MILIND TORAWANE

A village school and no teachers in sight. If that's the script for a story called 'education in rural India', the backward, tribal-dominated Narmada district in Gujarat is fast re-writing this, to their advantage.

The local tribals call it the “angutha” (thumb) solution to the problems of the “anguthachhap” (the illiterate) – a fingerprint biometric attendance system introduced in the district and taluka offices, including schools. Though teachers chose to stay away from village schools and literacy rates dipped, those in power hardly took note. But not Milind Torawane, 34, an IAS officer and the Narmada district development officer (DDO). He is the architect of the ‘biometric’ revolution that is bringing about a drastic change in the education system in the district, which has a low literacy rate and fmale literacy is worse.

While the system will be implemented in all the 680 schools of the district by February, officials admit it holds enough promise to bring about sweeping changes in the education system in Gujarat. “Over Rs 20 crore is spent on teachers’ salaries annually in Narmada district alone. If I succeed in reducing absenteeism by 10 per cent, we will save Rs 2 crore,” says Torawane.

Nisheeth Mehta

In this age of global competition, you wouldn’t expect compromises on quality from a company that makes components for Volvo, Mercedes, Tata Motors, Hewlett-Packard and Reliance Industries.

And you would think that Nisheeth Mehta, CEO of Microsign Products, an engineering plastic fastener manufacturing company in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, has done just that by employing 60 per cent of his staff from among the physically challenged.

But, Mehta insists charity is the last thing on his mind. While the Persons With Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, reserves three per cent jobs for this category, as many as 13 of Mehta’s 20-member team are people with physical and mental disabilities.

Mehta claims his productivity has increased by at least 20 per cent, has almost zero attrition rate and has bagged several awards including the National Award for Welfare of People with Disabilities for fulfilling corporate social responsibility.