National Commission for Safai Karamcharis

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

Context

• The union cabinet has approved the extension of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) for three years with effect from April 1, 2022.

About NCSK

• The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) was established in 1993 as per the provisions of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Act, 1993, initially for the period upto March 31,1997. Later the validity of the Act was extended for five years and then again for two years i.e up to February 29, 2004.
• After that it was lapsed and the tenure of the commission was extended as a non-statutory body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The tenure of the Commission was being extended from time to time through government resolutions. The present tenure is valid upto March 31, 2022.
• The major beneficiaries under the commission are the Safai Karamcharis and identified manual scavengers in the country. According to the government data, there were 58,098 manual scavengers identitied in the country as on December 31, 2021.

Mandate

With the enactment of “The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013”, the mandate and scope of the Commission has also been enlarged. As per Section 31(1) of the said Act, the Commission shall perform the following functions, namely:-

1. To monitor the implementation of the Act.
2. To enquire into complaints regarding contravention of the provisions of the Act, and to convey its findings to the concerned authorities with recommendations requiring further action.
3. To advise the Central and the State Governments for effective implementation of the provisions of the Act.
4. To take suo motu notice of matter relating to non-implementation of the Act.

In the discharge of its functions, the Commission have the powers to call for information with respect to any matter specified above from any Government or local or other authority.

Composition

The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis comprises one Chairman (in the rank and status of the Union Minister for States) and four members, including a lady member (in the rank and status of the Secretary to the Government of India) and the Secretary (in the rank of Joint Secretary to the Govt. of India) along with other supporting staff.

Significance

• Though the Government has taken many steps for the upliftment of the Safai Karamcharis, the deprivation suffered by them in socio-economic and educational terms is still far from being eliminated.
• Although manual scavenging has been almost eradicated, sporadic instances do occur. Hazardous cleaning of sewer/septic tanks continues to be an area of the highest priority for the Government.
• Hence, the Government feels that there is a continued need to monitor the various interventions and initiatives of the Government for welfare of Safai Karamcharis and to achieve the goal of complete mechanization of sewer/septic tanks cleaning in the country and rehabilitation of manual scavengers.

The Hindu Link

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/national-commission-for-safai-karamcharis-gets-3-year-extension/article38292221.ece

https://ncsk.nic.in/about-us/about-ncsk

Question- Highlighting the causes of prevalence of manual scavenging, discuss the mandate and functioning of National Commission  for safai karamcharis.