Under this new policy termed as 'Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers' (SRMS), scavengers and their dependents will be provided subsidy and loan for undertaking self employment ventures. Beneficiaries will also be provided training upto one year for skill development.

However, for this new scheme only 3, 42,468 scavengers will be eligible, as 4, 27,870 of the remaining scavengers covered by National Scheme for Liberation and Rehabilitation of Scavengers (NSLRS) have been kept out of the loop.

The identified scavengers will be provided training, loan, and subsidy, under the new scheme. Credit will be provided by the banks, which will charge interest from the beneficiaries at the rates prescribed under the scheme.

The National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC) or any other identified agency at the apex level, will provide interest subsidy to the banks through its State Chanelising Agencies (SCAs) or any other identified agency at the State level, for the difference between the interest chargeable by bank and the interest to be charged from the beneficiaries under the scheme.

Both, term loan (upto a maximum cost of Rs. 5 lakhs) and micro financing (upto a maximum of Rs. 25,000) will be admissible under the scheme. Micro financing will also be done through self help groups (SHGs) and reputed Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

As per the definition, a "cavenger" means one who is partially or wholly engaged in the obnoxious and inhuman occupation of manually removing night soil and filth.

Maharashtra has the highest number of scavengers in the country, followed by Gujarat and Rajasthan.