Risk Control Programmes:

HIV/AIDS

ITC is committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment to all its employees. Policy guidelines on HIV/AIDS are an endorsement of this commitment and, in particular, of the Company's commitment to specific programmes and actions in response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The Company's position is based on scientific and epidemiological evidence that people with HIV/AIDS do not pose a risk of transmission of the virus to co-workers by casual, non-sexual contact in the normal work setting.

Policy: The Company's policy on HIV/AIDS with regard to its employees will, at a minimum, comply with all relevant Central and State legislations and the Company will implement all policies and directives of the Government regarding HIV/AIDS whenever issued.

The Company will provide to all its employees sensitive, accurate and the latest information about risk reduction strategies in their personal lives, with the objective of reducing the stigma of HIV/AIDS, encouraging safe behaviour and improving understanding of treatment. The Company is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace to all its employees. It is the Company's objective that employees will have access to health services to prevent and manage HIV/AIDS.

The Company will not discriminate against any employee infected by HIV/AIDS with regard to promotions, training and other privileges and benefits as applicable to all employees. All HIV positive employees will be allowed to continue to work in their jobs unless (a) medical conditions interfere with the specific job being done, in which case reasonable alternative working arrangements will be made; or (b) the employee is incapacitated to perform his/her duties and is declared medically unfit by a medical doctor, in which case the employee will be assisted to rehabilitate himself/herself outside the Company. The Company will not make pre-employment HIV/AIDS screening mandatory as part of its fitness-to-work assessment. Screening of this kind refers to direct methods (HIV testing), indirect methods (assessment of risk behaviour), and questions about HIV tests already taken. HIV/AIDS test will not be part of the annual health check-up unless specifically requested for by an employee.

Voluntary testing for HIV/AIDS, when requested for by the employee, will be carried out by private or community health services and not at the workplace. There will be no obligation on the part of the employees to inform the Company about their clinical status in relation to HIV/AIDS. Information on clinical diagnosis of an employees' status in terms of his/her HIV/AIDS status, if advised to the Company, will be kept strictly confidential.

Implementation: This policy is publicly available throughout the Company and clearly communicated to all employees in a manner in which it can be understood through induction programmes, policy manuals and intranet portals.

The responsibility for the implementation of the policy rests with the Unit Human Resources Departments. A report is provided to the Divisional Head on such programmes.

Monitoring & Auditing: Compliance with the Policy is regularly monitored by the Unit Head.

Compliance during 2005-06: During the reporting period, various Units held 209 HIV/AIDS awareness camps and programmes both within the Units to cover the Company's employees and the communities around the Units. The total number of employees covered was 10,264 and the community members covered were 7,265. The workshops/programmes laid emphasis on preventive aspects and the treatment that is available. The importance of not ostracising those infected was also highlighted.