WORKERS UNDER NAMASTE

• NAMASTE = National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem; Central Sector Scheme to eliminate hazardous manual cleaning of sewers/septic tanks and formalise Sewer and Septic Tank Workers (SSWs).
• Joint scheme of Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE) and Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA), implemented by NSKFDC.
• Replaces the earlier Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS) for SSW component.
• UPSC relevance: intersects GS-II (vulnerable sections, welfare schemes) and GS-III (technology adoption in sanitation).