On February 3–4, 2026, the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment tabled data in Parliament revealing for the first time the social profile of 1.52 lakh waste-pickers enumerated under the NAMASTE (National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem) Scheme across 35 States and Union Territories. The data shows that 84.5% of waste-pickers belong to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and Other Backward Class communities, confirming systemic caste-based occupational segregation in hazardous sanitation work.

With the inclusion of Waste Pickers as a new component, NAMASTE now targets the enumeration of 2.5 lakh individuals. The scheme offers formal recognition by Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), insurance under PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and PM Suraksha Bima Yojana, skill development under PMKVY, and one-time cash assistance. NAMASTE was launched in FY 2023-24 for the welfare of sewer and septic tank workers, with waste pickers added as a target group from FY 2024-25.

The data has significant governance and social justice implications: it reinforces the constitutional obligation under Articles 17 (abolition of untouchability) and 21 (right to life with dignity). Rajasthan, with its significant SC/ST population (17.8% SC and 13.5% ST), has a substantial stake in effective NAMASTE implementation for dignified livelihoods.