National Career Services portal lists manual scavenging as a career option

The National Career Services portal lists the prohibited and caste-entrenched work of manual scavenging as a career option. Listed in the 'unorganised sector', cleaning jobs are divided, focussing on 'key competency' to clean the sewage systems.What is more bizarre is that the even though the website lists prevalent health risks involved in these jobs, the same job hazards are being attributed to 'astrologers' and 'palmists'.

The website has come under fire for overseeing the tangible problems involved in various jobs and not moving beyond the conventionally held views of them. For example, The Hindu takes the example of a 'Domestic Servant', the job description for which reads, 'performing the general house-hold duties and attending to the personal comforts of master or employer'.

Apart from the uncritical view on the labour conditions, it is indeed promoting 'underlying feudalism', as advocates Maitreyi Krishnan and Clifton D'Rozario point out.

It is also important to note that both the Supreme Court and the Chennai High Court have passed judgements against inhuman practices involved in the act of handling sewage and have asked the state to ensure the handlers protection.

Read more: Skill Dil: Modi's job portal makes a pitch for palmists, astrologers & moneylenders