Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

Looking beyond the bureaucratic culture, Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> has appointed <keyword id="6354424" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Bank">World Bank</keyword> expert <keyword id="2910548" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Parameshwaran-Iyer">Parameshwaran Iyer</keyword> to lead his Swachh Bharat mission. 
 
Iyer, who is World Bank's Practice Manager for Water for the South Asian region, will lead the mission as Secretary of the Drinking Water and Sanitation Department. 
 
Iyer, 55, formed the framework of $1,500 million proposed loan from World Bank for the mission, which awaits Cabinet approval. 
 
Iyer who had quit Indian government in 2009 has worked with the UN World Food Programme (UNWFP) for nearly a decade till 2006 as a Senior Rural Water Sanitation specialist on foreign assignment. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

Modi gets top man for his Swachh Bharat Mission

<ul><li><keyword id="2312336" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Swachh-Bharat-Mission">Swachh Bharat Mission</keyword> will complete 5 years on October 2, 2019. </li><li>The Indian government has built over a 100 million toilets as a part of the Swachh Bharat Mission. </li><li>However, a large proportion of people in rural India still defecates in public even as they have access to toilets. </li></ul> India launched Swachh Bharat Mission on October 4, 2014, with an ambitious plan to declare the country open-defecation free by October 2, 2019. The programme could be termed partly successful as it provided access to toilet facilities to millions of rural households in the country. However, it failed to change the mindset of people who want to defecate in public. An increasing number of toilets According to government figures, more than 100 million toilets were built in the last five years. "Twenty-seven states, 601 districts, 5,934 blocks, 2,46,116 gram panchayats and 5,50,151 villages have been declared open defecation free (ODF),” the former Minister of State for Drinking Water and Sanitation Ramesh Chandappa Jigajinag told Lok Sabha in February. Yet, one in every four people still prefer to defecate in public<a href="https://riceinstitute.org/research/changes-in-open-defecation-in-rural-north-india-2014-2018-2/">, revealed research. </a> A large proportion of people still choose to defecate in open The increase in the number of toilets could not alter the age-old practice As many as 40-50% of the rural people in four states -- Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar -- continue to defecate in public. However, the number of such people was earlier at 70% in 2014. "The fraction of people who own a latrine, but who nevertheless defecate in the open, did not change between 2014 and 2018: it was about 23% in both years,” reported India spend.

India built 100 million rural toilets, but Indians are yet to learn to use them

<keyword id="6696781" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Urban-development-ministry">Urban Development Ministry</keyword> today announced it would launch a mobile App for citizens to post their complaints about <keyword id="56059" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Garbage">garbage</keyword> pile-up in their areas and seek timely redress of their grievance. Named '<keyword id="3232838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Swachh-City-Solutions">Swachh City Solutions</keyword>', the proposed mobile and web-based application will be developed in partnership with an NGO 'Janaagraha' Centre for Citizenship and Democracy, to ensure timely and effective implementation of the <keyword id="2312336" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Swachh-Bharat-Mission">Swachh Bharat Mission</keyword> objectives in 4041 statutory towns in the country. 

	A Memorandum of Understanding to the effect was signed today between the Ministry and the NGO 'Janaagraha' here. 
 

	The application is likely to become operational by April and will give citizens access to the latest technology to lodge their complaint and actively participate in keeping their cities clean. 
 

	Speaking on the occasion, UD Ministry Joint Secretary Praveen Prakash said, "Through this App, the government is providing the citizens with a platform to express their concerns regarding their areas and build community participation and consensus towards maintaining the cleanliness in their cities." 
 

	Prakash, who is also the Mission Director for Swachh Bharat said "The App will also enable municipal officials/field engineers to see each complaint and update the status of the resolution along with photos, hence building accountability in the system by ensuring timely grievance redressal." 
 

