The Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) recently released a manual on disability management for IAS probationers and serving officers. The manual will provide policymakers a broad profile of disability in India, acquaint them about training and education in the field of disability and highlight the importance of early intervention.

Mr C. Gopal Reddy, Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, who released the manual said: “In the context of the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995, the provisions for the disabled can be implemented and their rights can be protected only if administrators are aware of these facts.”

The manual is the result of a module comprising 42 hours of teaching, practical and field work. The module will cover development issues on disability, policy perspective and legal framework, incidence of disability — causes and prevention, models of education for children with special needs and related problems, vocational training and employment, community-based rehabilitation programme and programme concessions and supportive services..

Speaking on the occasion, Dr P. L. Sanjeeva Reddy, Director, Indian Institute of Public Administration, said that the training of young cadre and in-service IAS officers is very important to meet the requirements of the disabled in the country.

The proposal for development of the module for policymakers and administrators was first mooted in November, 2001 by Mr B. N. Yugandhar, Chairman of the

Standing Syllabus Committee for IAS officers, Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy of Administration, Mussorie. He shared the concept with the RCI, which then developed three draft modules. Over the years, the RCI, a statutory body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, has developed and standardised more than 50 training programmes.

The International Institute of Management and Governance (IIMG) is organising a six-day workshop for company directors. The workshop, which began on October 13, will address issues of transparency, accountability, equity, integrity and social and environmental responsibilities of company directors.

Participants at the end of the six-day programme will be given a PG Diploma in Company Directorship. The programme is divided into 12 modules. These include Duties, Responsibilities and Liabilities of Directorship, Board’s Role in Strategic Planning and Managing Innovation among others.

The faculty for the programme includes Justice M. N. Venkatchaliah, former Chief Justice of India, Dr P. G. Apte, Director IIM Banagalore, Mr C. P. Jain, Chairman NTPC

Thiruvananthapuram, Sept. 26. FOR the Kovalam-based Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology (IHMCT), the decision to adopt a ‘zero waste’ philosophy has proved to be a beneficial one.

Over the last several months, the institute has been able to substantially reduce its usage of natural gas while simultaneously creating additional revenue streams by implementing the ‘zero waste’ concept on its campus.

Selected by Kerala Tourism as the nodal agency for implementing the ‘Zero Waste Kovalam’ initiative intended to manage and eliminate waste from the Kovalam beach resort, the IHMCT commissioned a biogas plant, for managing biodegradable waste, in January this year. The biogas from here is supplied to the main kitchen in the institute and also to the students hostel. This measure alone has helped the institute reduce its weekly consumption of natural gas by around six cylinders while also enabling it to manage its waste in a responsible manner, says Mr B.N. Mohanty, Principal, IHMCT.

Similarly, the institute has also set up a ‘resource recovery centre’ for the non-biodegradable portion of its waste. Non-biodegradable items such as tins, glass and plastic bottles, and so on are separated and cleaned before being stored in separate bins. Other discards such as cloth and paper are also sorted and stored in a similar fashion. Once sufficient volumes are built up, these are sold, says Mr Mohanty. In fact, the institute has already earned over Rs 6,000 from the sale of such items, he adds.

The IHMCT has itself become an example of what the ‘zero waste’ concept can achieve, says Mr C. Jayakumar, Coordinator, Thanal Conservation Action and Information Network, which is spearheading the Zero Waste Kovalam initiative. Besides serving as an example of the economic and environmental advantages of the ‘zero waste’ model, the IHMCT also exposes future managers to this philosophy, he adds. Many students and members of the staff are already looking at ways to improve the performance of the ‘zero waste’ systems on the IHMCT campus, he declares.

The savings that accrue to the institute from the system are significant, says Mr Jayakumar. The savings in natural gas alone will be around Rs 90,000 a year, he estimates. Similarly, the sale of non-biodegradable material will generate another Rs 12,000 or so, he declares.