Union Minister of State B. L. Verma Distributes PPE Kits and Ayushman Cards to Sanitation Workers under NAMASTE Scheme in Moradabad
Distilled Policy Brief
- Nationwide, a total of 90,194 sewer and septic tank workers have been verified, 88,222 have been provided with personal protective equipment kits, and 80,180 have been covered under health insurance via Ayushman cards.
- The profiling process has also mapped 3,36,492 ragpickers across the country, aligning with the broader vision of 'Viksit Bharat 2047'.
🎯 Prelims High-Yield Examination Points
NAMASTE scheme is aimed at ensuring the safety, dignity, and socio-economic empowerment of sewer and septic tank workers and sanitation workers.
⚖️ Mains Analytical & Syllabus Linkages
Evaluate the role of targeted welfare initiatives like the NAMASTE scheme in eliminating hazardous manual scavenging and ensuring social security for sanitation workers.
🎯 UPSC Prelims Practice Drill
With reference to the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) scheme, consider the following statements: 1. It aims to ensure the safety, dignity, and social security of sewer and septic tank workers (safai mitras). 2. The scheme exclusively focuses on sewer workers, and does not include the profiling or mapping of ragpickers across the country. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- [A] 1 only
- [B] 2 only
- [C] Both 1 and 2
- [D] Neither 1 nor 2
▶ Reveal Official Answer & Analytical Explanation
Statement 1 is correct as the NAMASTE scheme focuses on the safety, dignity, and social security of sanitation workers, providing verified sewer and septic tank workers with PPE kits and health insurance via Ayushman cards. Statement 2 is incorrect because the profiling process under the scheme has also mapped hundreds of thousands of ragpickers across the country, alongside sewer and septic tank workers.
🏛️ Historical Twin PYQ Anchor (2021)
Consider the following statements regarding the "National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)": 1. It is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 2. Central Pollution Control Board acts as the sole regulatory executive body.