Namaste scheme upsc

Why in the News? Recently, the government has formulated a National Action Plan for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem(NAMASTE) scheme for cleaning sewers and septic tanks. About NAMASTE Scheme: • Aim: • To achieve zero deaths in sanitation work in India • No sanitation workers should come in direct contact with human faecal matter and • All Sewer and Septic tank sanitation workers should have access to alternative livelihoods. • Nodal Ministries: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. • Implementation: It will be implemented from 2022 to 2026 across 500 cities and townships already notified under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) .

Tags: • • • • Why in News The Indian Army has code-named its anti- campaign as Operation Namaste to help the government in its fight against the pandemic. Key Points • Soldiers are advised to follow the • Leave extension of those on leave as well as curtailment of leave to bare minimum have been imposed. • Segregation facilities have been set up to observe troops already back from leave from various states. • So far six quarantine facilities at Manesar, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Chennai, Hindan and Mumbai have been established where 1,463 people evacuated from coronavirus-affected countries have been accommodated. • The forces are setting up more such facilities at Kolkata, Visakhapatnam, Kochi, Dundigal, Bengaluru, Kanpur, Jaisalmer, Jorhat and Gorakhpur which can be ready within 72 hours, if needed. • 28 Armed Forces hospitals have been earmarked as COVID hospitals. • These hospitals will include armed forces patients as well as civilian patients transferred from state health authorities. • Five hospitals from the Army, Navy and the Air Force are conducting coronavirus tests using the RT-PCR methodology and more hospitals will be equipped soon with the resources. • 62 Cantonment Boards have been instructed to identify beds in hospitals and health centres and guesthouses for any eventuality. Contributions by Other Forces • Recently, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) also came forward to help by developing ventilators and providing other medical equipment. • I...

Tags: • • • • • • Why in News Recently, the Minister of State for AYUSH has informed about the development of the AYUSH Grid and NAMASTE Portal. AYUSH Grid • AYUSH Grid, initiated by the Ministry of AYUSH, aims to bring onboard all AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) facilities including hospitals and laboratories and to promote traditional systems of healthcare. • The Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology have already inked a pact to collaborate with each other for the digitisation of the AYUSH sector. NAMASTE Portal • National AYUSH Morbidity and Standardized Terminologies Electronic Portal(NAMASTE Portal) was launched on 17 th October, 2017 (2 nd Ayurveda day). • The National Ayurveda Day is celebrated every year on the occasion of Dhanwantari Jayanti (Dhanteras). • The portal provides standardized terminologies & morbidity codes for Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani systems of medicines. • Morbidity codes provide a comprehensive classification of diseases described in the traditional medicines system. Source:PIB

Copyright infringement not intended In News • The Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs has announced the ‘NAMASTE scheme’ for cleaning sewers and septic tanks. • NAMASTE (National Action Plan for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem) Scheme is a joint venture between; • The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation. • The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. • The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. • The main objective of the scheme is to ensure; • Zero fatalities in sanitation work in India. • No sanitation workers come in direct contact with human faecal matter. • All Sewer and Septic tank sanitation workers have access to alternative livelihoods. • The Ministry has announced that; • They have shortlisted the types of machinery and core equipment required for maintenance works and Safety gear for Safai Mitras. • Skill Development and training of Safai Mitras to be conducted with the help of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment through the National Safai Karamchari Finance Development Corporation. Sanitation workers in India • Despite the various laws, Sanitation workers in India constantly face stigma and are devoid of fundamental rights. • During the 1990s, various civil societies started a movement to abolish dry latrines. • This movement has always demanded the abolition of the dehumanising practise of the manual removal of human excreta. • In the present time, the focus shifted to manhole deaths and the requirement of safety equipme...

Prelims: Initiatives to tackle Menace of Manual Scavenging, ULBs. Mains: NAMASTE scheme Issues related to SC, STs Why in News? Union Budget 2023-2024 has allocated nearly Rs 100 crore for the National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) and the government is looking to enable 100% mechanical desludging of septic tanks and sewers in all cities and towns. • The process of extending the Scheme to all the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of the country has been initiated. What is the NAMASTE Scheme? • About: • It was launched in 2022 as a Central Sector Scheme. • The scheme is being undertaken jointly by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE) and aims to eradicate unsafe sewer and septic tank cleaning practices. • Objectives: • Zero fatalities in sanitation work in India. • All sanitation work is performed by skilled workers. • No sanitation workers come in direct contact with human faecal matter. • Sanitation workers are collectivised into Self Help Groups (SHGs)and are empowered to run sanitation enterprises. • Strengthened supervisory and monitoring systems at National, State and Urban Local Body (ULB) levels to ensure enforcement and monitoring of safe sanitation work. • Increased awareness among sanitation services seekers (individuals and institutions) to seek services from registered and skilled sanitation workers. What are the Key Features of the Scheme to be Implemented in all ULBs? • Identification...

The scheme is a joint venture of Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. • It aims to achieve outcomes like: • Zero fatalities in sanitation work in India • No sanitation workers come in direct contact with human faecal matter • All Sewer and Septic tank sanitation workers have access to alternative livelihoods • The Ministry has shortlisted type of machineries and core equipments required for maintenance works, safety gear for Safai Mitras. What is Manual Scavenging? • Manual scavenging is the practice of removing human excreta by hand from sewers or septic tanks. • India banned the practice under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (PEMSR). • The Act bans the use of any individual for manually cleaning, carrying, disposing of or otherwise handling in any manner, human excreta till its disposal. • The Act recognizes manual scavenging as a “dehumanizing practice,” and cites a need to “correct the historical injustice and indignity suffered by the manual scavengers.” Why is it still prevalent in India? • Low awareness: Manual scavenging is mostly done by the marginalized section of the society and they are generally not aware about their rights. • Enforcement issues: The lack of enforcement of the Act and exploitation of unskilled labourers are the reasons why the practice is still prevalent in India. • High cost of automated: The ...

About: • The scheme is a joint venture of Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. • It aims to achieve outcomes like zero fatalities in sanitation work in India, no sanitation workers come in direct contact with human faecal matter and all Sewer and Septic tank sanitation workers have access to alternative livelihoods. • The Ministry has shortlisted type of machineries and core equipments required for maintenance works, safety gear for Safai Mitras. The same is also available on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal for ease of their procurement by States and Urban Local Bodies. • Mr Kaushal Kishore said that Skill Development and trainings of Safai Mitras is being taken up with the support of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment through the National Safai Karamchari Finance Development Corporation.