Vol. 10 · pages 926–930

905 L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS technical education ? If so, what are the main features of the two schemes ? (b) Is the training scheme sponsored by the Labour Department different from the scheme of the Education, Health and Lands Department ? (c) Is the proposed scheme akin to the Bevin Training Scheme ? (d) What are the technical subjects which Government contemplate to provide for the students abroad ? And what will be the duration of training on each subject ? (e) What type of jobs, do Government contemplate to offer to the successful candidates after they return from abroad ? (f) Are Government selecting the students on a fixed quota basis from each of the Provinces and maintaining the proportion of different communities ? If so, how many students will be sent from Bengal and Assam ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) and (b). There are two distinct schemes. The first is for sending students abroad for higher studies in technical and scientific subjects ; the second is for sending abroad technicians already employed in industry for further training or for enlarging their industrial or professional experience. The former scheme is dealt with by the Education, Health and Lands Department and the latter by Labour Department. (c) The proposed scheme is in a way an extension of the Bevin Training Scheme. The object is to provide higher technical training for the more important supervisory post in industry. (d) The types of training contemplated under the Labour Department scheme are : Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Radio Manufacture, Ship-building, Aeronautical Engineering, Marine Engineering, Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Metallurgy, Generation of Electricity, Locomotive Construction, Chemical Engineering, Fertilisers, Plastics, Glass, Steel Manufacture. This list is not exhaustive and other types of training will be considered, if required. Normally the period of training will be one year, but may be extended to two years in individual cases. (f) No quotas have been allotted. Provincial Governments have been asked to make their own nominations for which they will bear the

906 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES cost. Private employers are also making their own nominations. Government of India will make a final selection from these nominations. 320 * Workers in Mica Mines of Gudur Division 1327. Shrimati K. Radha Bai Subbarayan : Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state : (a) the number of workers—men and women—employed for underground and surface work in the mica mines of the Gudur Division; (b) their average daily wage and dearness allowance; (c) if it is a fact that they are engaged mostly through contractors who lake a percentage of the wages; and, if so, the reasons for permitting this system ; and (d) if Government propose to hold an inquiry about the conditions in these mines and report to this House? If so, when? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) The number of male and female workers employed in Mica Mines in the Gudur area is approximately 7,000 and 4,000 respectively. No women are employed underground. (b) Average daily wage is Rs. 12 for men and Rs. 7 for women. As wages were raised recently, no dearness allowance is paid. (c) As far as is known labour is engaged and paid direct by the mine-owners, and not through contractors. (d) No; the second part does not arise. 321 @ Applying Factories Act, etc. to Mica Splitting Factories in Gudur Division 1328. Shrimati K. Radha Bai Subbarayan : Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state : (a) if it is a fact—(i) that the Factories Act is not applied to the Mica Splitting Factories in the Gudur Division; *Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. I of 1945, 26th March 1945, p. 2014. @ Ibid.

907 L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (ii) that the large majority of workers employed here are women and that they receive no advantage of the Maternity Benefits Act, (iii) that there are no arrangements for the care of infants and children of the women workers, and (iv) that the premises are in an insanitary condition without sufficient ventilation ; and (b) whether Government propose to take steps to apply the Factories and Maternity Benefits Acts to these factories, improve labour conditions and provide adequate facilities for the care of infants and children of the women workers and report to this House about this matter? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) and (b). The administration of the Factories Act and of the Madras Maternity Benefits Act is the responsibility of the Provincial Government. As regards a survey of the working conditions of labour in the Mica Splitting Factories in Gudur Division, the Labour Investigation Committee is engaged on the work. Government will consider in due course proposals which will be made by the Planning Committee for labour which Government hope to set up after the Labour Investigation Committee’s work is over. 322 * Rule re Appointment of Qualified Copyholders and Revisers as Junior Readers in Government of India Presses 1330. Mr. Badri Dutt Pande : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member be pleased to state whether Government have recently received any memorials from the employees of any Government of India Presses regarding their hardships created by the anomalies which exist in the present rule governing the appointment of qualified Copyholders and Revisers in the Junior Readers’ post ? (b) is it a fact that in May, 1940 the Government of India Press Workers’ Union, New Delhi, sent a representation to the Secretary, Labour Department, fully approved by Mr. Asaf Ali, M.L.A. (Central), who was the President of the Union, for amending the rule so that * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. I of 1945, 26th March 1945, p. 2020.

908 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES earlier passed candidates might get preference over subsequent qualified men ? (c) Do government propose to consider the advisability of amending the existing rule in the light of these memorials ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) Memorials have been received from three copyholders of the Government of India Press, New Delhi, but there is no allegation of hardship or anomaly in the present rules governing appointment to readers’ posts. (b) Yes. (c) The memorials will be considered on their merits. 323 * Irregular Appointments in Certain Branches of C.P.W.D. 1351. Syed Ghulam Bhik Nairang : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state whether under the rules about communal representation in the services, an appointment made against those rules should be cancelled ? (b) Is it a fact that it was found that an irregular appointment of a Sikh was made in the Horticulture Department of the Central Public Works Department ? (c) Is it a fact that the appointment was not cancelled, but the Muslim, who should have been appointed to that vacancy, was assigned his correct position in the seniority list ? (d) Is it a fact that some irregular appointments were also made in the cadre of Electrical Engineers ? (e) Is it a fact that it was decided not to cancel those appointments but to assign the Muslims their correct position in the seniority list ? (f) Is it a fact that subsequently the orders about seniority were also cancelled and seniority was fixed according to the dates of the irregular appointments of non-Muslims ? If so, why ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) Yes. (b) No. *Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. I of 1945, 26th March 1945, p. 2025.

909 L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (c) Two vacancies in the grade of Horticulture Subordinate arose simultaneously, of which the first was reserved for a Muslim and the other was unreserved. A Muslim was selected against the Muslim vacancy and a Sikh against the unreserved vacancy. The Sikh joined his appointment earlier than the Muslim, as the latter was employed elsewhere and could not be released in time by the office where he was employed. As the first of the two appointments was earmarked for the Muslim he was placed higher than the Sikh in the seniority list. (d), (c) and (f). Certain officiating appointments in the grade of Electrical Engineer were made without observing the strict order of communal rotation laid down in the orders regarding representation of minority communities in the public service. These appointments had to be made at very short notice in connection with urgent war works in Eastern India and it was administratively impracticable to follow the prescribed communal rotation in making these appointments. The appointments were not, therefore, cancelled, and the seniority of the officers concerned was fixed in accordance with their respective dates of appointment. No orders fixing the seniority of any Muslim officer in the grade of Electrical Engineer were passed and cancelled later. 324 * Affording Certain Maternity Benefits to Women Mine Workers 1358. Mr. T. S. Avinashilingam Chettiar : Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state: (a) in pursuance of his anwer to starred question No. 437, asked on the 21st February, 1945, whether Government have examined the matter of extending the time when women before and after delivery should not be allowed to go within the mines; (b) whether Government have considered the matter of every mine being provided with creches for children of mothers working in mines; and *Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. I of 1945, 26th March 1945, p. 2028.