2007 Indian Stamps : The Daly College

In 1869 Lt. General Sir Henry D. Daly, who had earlier commanded central India Horse and Hodson’s Horse, was appointed the Governor General’s Agent for Central India. In 1870 Sir Henry motivated the chiefs of central India into establishing the Indore Residency School, which would provide a British education to their sons. In 1875 lord Northbrook visited the school and promised to raise its status. The school was renamed Indore Residency College in 1876 with Mr. Aberigh Mackay as its first principal. in 1881 Mr. Mackay passed away and in the same year Sir Henry Daly retired.

In 1882 the Rajput, Maratha, Bundela and Muslim chiefs decided to rename the college the Daly College, in appreciation of Sir Henry’s contributions. They also decided to expand the facilities at the college. A new academic block was built, which today forms part of the medical college. The viceroy, Lord Dufferin, inaugurated the new building on November 14, 1885 by 1891 the Holkars of Indore and the Scindias of Gwalior donated the two student houses.

In 1905 Sir Henry’s son, Sir Hugh Daly, was appointed agent at Indore, to the position previously occupied by his father. He took great interest in the Daly College and it flourished as a chief’s college. The Holkars then donated 120 acres east of the old campus and various chiefs contributed to build on the newly acquired land. Construction started in 1906 on two student houses, a temple, a mosque and the principal’s residence. The main building was constructed out of marble from the Udaipur quarries and was designed in the Indo-Sarascenic style.

The Viceroy, Lord Harding, officially inaugurated the main building on November 8, 1912 and the old campus was given up. For the next 28 years the college was open exclusively to the sons of the chiefs of central India. In 1940, showing great vision, the board of governors decided to prepare students for a modern and free India. The Daly College came together with a few other institutions and started the Indian Public Schools Conference (IPSC). Its doors were thrown open to admissions on merit, regardless of caste or creed. Since then the Daly College has grown in strength and reputation and now offers the most modern of education in a heritage setting. It has now become a member of the Round Square (International Conference).

It may be noted that though the original school started functioning in 1870, and later moved to its new campus in 1912, the founding date of 1882 is taken from the year in which the name “The Daly College” was first used.

It stands today as a tribute not only to Sir Henry Daly and Sir Hugh but to the generosity of the central Indian chiefs some of whom have already had five generations studying in the school. The school became coeducational residential in 1997, in response the desire of parents to give equally good education to their sons and daughters.

2007 Indian Stamps : International Day of Disabled Persons

In every society very few persons with disabilities are gainfully employed. In fact, in most countries up to 80% of persons with disabilities of working age are unemployed. Most others are under-employed or will never have access to the labour market. Everywhere there is a sizable gap between the working conditions and employment trends of persons with disabilities and those without a disability. All too often persons with disabilities are dependent upon begging, hand-outs, and welfare for their livelihood, not through any meaningful employment. The denial of opportunities and negative attitudes are the main reasons why persons with disabilities are disproportionally absent from the workforce.

This year's International Day of Disabled Persons focuses on how to ensure decent work for persons with disabilities and on ways to tap into the abilities of this marginalized talent pool. The recently adopted Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognizes in Article 27 the rights of persons with disabilities to work and employment on an equal basis with others. It stresses the right of persons with disabilities to earn a living from freely chosen work, and to work in an environment that is both accessible and accepting.

Many countries do not have legislation to promote and protect the rights of workers with disabilities. This makes discrimination on the grounds of disability legitimate, hindering persons with disabilities from entering the labour market. However, the discrimination often begins a lot earlier in life, when persons with disabilities are denied other opportunities that would facilitate their inclusion into the workforce, such as education or training in employable skills, accessible transportation to get to work, and accessible workplaces.

Employers often resist employing a person with disabilities believing they will be unable to perform their roles and/or that it would be too expensive. This attitude is rooted in fear and stereotyping, focusing more on the disability than on the abilities of the individual. Empirical evidence, however, shows that persons with disabilities have high performance ratings and retention rates, as well as better attendance records than their colleagues without disabilities. In addition, the cost of accommodating workers with disabilities can be minimal, with most requiring no special accommodation at all. Studies have shown that there are other benefits to employers of persons with disabilities, such as improved workforce morale and increased customer goodwill.

Ensuring decent work for persons with disabilities will vary from country to country, and setting to setting. Business groups, Governments, and persons with disabilities should work closely together to address both the lack of opportunities that prevent persons with disabilities from entering the workforce and the attitudes found among employers. For many persons with disabilities in developing countries self-employment is the only option. Countries should consider ways that support persons with disabilities in this area, such as the inclusion of persons with disabilities in schemes such as micro-credit and micro-finance, which have largely excluded persons with disabilities as potential beneficiaries.

In more developed countries, persons with disabilities still experience high rates of unemployment. Countries need to continue to close the existing gap between persons with disabilities and those without disabilities. The Convention will mean that workplaces and practices are adapted to be more accessible and accepting. It will also mean that employers and the business community will have greater roles to play in the social and economic integration of persons with disabilities.

In order to support the implementation of the Convention, this International Day will look at new ways in which the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the labour market may be promoted by governments, the private sector, and/or civil society, including the disability community. These include programmes such as supported employment, social enterprises, cooperatives, on the job disability management (job retention and return to work measures), and on the promotion of entrepreneurship, self employment and viable micro and small businesses.

VIDEO MESSAGE ON THE OCCASION