NAMASTE Scheme UPSC Notes: Key Features & the Status of Manual Scavenging in India

The NAMASTE Scheme (National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem) is an important initiative by the Indian government to end the practice of manual scavenging. Manual scavenging is when people clean human waste from toilets, sewers, and septic tanks with their hands. This practice is very dangerous and harms the health and dignity of those involved. The NAMASTE Scheme aims to stop this by using machines to clean these areas. It helps make the work safer and more respectful for the workers. The scheme was launched in 2020 and provides money and support to local bodies to set up these machines. The goal is to improve sanitation and ensure the workers are safe and treated with dignity.

The NAMASTE Scheme is important for the General Studies Paper II in the UPSC Civil Services Exam. This paper covers topics like Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International Relations. It is also relevant to General Studies Paper I (Indian Society) as it talks about social justice, human rights, and ending manual scavenging, which is linked to the caste system.

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What is NAMASTE Scheme?

The NAMASTE Scheme is a government program designed to end the harmful practice of manual scavenging in India. In manual scavenging, workers clean sewers and septic tanks by hand, putting their lives at risk. The NAMASTE Scheme focuses on replacing manual work with machines that can clean these areas safely. The government provides money and support to local authorities to buy machines like vacuum trucks and robotic cleaners. The scheme also helps workers by offering them training and social benefits like health insurance and pensions. The goal is to make sanitation work safer, healthier, and more respectful.

Objectives of the NAMASTE Scheme

The NAMASTE Scheme has clear goals to improve sanitation and support workers. These objectives include:

• The main aim is to completely eliminate manual scavenging and replace it with mechanized systems, making sanitation work safer.
• The scheme focuses on introducing machines that clean sewers and septic tanks without exposing workers to health risks.
• It offers sanitation workers social security benefits like health insurance and pensions. It also helps them live with dignity by improving their working conditions.
• The scheme promotes the use of advanced technology, like robotic cleaners and vacuum trucks, to safely manage sanitation tasks.
• The scheme trains workers to use new machinery, improving their skills and making their work safer and more efficient.

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Key Features of the NAMASTE Scheme

Here are some important features of the NAMASTE Scheme:

• The scheme’s main focus is on using machines to replace manual labor. This reduces the risk to workers’ health and makes the work safer.
• The government provides financial help to local authorities to buy machines, ensuring that they can implement the scheme effectively.
• The scheme is not just about providing machines; it also offers training, social security for workers, and awareness campaigns to make sure everything works together.
• The scheme ensures that sanitation workers are treated with dignity. It provides them with benefits like health insurance, pensions, and better working conditions.
• The scheme encourages the use of modern, safe technologies for sanitation work, which is a more effective and long-lasting solution.

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Despite legal prohibitions, manual scavenging persists in India, posing significant challenges:

• Continued Practice: While many districts claim to be manual scavenging-free, the practice continues, often disguised as "hazardous cleaning," particularly in sewer and septic tank maintenance.
• Definition Issues: A narrow definition in the 2013 Act excludes some hazardous sanitation work, especially with provision of (often inadequate) gear.
• Tragic Deaths: Sanitation workers continue to die during sewer and septic tank cleaning due to toxic gases and lack of safety measures. 377 deaths were reported between 2019 and 2023.
• Caste Linkage: The practice remains overwhelmingly linked to the caste system, with over 90% of manual scavengers belonging to Scheduled Castes.
• Slow Rehabilitation: Government rehabilitation schemes face implementation challenges, leaving many without adequate support or alternative livelihoods.
• Mechanization Efforts: Schemes like NAMASTE and Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban 2.0) promote mechanization, but widespread adoption is still needed.
• Weak Enforcement: Despite laws and Supreme Court directives, enforcement against employing manual scavengers remains weak, with low conviction rates.
• Supreme Court's Stand: The Supreme Court actively monitors the issue, demanding complete eradication and better compensation for victims (₹30 lakh for death as per recent directives). It has criticized government inaction and demanded accountability.
• Government Claims: The government stated that 732 out of 766 districts reported themselves as manual scavenging-free as of July 2024.
• Loopholes: Exploitation of the distinction between "manual scavenging" and "hazardous cleaning" allows the practice to continue.

Read the article on the List of Social Security Schemes in India!

Challenges in the Abolition of Manual Scavenging

While the government has made efforts to end manual scavenging, there are still many challenges:

• Manual scavenging is linked to the caste system in India, where certain castes are forced to do this work. Changing these long-standing social practices is difficult.
• In many rural and semi-urban areas, people don’t understand the dangers of manual scavenging or know that it is illegal. This leads to its continued practice.
• Even though manual scavenging is illegal, it is not always strictly enforced. Local authorities may not take enough action to stop it.
• Some people resist using mechanized systems because they are costly or because they are not familiar with how they work.

Read the article on the Public Health Challenges in India!

The Indian government has taken several steps to reduce manual scavenging:

• The 2013 Law: The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act bans the practice of manual scavenging and provides for the rehabilitation of those involved in it.
• The NAMASTE Scheme: This scheme aims to eliminate manual scavenging by replacing manual work with machines and providing social security for sanitation workers.
• Swachh Bharat Mission: This nationwide campaign aims to improve sanitation by eliminating open defecation and promoting better hygiene practices. It indirectly helps reduce manual scavenging.
• Training Programs: The government has set up programs to teach workers how to use new machines for sanitation, which improves their skills and safety.

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