♦ The Centre signed a Letter of Agreement (LoA) with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to improve waste pickers’ access to finance and relevant technologies and ensure a safer and more sustainable work environment on 1 May 2025.

♦ The agreement was exchanged between Angela Lusigi, UNDP’s Resident Representative in India and Amit Yadav, Secretary, Department of Social Justice and Empowerment (DoSJE).

♦ The collaboration would unravel as part of government’s ongoing efforts under the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) Scheme, which added waste pickers as a key focus group in 2024.

♦ Under the agreement, the UNDP will provide financial assistance to set up state project management units (PMUs) across multiple states to ensure better coordination between central and state authorities and streamline implementation.