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GS2 · Social justice

NAMASTE: 88,448 sewer and septic tank workers validated

1 min readSC/ST/MinoritiesWelfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections
Battle IAS current affairs title card: NAMASTE: 88,448 sewer and septic tank workers validated (GS2 · Social justice, 10 September 2025)

What happened

  • Till 20 September 2025, NAMASTE had validated 88,448 sewer and septic tank workers and given 83,901 PPE kits [PIB].
  • 65,805 beneficiaries were covered under AB-PMJAY and state schemes; a Waste Picker Enumeration App aims to profile 2.5 lakh waste pickers, of whom 42,127 were validated [PIB].

Background

  • MoSJE runs NAMASTE with MoHUA and NSKFDC [PIB].

Why it matters

  • Safety kits and insurance address deaths in hazardous cleaning, a long-standing rights issue.

How to use this in Mains

GS-II Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections

  1. As per PIB (2025-09-10): till 20 September 2025, NAMASTE had validated 88,448 sewer and septic tank workers and given 83,901 PPE kits.
  2. Safety kits and insurance address deaths in hazardous cleaning, a long-standing rights issue.
Quotable data point

65,805 beneficiaries were covered under AB-PMJAY and state schemes; a Waste Picker Enumeration App aims to profile 2.5 lakh waste pickers, of whom 42,127 were validated.

PIB: NAMASTE backgrounder, 10 Sep 2025

Exam angle

UPSC

Prelims: NAMASTE.

Practice MCQs

Original practice questions (not PYQs).

Practice · UPSC

NAMASTE stands for National Action for

Answer (a) & explanation

PIB.

Practice · UPSC

Waste pickers targeted for profiling

Answer (c) & explanation

PIB.

Go deeper

ExplainerWaqf in India: Meaning, the Waqf Act 1995, the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025, What Changed, the Constitutional Challenge and the Way Forward (UPSC Notes + PYQs)ExplainerSocial Justice (GS-II): Constitutional Basis, Vulnerable Sections, Welfare Schemes, Statutory Bodies and Implementation Gaps (UPSC Notes)

Official source: PIB: NAMASTE backgrounder, 10 Sep 2025

facts from cited sources only; faculty review pending