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    ISAS Briefs

    Quick analytical responses to occurrences in South Asia

    399: Caste and Gender: The Social Barriers to Solid Waste Management in India

    Shibu Nair

    28 December 2015

    The paper explains the indignities and deeply-held attitudes that stigmatise those who deal with waste, garbage and human excreta in India. It outlines how such attitudes make the goals of the 'Swachh Bharat' or 'Clean India' campaign difficult to achieve. It argues, however, that a zero-waste strategy, which improves public sanitation and the dignity of workers, has had some success.