Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment to mark 3rd NAMASTE Day on July 14 in Kolkata

📌 Summary:

• Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment will commemorate the 3rd NAMASTE Day on 14 July, marking three years of the National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) Scheme launched in 2023-24
• Main event at Rabindra Sadan, Kolkata along with the Divya Kala Mela; parallel programmes across Urban Local Bodies nationwide; National Safai Karamcharis Finance & Development Corporation (NSKFDC) among participants
• ULB activities: occupational safety training, health check-up camps, facilitation of government entitlements, demonstration of mechanized sanitation equipment and safety gear, and recognition of sanitation workers
• Scheme covers sewer and septic tank workers, waste pickers and former manual scavengers — aiming at safety, dignity and social security
• Intended outcomes: zero fatalities in sanitation work; elimination of direct human contact with faecal matter; all cleaning via safety devices by skilled workers; strengthened Emergency Response Sanitation Units (ERSUs); worker empowerment through SHGs and entrepreneurship

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 — welfare of marginalised sections, mechanisation as a rights and dignity issue (manual scavenging), scheme implementation; GS1 — social empowerment

📝 Prelims Facts:

• NAMASTE = National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem; launched 2023-24 by MoSJE; NAMASTE Day = 14 July
• Covers sewer/septic tank workers, waste pickers, former manual scavengers; ERSUs for safe mechanized sanitation
• NSKFDC — financing arm for safai karamcharis

🔑 Key Term: NAMASTE Scheme — central scheme for a mechanized sanitation ecosystem aiming at zero fatalities and elimination of hazardous manual cleaning