Contents:
- Cabinet Secretary
- NHRC takes suo motu cognizance of manual scavenging
Cabinet Secretary
Focus: GS-2 Governance
Why in News?
Dr. T.V. Somanathan today took over as the new Cabinet Secretary in the Government of India.
Who is Cabinet Secretary?
- The Cabinet Secretary is drawn from the senior most officers of the Indian Administrative Service.
- He is the administrative head of cabinet secretariat.
- The Cabinet Secretary’s office was created in India in 1950 after Independence and N.R. Pillai was the first Cabinet Secretary.
- He is the ex-officio chairman of the civil services board.
- A cabinet secretary is appointed for a fixed tenure of two years.
- According to All India Services (Death-Cum-Retirement-Benefits) Rules, 1958, the government can give extension in service to a cabinet secretary provided the total tenure does not exceed four years.
- As per the modified rules, the central government may give an extension in service for a further period not exceeding three months, beyond the period of four years to a cabinet secretary.
Role of Cabinet Secretary:
- Cabinet Secretary is the head of the civil services and chief adviser to the council of Ministers and the Prime Minister, the Cabinet and its committees.
- He coordinates the activities of various ministries, and departments. He is the link between the Prime Minister’s office and various administrative departments.
- He is the link between the political part of Government, i.e., the Cabinet and the apolitical governmental machinery, i.e., the bureaucracy.
- The main functions of the Cabinet Secretary is to provide Secretariat assistance to Cabinet and’ Cabinet Committees, and to formulate rules of business of the Government.
- The Cabinet Secretary provided the eyes and ears for the Prime Minister to keep in touch with the process of official business in the central government
NHRC takes suo motu cognizance of manual scavenging
Focus: GS-II: Social Justice and Governance
Why in News?
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India has taken suo motu cognizance of the reported manual scavenging involved in the de-silting of about 2200 km stormwater cum sewage drain network in Mumbai before monsoon every year.
- It has expressed concern over the reported hardships of the workers and their families engaged in this work.
- According to a 2022 report by the Rehabilitation Research Initiative and South Asian Labour Network, the State of Maharashtra is home to 12,562 child labourers which is the highest number in India. Most boys aged 8-13 years work as manhole cleaning assistants.
Manual Scavenging in India
- Manual scavenging is defined as “the removal of human excrement from public streets and dry latrines, cleaning septic tanks, gutters and sewers”.
- In 1993, India banned the employment of people as manual scavengers (The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993), however, the stigma and discrimination associated with it still linger on.
- In 2013, the definition of manual scavengers was also broadened to include people employed to clean septic tanks, ditches, or railway tracks. 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.”
Prevalence of Manual Scavenging in India
- As per the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK), a total of 631 people have died in the country while cleaning sewers and septic tanks in the last 10 years.
- 2019 saw the highest number of manual scavenging deaths in the past five years. 110 workers were killed while cleaning sewers and septic tanks.
- This is a 61% increase as compared to 2018, which saw 68 cases of such similar deaths.
- Despite the introduction of several mechanised systems for sewage cleaning, human intervention in the process still continues.
- As per data collected in 2018, 29,923 people are engaged in manual scavenging in Uttar Pradesh, making it the highest in any State in India.
Why is manual scavenging still a concern after so many years?
- A number of independent surveys have talked about the continued reluctance on the part of state governments to admit that the practice prevails under their watch.
- Many times, local bodies outsource sewer cleaning tasks to private contractors. However, many of them fly-by-night operators, do not maintain proper rolls of sanitation workers. In case after case of workers being asphyxiated to death, these contractors have denied any association with the deceased.
- The practice is also driven by caste, class and income divides. It is linked to India’s caste system where so-called lower castes are expected to perform this job. It is linked to India’s caste system where so-called lower castes are expected to perform this job.
Existing provisions regarding Manual Labour
- Prevention of Atrocities Act: In 1989, the Prevention of Atrocities Act became an integrated guard for sanitation workers; more than 90% people employed as manual scavengers belonged to the Scheduled Caste. This became an important landmark to free manual scavengers from designated traditional occupations.
- The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013: Superseding the 1993 Act, the 2013 Act goes beyond prohibitions on dry latrines, and outlaws all manual excrement cleaning of insanitary latrines, open drains, or pits.
- Article 21 of the Constitution guarantees ‘Right to Life’ and that also with dignity. This right is available to both citizens and non-citizens.
