Bezwada Wilson is a social worker who was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2016. In which of the following areas does he carry out his social activities?

Correct option is C

The correct answer is (c) Abolition of manual scavenging

Explanation:

• Bezwada Wilson is a prominent Indian human rights activist and one of the founders of the Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKA).

• Born into a family of manual scavengers in Karnataka, he has dedicated his life to the elimination of manual scavenging (the practice of manually cleaning human excreta from dry latrines).

• He was honored with the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2016 under the "Emergent Leadership" category for his "moral energy and prodigious skill in organizing a grassroots movement to eradicate the degrading servitude of manual scavenging."

• His work focuses on the legal enforcement of the Manual Scavengers Act and the rehabilitation of those involved in the profession through education and alternative employment.

Information Booster:

• The practice of manual scavenging was officially banned in India under the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993, which was later strengthened by a new Act in 2013.

• Despite the ban, Wilson continues to fight for the complete mechanization of sewer cleaning to prevent the deaths of workers in septic tanks and sewers.

Additional Knowledge:

Abolition of child labor (Option a)

• This is the primary area of work for Kailash Satyarthi, who founded the Bachpan Bachao Andolan and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

Elimination of female foeticide (Option b)

• Many activists and government schemes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao focus on this area. A notable figure in this field is Dr. Ganesh Rakh from Pune, who waives fees for the delivery of baby girls.

Abolition of child marriage (Option d)

• Activists like Kriti Bharti from Rajasthan are well-known for their work in annulling child marriages and preventing new ones from taking place.