| Subject: | Public Policy/Social Work |
| Title: | Reimagining Public Administration: Policy Innovation and Institutional Pathways to Empower Waste Pickers in Himachal Pradesh |
| Author(s): | Nithiananthan K. & Dr. Manvendra Singh |
| Published on: | 28th February 2026 |
| Published by: | Lyceum India |
| Name of the Journal: | Lyceum India Journal of Social Sciences |
| ISSN/E-ISSN: | 3048-6513 |
| Volume & Issue: | Volume: 3, Issue: 3 |
| Pages: | 271-284 |
| Original DOI (if any): | 10.5281/zenodo.18824702 |
| Repository DOI: | |
| Abstract: | The bulk of Indian waste pickers continue to work in the informal sector because government agencies and NGOs and cooperative organizations have not succeeded in their attempts to establish social protection and welfare programs for these workers. The study examines how waste pickers access vital services through healthcare and education and housing and financial assistance based on the governance systems and public administration frameworks and national and state policies that exist in their environment. The waste pickers who deliver essential urban sanitation and environmental work face ongoing discrimination and hazardous work conditions and restricted access to essential services. The study investigates how policy innovation and novel institutional methods improve the delivery of services and the capacity of institutions to withstand challenges. The organization assesses rights-based methods and skill development programs that empower women waste pickers through programs of advocacy and awareness and capacity building and cooperative membership. The research studies major legal and regulatory frameworks through the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016 and the Street Vendors Act 2014 to determine the methods that will lead to official recognition and municipal integration and protections against exploitation. The research results show that waste pickers in Himachal Pradesh need governance systems that include all members of society while maintaining institutional resilience to protect their rights and job safety and social security benefits and highlighted existing challenges in implementing policies and delivering services. |
| Keywords: | Governance, Institutional Resilience, Policy Innovation, Public Administration, Social Protection, Waste Pickers |
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