The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013: A Review

Manual scavenging is a caste-based and hereditary occupation for Dalits (untouchables), which is predominantly linked with forced labour or slavery. In this article, an attempt has been made to trace out the brief history of the practice of manual scavenging in India. The author has also dwelt upon the constitutional commitment as well as measures taken up by the successive governments to improve the conditions of this class of people. The hallmark of the article lies in the detailed analysis along with some suitable suggestions on the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scav-engers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 recently enacted by the Parliament of India