Operationalization of the NAMASTE Scheme: UPSC Current Affairs Story Arc

Overview

The NAMASTE scheme represents a paradigm shift in India's approach to sanitation labor—moving from simple rehabilitation to comprehensive mechanization and safety. Jointly steered by the Ministries of Social Justice and Housing & Urban Affairs, it replaces the older SRMS program to target not just manual scavengers, but also waste pickers and Safai Karamcharis across 500 cities. By digitizing the identification of these workers through a dedicated app, the government has moved from anecdotal policy-making to data-driven intervention. This arc tracks the transition from defining broader targets in mid-2025 to the release of granular demographic data in early 2026, setting the stage for targeted social empowerment.

How This Story Evolved

Scheme targets defined (Item 2) → Enumeration App launched (Item 1) → Enumeration data released (SEED)

1. 2025-05-02: NAMASTE Scheme Targets Sanitation Workers
   More details

   UPSC Angle: NAMASTE scheme targets welfare and upliftment of sanitation workers.

   Key Facts:

   • NAMASTE scheme targets sanitation workers
   • Central Sector Scheme
   • Targets Safai Karamcharis, manual scavengers, waste pickers
   • Replaces Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS)
2. 2025-06-09: Waste Picker App Launched Under NAMASTE Scheme
   More details

   UPSC Angle: Waste Picker Enumeration App launched under NAMASTE Scheme.

   Key Facts:

   • Waste Picker Enumeration App
   • NAMASTE Scheme
   • Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE)
   • Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)
   • 2022
   • 2026
   • 500 cities
3. 2026-02-04: Waste-pickers enumeration under NAMASTE scheme
   More details

   UPSC Angle: Waste-pickers enumeration under NAMASTE scheme reveals social stratification.

   Key Facts:

   • Scheme: NAMASTE
   • Waste-pickers from SC/ST/OBC: 84.5%
   • 84.5% of waste-pickers belong to SC, ST, and OBC communities
   • 48.7% of waste pickers are women
   • 51.5% of waste pickers are men
   • Data released by: Union government

Genesis

Trigger

On May 2, 2025, the government formally redefined the NAMASTE scheme's targets, officially replacing the 'Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers' (SRMS) with a broader, mechanization-focused mandate.

Why Now

The shift was driven by the realization that 'manual scavenging' as a legal category was too narrow to address the systemic risks faced by urban waste pickers and informal sanitation workers in India's rapidly growing 500+ major cities.

Historical Context

This connects to the 'Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013,' which sought to end the practice but struggled with under-reporting and lack of worker identification.

Key Turning Points

1. [2025-05-02] Replacement of SRMS with NAMASTE

   It signaled a shift from 'manual' rehabilitation to a 'mechanized' and 'safety' framework.

   Before: Focus was limited to manual scavengers. After: Scope expanded to Safai Karamcharis and waste pickers.

2. [2025-06-09] Launch of the Waste Picker Enumeration App

   Introduced technology to solve the long-standing problem of 'invisible' informal workers.

   Before: Identification was manual and prone to undercounting. After: Real-time, app-based enumeration across 500 cities.

Key Actors and Institutions

Key Institutions

• Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE)
• Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)
• Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)

Key Concepts

Central Sector Scheme

A scheme 100% funded and implemented by the Central Government, unlike Centrally Sponsored Schemes where costs are shared with states.

Current Fact: The NAMASTE scheme is explicitly categorized as a Central Sector Scheme in the May 2025 announcement.

Manual Scavenging

The practice of manually cleaning, carrying, or handling human excreta from dry latrines or sewers, prohibited under Indian law since 2013.

Current Fact: NAMASTE targets the rehabilitation of manual scavengers as part of its core mandate.

Social Stratification

A society's categorization of its people into rankings of socioeconomic tiers based on factors like wealth, income, race, education, and caste.

Current Fact: Enumeration data from Feb 2026 shows 84.5% of waste pickers belong to SC, ST, and OBC communities.

What Happens Next

Current Status

As of February 4, 2026, the government has successfully released the nationwide enumeration data, providing a demographic baseline (84.5% SC/ST/OBC representation) for the scheme's next phase.

Likely Next

Expected rollout of mechanized cleaning equipment (jetting/suction machines) to urban local bodies and the disbursement of rehabilitation grants based on the new data.

