New Delhi, Feb 6, 2012: More than Two Lakh additional safai karamacharis including manual scavengers and their dependents are likely to be benefitted as a result of the enhancement of authorized share capital of National Safai Karamacharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC) from the existing Rs.300 cr. to Rs. 600 cr. during remaining period of XI and XII Plan. The Cabinet has approved a proposal in this regard to enable higher coverage of safai karamacharis under its scheme.100% equity contribution is provided to NSKFDC out of the Central Government budget.

Date: Feb 04, 2012 09:30 AM to Feb 05, 2012 03:00 PM 
Venue: Conference Hall, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) Main Campus, Mumbai 
Dalits engaged in manual scavenging constitute more than half a million population in India. According to recent studies conducted by TISS (2005 and 2006), among those engaged in manual scavenging, hardly any one survives beyond the age of 65 and about 80 percent die before the age of 60.

Bangalore, Jan 31, 2012: Bangalore Water Supply And Sewerage Board (BWSSB) Chairperson Gaurav Gupta on Tuesday sought more time from the High Court to procure additional machines to clean the areas which do not have sewerage system.

He said 76 machines have performed 4,365 mechanised cleanings so far, and orders have been placed for more machines. The vehicles imported from Europe need to be certified as per the Indian standards, the chairperson said.

New Delhi, Jan 10, 2012: Stone India Ltd has informed BSE that the Company has designed an unique environment friendly Bio-Toilet system named ENBIOLET. The product has been approved by Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India for a grant of Rs. 2.88 Cr under its TDDP
(Technology Demonstration and Development Program) for mass scale adaptation across India to eliminate open defecation and manual scavenging.

Uttar Pradesh, Dec 19, 2011: Budaun is one of the larger districts of Western Uttar Pradesh. While it figures on the polio map of the world, it also has a remarkable tale to narrate. This district is fast converting all the dry latrines into the 'pour-and-flush' toilets, so that poor hygienic behaviours can be changed. UNICEF supported Polio Social Mobilization Network (SmNet) played key role by visiting families and explaining them health risks due to open defecation and dry latrines. Read More

New Delhi, Dec 20, 2011: Sharing members'' concern over the plight of manual scavangers, government today told the Lok Sabha that a survey would be launched soon to ascertain the actual number of such people so that they could get benefits earmarked for them.
Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Mukul Wasnik said the Centre had already asked the states to give details about the manual scavengers.

Dec 8, 2011:  The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) report for the second Universal Periodic Review has come down hard on the deep-rooted practice of bonded labour and manual scavenging despite laws that ban it.

“The practice of bonded labour continues despite laws that ban it, and is taking new forms. The NHRC has received reports of bonded labour being used to execute defence projects in difficult areas,” the report stated.

New Delhi, Dec 8, 2011: Per capita income in the country rose to over Rs 54,000 in 2010-11 from Rs 18,450 in 2001-02, Parliament was informed.

Dec. 3, 2011: Enumeration of manual scavengers as a separate category has been completely left out of the urban SECC 2011 in Rajasthan. As per the ministry of rural development, Government of India guidelines, manual scavengers are one of the five categories of households who are to be compulsorily included in the list of beneficiaries for various schemes identified by the new SECC 2011 which is in progress.