NAMASTE Scheme: Mechanised Sanitation and Worker Protection
Why in the news
The Centre reported faster rollout of NAMASTE, shifting from policy to field delivery: thousands of workers profiled, special protective gear handed out and waste pickers brought into formal social security.
Key facts
- Full form: National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem.
- Ministries: Social Justice and Empowerment with Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
- Coverage: all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
- Vision: replace manual scavenging with a technology-driven Sanipreneur model.
- Goal: zero deaths in sanitation work via full mechanisation, and turning workers into skilled technicians and small business owners.
Features and 2026 progress
| Feature | 2026 position |
|---|---|
| Worker profiling (digital mapping of sewer and septic workers) | Large-scale profiling done in Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities |
| SUY capital subsidy for mechanised cleaning vehicles | More Sanipreneur start-ups owned by former manual cleaners |
| Health cover through Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY) | Ayushman cards issued to all profiled workers |
| Specialised PPE | Standard, durable kits used by urban workers |
| Waste pickers (added June 2024) | Solid waste workers now eligible |
Background
- Sanipreneur: blend of sanitation and entrepreneur; a sanitation worker who now owns a mechanised sanitation business with state help.
- Waste pickers face serious health hazards, so inclusion brings recognition, safety gear and insurance.
- Manual scavenging is illegal under a 2013 Act that prohibits such employment and mandates rehabilitation; NAMASTE supplies the technical and financial alternative.
Exam angle
- Nodal ministries: Social Justice and Empowerment and MoHUA.
- Related terms: Sanipreneur, SUY (Swachhata Udyami Yojana), ULBs, 2013 Act.
- Latest group added: waste pickers (June 2024).