NAMASTE Yojana
Why it Matters?
On NAMASTE Day, the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment launched a helpline, distributed PPE kits and Ayushman cards to sanitation workers and waste pickers, and introduced AR/VR training to promote mechanized, dignified sanitation work.
What You Should Know?
NAMASTE stands for National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem.
It is a scheme to eliminate hazardous manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks.
It is jointly implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE) and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
The implementing agency is the National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC).
The scheme covers Sewer and Septic Tank Workers (SSWs) and Waste Pickers.
The entitlements under the scheme include Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits, Ayushman Bharat Health Cards, occupational safety training, and livelihood support.
National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC):
Established in 1994 under the NCSK Act, 1993; became a non-statutory body in 2004 under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
Ensures Rs 30 lakh compensation for sewer deaths, Rs 10-20 lakh for disabilities (SC ruling, 2023)