Govt claims zero manual scavenging incidents since 2020
Saket Gokhale says "shameless" in Parliament
New Delhi: A question raised by Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the Parliament and his response on X to the answer to his question has gained significant attention.
Gokhale had inquired about the total number of incidents of manual scavenging reported in India over the past five years. The official response from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, given by Minister of State Ramdas Athawale, stated that there have been zero incidents of manual scavenging reported in the last five years.
Gokhale took to X, expressing disbelief and accusing the Modi government of lying openly on the Parliament floor. The tweet read: "UNBELIEVABLE! Modi Govt replies to my question in Parliament & says that ‘there’s been zero incidents of manual scavenging reported in the last 5 years’. It takes a whole new level of shamelessness to lie openly & brazenly on the floor of Parliament."
The Minister's reply stated that manual scavenging has been a prohibited activity since the enactment of the "Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (MS Act, 2013)". According to the Act, no person or agency can engage in or employ others for manual scavenging. Any violations of this Act are punishable with imprisonment or fines.
The ministry had also launched a mobile app, "Swachhata Abhiyaan'', in December 2020, aimed at capturing data on insanitary latrines and manual scavengers. The ministry stated that all 6,256 cases uploaded on the app from 114 districts were verified and found to be non-credible.
Despite these official claims, numerous reports contradict the government's position. Manual scavenging, defined as manually cleaning, carrying, disposing of, or otherwise handling human excreta, remains a grim reality in many parts of India. Reports indicate that manual scavenging persists in states such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) observed in 2021 that the eradication of manual scavenging is far from complete, contradicting government claims. According to a report published in The Wire, government data shows that 339 people died while cleaning sewers and septic tanks between 2018 and 2023. These deaths, attributed to hazardous cleaning practices and non-observance of safety precautions, underscore the ongoing issue.
Minister Athawale had back then acknowledged these deaths, noting 9 recorded in 2023, 66 in 2022, 58 in 2021, 22 in 2020, 117 in 2019, and 67 in 2018. He had also mentioned the government's efforts to address the issue through schemes like the renamed National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE), previously known as the Self-Employment Scheme of Liberation & Rehabilitation of Scavengers (SRMS).
Additionally, a report published in the Deccan Herald states that in Karnataka alone, 90 manual scavengers have died since 2020, as claimed by the Karnataka Safai Karmachari Commission. The chairperson of the Commission, Kote M Shivanna, emphasized the need for accountability, suggesting that officers heading respective local bodies should be punished in cases of such deaths.
Despite government interventions, critics argue that the denial of the existence of manual scavenging hampers real progress.
In a piece published on The Wire in March 2022, researchers Jawed Alam Khan and Rahat Tasneem said, “The government’s obstinate denial regarding the existence of manual scavenging is proving to be detrimental in making any real progress.”
UNBELIEVABLE!
— Saket Gokhale MP (@SaketGokhale) July 24, 2024
Modi Govt replies to my question in Parliament & says that “there’s been zero incidents of manual scavenging reported in the last 5 years”.
It takes a whole new level of shamelessness to lie openly & brazenly on the floor of Parliament. pic.twitter.com/cyFpeZsK5M
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Rupee hits record low of 96.14/USD, settles at fresh closing low of 95.86/USD
Mumbai (PTI): The Indian rupee crashed below the 96/USD mark on Friday before closing at an all-time low of 95.86 (provisional) against the US dollar as elevated crude oil prices and inflation concerns added to the downside pressure on the rupee.
Rupee has registered over 6 per cent losses so far this year, and in the past six trading sessions, it has depreciated nearly 2 per cent as Iran war risk escalation pushed crude oil prices higher. The dollar index moved northwards after strong US retail sales and stable labour market data reduced expectations of aggressive Federal Reserve rate cuts.
Forex traders said global uncertainties, relatively high valuations, and the lack of AI-led investment opportunities have weighed on capital flows.
Moreover, weak net FDI inflows are likely to exert pressure on the balance of payments, while rising crude oil prices stoke inflation worries.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 95.86, then slumped to a record low of 96.14 in intraday trade, registering a fall of 50 paise from its previous close.
The USD/INR pair finally settled at 95.86 (provisional) against the US dollar, registering a fall of 22 paise from its previous close, helped by likely RBI intervention.
On Thursday, the rupee weakened to a fresh record low of 95.96 before closing with a marginal gain of 2 paise at 95.64 against the US dollar.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading at 99.15, higher by 0.34 per cent.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading up 3.14 per cent at USD 109.04 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex fell 160.73 points to settle at 75,237.99, while Nifty declined 46.10 points to 23,643.50.
Foreign Institutional Investors turned net buyers, purchasing equities worth Rs 187.46 crore on Thursday, according to exchange data.
Meanwhile, the country's exports in April rose by 13.78 per cent to USD 43.56 billion despite global challenges, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Friday.
Imports grew 10 per cent year-on-year to USD 71.94 billion in April. The trade deficit during the month stood at USD 28.38 billion.
"We expect the rupee to trade with a negative bias on elevated crude oil prices and inflation concerns. Strong dollar and FII outflows may also weigh on the rupee. However, any intervention by the RBI and hiking of import duty on gold and silver may support the rupee at lower levels. USD-INR spot price is expected to trade in a range of 95.60 to 96.20," said Anuj Choudhary, Research analyst at Mirae Asset ShareKhan.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump on Friday hailed their talks as "historic" and "landmark", as the American leader wrapped up his three-day visit on a high note, but no deals on any contentious issues were announced.
Both Presidents, who held several rounds of talks covering a range of global issues, including the Iran war and bilateral trade frictions, concluded their discussions with a private meeting at Zhongnanhai, the well-guarded compound in Beijing where top leaders reside.
