Quotas: Murthy prefers affirmative action

Infosys chairman and chief mentor N R Narayana Murthy on Thursday made it clear that he prefers affirmative action over reservation to provide the best of opportunities to the disadvantaged classes such as SCs/STs and OBCs.

He was reacting to Union minister for social justice and empowerment Meira Kumar's warning that time was closing in on the private sector to implement reservation.

"I believe in providing opportunities. It is the only way forward and the long term solution. If we lay a strong foundation at the primary school level, improve the quality of education and provide nutritious food and health care, these kids (from deprived sections) will be as competitive as any other," Murthy told reporters at the Infosys' Electronic City campus.

Murthy claimed that Infosys is already working on this direction. "Last year, we chose 65 candidates from the disadvantaged sections and put them under intensive training. Subsequently, they were subjected to recruitment tests at Infosys. As many as 35 qualified for jobs at our BPO arm Progeon. This should be the approach," he contended.

Murthy pointed out that Infosys is launching a similar exercise on August 15 in association with Canara Bank and Indian Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore.

"Initiatives like these should be dome voluntarily by the private sector to make people from the disadvantaged sections competitive and skilful," he stated.