17 March 2026·PIB

WORKERS UNDER NAMASTE

In this note

1. At a Glance

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) [1][2].
Joint scheme of Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE) and Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA), implemented by NSKFDC [1][2].
Replaces the earlier Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS) for SSW component [2].
UPSC relevance: intersects GS-II (vulnerable sections, welfare schemes) and GS-III (technology adoption in sanitation).

Lok Sabha Unstarred Q. No. 4091 (17 March 2026): Government informed that 89,114 SSWs have been validated/profiled under NAMASTE as on 31.12.2025, and 73,864 (82.88%) are covered under AB-PMJAY/State health schemes/NAMASTE health cover [3].
Government admitted no measurable indicators yet exist to demonstrate productivity gains from mechanisation, and data on income enhancement of sanitation workers is not maintained [3].

2013: Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act enacted.
SRMS (2007, revamped 2013): predecessor rehabilitation scheme for manual scavengers [2].
NAMASTE launched 2022 as a pilot in 500 AMRUT cities; later expanded nationally [2].
Approved as Central Sector Scheme for FY 2023-24 to FY 2025-26 with outlay of ₹349.73 crore [1].
Waste pickers added as beneficiary category under expansion [1].

Full form: National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem [1].
Type: Central Sector Scheme (100% central funding).
Nodal Ministries: MoSJE (lead) + MoHUA [1].
Implementing Agency: National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC) [1].
Outlay: ₹349.73 crore for 3 years (2023-24 to 2025-26) [1].
Target group: Sewer & Septic Tank Workers (SSWs); waste pickers added [1].
Statutory backing: Aligned with Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers Act, 2013.
Coverage components: Profiling → PPE kits → Occupational Safety Training → Ayushman Bharat (PMJAY) card → Capital subsidy for sanitation vehicles/machinery [1].
Geographic scope: All Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of India.
Validated SSWs (31.12.2025): 89,114 [3].
Health-insurance covered SSWs: 73,864 (82.88%) [3].
Earlier (Feb 2025) tally: 85,819 profiled, 76,736 PPE kits, 60,586 Ayushman cards [1].

Social

Targets historically Dalit-dominated occupation; tied to constitutional mandate of Article 17 (abolition of untouchability) and Article 23 (prohibition of forced labour).
Formalisation through profiling enables welfare-scheme convergence (Ayushman, PM-SVANidhi-like credit).

Administrative

Convergence model across two ministries (MoSJE + MoHUA) + ULBs implementing on ground; coordination gaps cited as bottleneck [1].
Validation/profiling done through a digital app [1].
Lack of measurable productivity/income indicators admitted in Parliament — a monitoring lacuna [3].

Legal / Constitutional

Operates within frame of MS Act 2013, which criminalises employment of manual scavengers and hazardous cleaning without protective gear.
Supreme Court directions in Dr. Balram Singh v. Union of India (2023) on compensation (₹30 lakh for sewer deaths) feed into NAMASTE rehabilitation thrust.

Technological

Pushes mechanised cleaning — robotic devices (e.g., "Bandicoot"), suction machines — through capital subsidy.
Skills training in operation of mechanised equipment.

Economic

Capital subsidy + bank linkage for SSWs to become Sanitation-Response Units (SRUs) entrepreneurs.
No income-impact data maintained — limits evidence-based scaling [3].

17 Mar 2026: Lok Sabha reply — 89,114 SSWs validated; 82.88% covered under health insurance [3].
Feb 2025: Minister distributed PPE kits & Ayushman cards in Mumbai, Jammu under NAMASTE drive [1].
Sep 2025: NSKFDC released consolidated NAMASTE scheme document [2].
2024-25: Waste pickers formally added as beneficiary category [1].

NAMASTE = National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (not "Mission") [1].
Implementing agency: NSKFDC (not NSKFC / not Swachh Bharat Mission) [1].
Nodal ministries: MoSJE + MoHUA (jointly) [1].
Outlay: ₹349.73 crore, period 2023-24 to 2025-26 [1].
Target beneficiaries: SSWs + waste pickers (waste pickers added later) [1].
Validated SSWs as on 31.12.2025: 89,114 [3].
Health-cover coverage: 82.88% of validated SSWs [3].
Predecessor scheme: SRMS (2007) [2].
Statutory anchor: Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers Act, 2013.
Profiling done via digital app; Ayushman card issued under AB-PMJAY [1].
Central Sector Scheme — 100% Union funding.
Initial roll-out: 500 AMRUT cities [2].

GS-II: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections; mechanisms, laws, institutions for protection of weaker sections.
GS-III: Inclusive growth; technology mission for sanitation.
Probable stems: 1. "Despite legal prohibition since 2013, manual scavenging persists. Critically evaluate the NAMASTE scheme as an institutional response." 2. "Mechanisation alone cannot end caste-linked sanitation labour. Discuss in the context of NAMASTE." 3. "Examine the convergence challenges between MoSJE and MoHUA in the implementation of NAMASTE."

Confusing NAMASTE with "Namaste Yoga" initiative or AYUSH programmes — it is a sanitation worker scheme.
Attributing it solely to MoHUA or Jal Shakti — lead ministry is MoSJE; MoHUA is partner [1].
Mistaking implementing agency as Swachh Bharat Mission — it is NSKFDC [1].
Treating it as Centrally Sponsored — it is Central Sector (100% Union).
Confusing predecessor — predecessor is SRMS, not Self-Employment Scheme for Liberation of Scavengers (SELS).
Assuming NAMASTE covers all sanitation workers — covers SSWs + waste pickers (not general safai karamcharis).