Date:19/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/19/stories/2008111950450100.htm

Front Page

Centre for study of social exclusion set up

Staff Reporter

As part of Inclusive Growth Strategy of 11th Five Year Plan

It will study various forms of social exclusion and causative factors
The initiative will be result-oriented only if benefits reach the needy

TIRUCHI: The University Grants Commission has established a Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy in the Bharathidasan University as part of the Inclusive Growth Strategy of 11th Five Year Plan.

Among 35 such centres established in various parts of the country, the mandate of the centre is to study various forms of social exclusion and causative factors and identify measures for inclusion of marginalised and suppressed sections in the central districts.

The task of the centre gained greater relevance in the light of economic growth that provides opportunities for mainstreaming the marginalised groups into the development process, said K. Raja Mohan Rao, centre director.

The academic body will analyse the lapses in society and come out with a broad-based view that would assist policy makers to extricate the poor from social, political and economic crises.

Inaugurating a day-long sensitisation seminar on ‘Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy’ organised to mark the inauguration of the centre, Vice-Chancellor M. Ponnavaikko emphasised that the initiative should necessarily reflect in the progress of those in below poverty line irrespective of the castes or communities to which they belong.

Prof. Ponnavaikko endorsed the view expressed by David Sydney Basil, Head, Department of English, Urumu Dhanalakshmi College, that the human resource potential of the country should be put to best use, and called for maximising the human resource potential through equipping the youth with job skills alongside enhancing infrastructure in rural areas such that migration of masses to cities in search of jobs could be obviated.

Referring to the assurance made by K. Kanagaraju, NSS coordinator, that the action plan would concentrate on seeing through the progress of the 250 villages adopted by various NSS units of affiliated colleges, P. Gnanadurai Michael, formerly consultant for Asia, CBM International, said that the initiative would be result-oriented only if benefits reached the needy.

For inclusion to happen, the society must be willing to accept diversity, Mr. Gnanadurai Michaelsaid.