Bombay High Court On Manual Scavenging: "Serious Blot On Civilised Society"
GS2Polity · Governance · IR· Vulnerable sections (SC/ST, minorities, disabled, elderly, children)· Prelims + Mains·
Why in news
The Bombay High Court condemned manual scavenging as a 'serious blot on civilised society' while ordering the Maharashtra government to pay ₹30 lakh compensation to families of two men who died in 2021.
Background
The Bombay High Court directed the Maharashtra Social Justice Department to pay ₹30 lakh each to the families of two men who died cleaning a septic tank in Nanded in 2021. The court ruled that the state is responsible for compensation even when the deaths occur on private property.
Facts for Prelims
- FactCompensation amount ordered by Bombay High Court: ₹30 lakh per family
- PlaceLocation of incident: Nanded, Maharashtra
- PostAuthority responsible for compensation: Social Justice Department, Maharashtra
For Mains
Q. Critically examine the persistent challenges in eradicating manual scavenging in India despite legislative prohibitions and judicial interventions.
Dimensions to cover in your answer
- Institutional failure: Inadequate enforcement of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers Act, 1993
- Economic compulsion: Lack of alternative livelihood opportunities forcing marginalized communities into hazardous sanitation work
- Regulatory gap: Absence of stringent oversight and safety protocols for private septic tank maintenance
Keywords: Human dignity · Legislative non-compliance · Social exclusion · Occupational hazards · Judicial activism
More Social Justice notes
- Supreme Court Asks Union Government to Address CBSE On-Screen Marking Issues · 15 July 2026
- Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurates ₹211-crore ESIC OPD block in Hyderabad · 15 July 2026
- Elderly Get Land Registration at Home: CM Launches Sabka Samman, Jeevan Aasan in Patna · 15 July 2026
- Supreme Court Questions CBSE's Classification of English as Non-Native Language · 15 July 2026
- On Tuesday, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay launched the Tamil Nadu Health · 14 July 2026
- Minister to Lay Foundation for 1 Lakh Indiramma Houses on July 20 · 14 July 2026
Something wrong, or something missing?
Spotted a mistake in a note, or want a topic, format or PDF that would help your preparation? Write to us. We read every mail and fix errors fast.
This note is generated automatically from SatyaDheesh's news feed and mapped to the UPSC CSE syllabus. Check facts against the original report or PIB before using them in an answer.