Daily Current Affairs

20 October 2024

Table of contents:

1. Manual Scavenging report.

2. Casteism in Prison

1.Manual Scavenging reports:

The GOI through its NAMASTE programme, has conducted a survey to profile workers involved in the hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic.

• • Among them the highest number of workers are from scheduled castes (68.9), followed by scheduled tribes (8.3) , obc(14.7) and general (8% Source :- Government data of parliament).

NAMASTE Programme:

Ministry: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

`                             Launch Year: 2023-24

Aim:

3. 3. To mechanise the cleaning of sewers and septic tanks.

3. 3. To stop deaths due to hazardous cleaning.

3. 3. To empower workers to transform them into “sanipreneurs” (sanitation entrepreneurs).

3. 3. To ensure the safety of workers by providing them proper training as well as equipment.

3. 3.  

Objectives:

1. 1. Listing all Sewer and Septic Tank Workers in the country.

1. 1. Provide them proper equipment and hand gears along with proper training to eliminate hand cleaning.

1. 1. Empowering them through providing financial support and subsidies to turn them into “sanipreneurs”.

1. 1. Creating a database for workers to providing them the benefits of various schemes.

Progress:

• • 38,000 workers have been listed from 12 different states and UTs.

• • 191 beneficiaries has already received 2.26 crores of capital subsidies for the self-employment projects.

Challenges:

• • Prioritising implementation: Many states such as Chhattisgarh, Meghalaya etc have not started the process yet.

• • Tamil Nadu and Odisha have their own programme, hence not reporting data to the centre.

2. Casteism in Prison:

1. 1.  

The SC has stated “Caste based labour assignment” in prisons as unconstitutional.

• • This comes after when the court acknowledged that assigning menial jobs such as cleaning and sweeping for the marginalized class and reserving cooking for upper classes is the direct violation of Articles 14 (Right to Equality), 15 (Prohibition of discrimination), 17 (Abolition of untouchability), and 23 (Prohibition of forced labour) of the Constitution.

• • E.g. Separation of Thevars, Pallars and Nadars.

Othe issues related to prisons:

• • Custodial deaths: The incident of custodial deaths which is coming out from various parts of country such as Lucknow Dalit boy custodial death and 63 unnatural deaths, are the strong threat to democracy.

• • Overcrowded: According to Prisons statistics report above 75% Prisoners are Under Trials, actual Occupancy Of 131%.

• • Lack of hygiene, lack of medical facilities and custodial torture.