty and the administration in combating this evil, g) Squads consisting of wardens, other senior faculty, senior students and security/staff should do regular patrolling throughout the night in the halls of residence where new entrants live, at least for the first month of the opening of the term, h) A programme of extra-mural activities, e.g. drama, debates, quizzes, etc. should be planned for every evening of the first month of the opening of the term so that students will be engaged in constructive activities and will have little for pranks. These activities will also help newcomers to get adjusted to the new environment, i) All the new entrants should be attached in small groups to a senior faculty member who should help in the process of adjustment of students to the new environment and serve as an academic and personal tutor, j) A high level standing committee consisting of faculty and senior students and administrative officers be set up with the head of the institute/university as Chairman to keep a periodical watch on the situtation.

    The menace of ragging in universities and other institute of learning has engaged the attention of the Govt. of India for quite sometime. Guidelines had been issued earlier also to the Vice Chancellors of the Universities, Heads of Institutions etc. for taking steps for the prevention of ragging. The issue has also been raised in different forums including the Parliament from time to time.

    Recently, an organisation called Vishwa Jagriti Mission had filed a Writ Petition in the Hon’ble Supreme Court. The Supreme Court directed that the instructions issued earlier should be reiterated to the concerned Educational Institutions/Universities with directions to take immediate steps for the prevention of incidences of ragging.
 
 

    The Senior fellowships are of value of Rs.6000/- per month and the junior fellowships are of the value of Rs.3000/- per month.

    These fellowships will be offered to Indian nationals undertaking projects in the following fields : Indology (2 Junior and 3 Senior fellowships); Cultural Economics (2 Junior and 3 Senior fellowships); Structural and Engineering aspects of monuments (1 Junior and 1 Senior fellowships); Numismatics (1 Junior and 1 Senior fellowships) Epigraphy (1 Junior and 1 Senior fellowships); Scientific and Technological Principles of Conservation (1 Senior fellowship); Sociology of Culture (1 Junior and 2 Senior fellowships) and Management of Heritage and art and cultural Institutions (2 Junior and 3 Senior fellowships).

    The selected applicants would be required to undertake intensive innovative research projects in their respective fields. The project would have to be completed within two years. No extension of time is permissible. The objective of the fellowships is to encourage analytical application of new research techniques, technologies and modern management principles to issues and problems in the art and culture related areas.