Wildcards

Possible legal challenges regarding the classification of 'waste-pickers' vs. 'formal sanitation staff' or budget fluctuations in Central Sector funding allocations.

Why UPSC Cares

Syllabus Topics

• Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States
• Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections
• Inclusive growth and issues arising from it

Essay Angles

• Technology as a tool for social justice: The case of NAMASTE
• The 'Last Mile' of Urbanization: Dignity for sanitation workers
• Caste and the Informal Economy in 21st Century India

Prelims Likely: Yes

Mains Likely: Yes

Trend Signal: rising

Exam Intelligence

Previous Year Question Connections

• Welfare schemes for unorganized sectors and rural development. — NAMASTE continues the legacy of focusing on unorganized urban labor but with a technology-first approach (App-based enumeration).
• Initiatives for total sanitation (Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan). — NAMASTE is the modern evolution of sanitation campaigns, focusing on the worker (human element) rather than just the infrastructure (toilets).

Prelims Angles

• Identify the nodal ministries: MoSJE and MoHUA joint initiative.
• Funding status: It is a Central Sector Scheme (100% central funding).
• Target coverage: Aimed at 500 cities until 2026.
• Demographic insights: Note the 48.7% female participation in waste picking as per 2026 data.

Mains Preparation

Sample Question: Critically analyze how the NAMASTE scheme shifts the policy focus from 'rehabilitation' to 'mechanized dignity' for India's sanitation workers. Support your answer with demographic evidence from the latest enumeration data.

Answer Structure: Intro: Define NAMASTE and its predecessor (SRMS) → Body 1: Discuss the mechanization aspect (safety/dignity) → Body 2: Role of technology (Enumeration App) in formalizing the informal sector → Critical Analysis: Address the caste-labor nexus (84.5% statistic) → Way Forward: Suggest integration of ULBs and financial literacy for workers.

Essay Topic: The paradox of high technology and manual labor in modern India.

Textbook Connections

Key Takeaway

NAMASTE marks the transition of social justice from 'legal prohibition' to 'technological empowerment' by mapping the specific demographic vulnerabilities (84.5% marginalized castes) of the urban sanitation workforce.

All Events in This Story (3 items)

1. 2025-05-02 [Schemes & Programs] — NAMASTE Scheme Targets Sanitation Workers
   The National Action for Mechanised Annual Sanitation Targeting Employment (NAMASTE) is a Central Sector Scheme. It specifically targets the welfare and upliftment of Safai Karamcharis (sanitation workers), manual scavengers, and waste pickers, replacing the earlier Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS).
   More details

   UPSC Angle: NAMASTE scheme targets welfare and upliftment of sanitation workers.

   Key Facts:

   • NAMASTE scheme targets sanitation workers
   • Central Sector Scheme
   • Targets Safai Karamcharis, manual scavengers, waste pickers
   • Replaces Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS)
2. 2025-06-09 [Schemes & Programs] — Waste Picker App Launched Under NAMASTE Scheme
   On World Environment Day, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment launched the Waste Picker Enumeration App under the NAMASTE Scheme, aiming to empower waste pickers nationwide. The NAMASTE Scheme, a joint initiative of MoSJE and MoHUA launched in 2022, ensures dignity and safety for urban sanitation workers until 2026 across 500 cities.
   More details

   UPSC Angle: Waste Picker Enumeration App launched under NAMASTE Scheme.

   Key Facts:

   • Waste Picker Enumeration App
   • NAMASTE Scheme
   • Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE)
   • Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)
   • 2022
   • 2026
   • 500 cities
3. 2026-02-04 [Society & Culture] — Waste-pickers enumeration under NAMASTE scheme
   The Union government released nationwide enumeration data of waste-pickers under the NAMASTE scheme, revealing that 84.5% belong to SC, ST, and OBC communities. This highlights social stratification in informal urban labor. 48.7% of waste pickers are women and 51.5% are men.
   More details

   UPSC Angle: Waste-pickers enumeration under NAMASTE scheme reveals social stratification.

   Key Facts:

   • Scheme: NAMASTE
   • Waste-pickers from SC/ST/OBC: 84.5%
   • 84.5% of waste-pickers belong to SC, ST, and OBC communities
   • 48.7% of waste pickers are women
   • 51.5% of waste pickers are men
   • Data released by: Union government