	Citizens will have features that will allow them to view complaints posted nearby, and show support by 'Voting up' on various complaints. 
 The App, in addition to enabling the creation of a community around complaints, leading to community participation and faster complaint resolution, will also enable the Ministry to rate and rank the 4041 <keyword id="6374279" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Urban-local-bodies">urban local bodies</keyword> (ULBs) in India, based on their efficiency of redressing citizen grievances. The application aims at realising the vision of Swachh Bharat Mission towards a clean and <keyword id="1459267" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Garbage-Free-India">garbage free India</keyword> by 2019. 
	 
	(Image credits: Reuters)

Swachh City Solutions App for garbage free India by April

New Delhi, Feb 6 () Internet giant Google is looking to expand mixed mode commute option to cities across India that displays combination of available public transport for commuting to a particular destination. "The public transport tab on Google Maps for Android now informs users about a journey that combines auto-rickshaw and public transport. It indicates how much time it will take, and which station they should take an auto-rickshaw to/from. The feature is available for Delhi and Bangalore and we're looking to bring it to other cities across India," Google Maps vice president Jen Jen Fitzpatrick said in a statement.He was speaking on the occasion of Google Map completing 15 years.Fitzpatrick listed 14 features that Google has incorporated in the maps of eight were first started in India and six were inspired from India and implemented in other foreign markets.Information about public toilets inspired from Swachh Bharat Mission, digital address called "Plus codes" for location sharing including mixed mode commute are some of the features for which Google Map got inspiration from India. "Google Maps now lists over 57,000 public toilets in 2,300+ cities across India. The initiative was launched in 2016 as a pilot in three cities -- New Delhi, Bhopal, and Indore -- in collaboration with the Swachh Bharat Mission and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs," Fitzpatrick said. PRS MKJ

Google to expand mix mode commute option to cities across India

The current BJP-led administration takes its <keyword id="68945" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Toilets">toilets</keyword> seriously. In its quest to eliminate public defecation by 2019, the <keyword id="26362" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Government">government</keyword> claims to have constructed <a href="http://sbm.gov.in/sbmdashboard/IHHL.aspx">70.5 million household toilets </a>- around 83% of its intended target - under the <keyword id="2312336" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Swachh-Bharat-Mission">Swachh Bharat Mission</keyword> - in villages. It has also constructed <a href="http://www.swachhbharaturban.in/sbm/home/#/SBM">4.6 million toilets</a> in urban areas. The program was launched in October 2014. Earlier this month, Parameswaran Iyer, the secretary of the Water and Sanitation ministry, said that the number of rural Indians defecating in the open had fallen from 550 million when the mission was launched, <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Politics/Fn5P83dnUwSD7T6mHXakuJ/Rural-India-will-reach-100-toilet-coverage-by-December-2018.html">to 200 million</a> by early 2018. This information was based on “government surveys”, which count on a random sample of participants to answer questions with utmost honesty. In February, a video of Janardan Mishra, a <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> member of Parliament from Madhya Pradesh, was seen <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/watch-bjp-mp-unclogs-toilet-with-bare-hands-promotes-pm-narendra-modis-swachh-bharat-mission/1070526/">unclogging a toilet with his bare hands</a> went viral online. Like most political parties do ahead of an election, the BJP seems to be raking in the grandstanding and declaring its achievements. However, yesterday, as part of its campaign in Karnataka, it chose a rather questionable statistic to boast. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 <div type="javascript" title="Custom"><cdata><![CDATA[


]]></cdata></div>














 If the facts are right, over the course of the BJP-led government’s tenure, 70% more toilets were constructed but with 6 times the total funding that the <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword>-led government had. The Congress responded accordingly, pointing out that it had built each toilet at a fraction of the amount it cost the BJP. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 <div type="javascript" title="Custom"><cdata><![CDATA[


]]></cdata></div>














 Surprisingly, the original tweet by the BJP is still up, perhaps because deleting the tweet would have been an admission that it was an error to begin with. But it seems that the government does not make mistakes. The medium is the message Social media is all about brevity and soundbites. Statistics are cherry-picked. Opinions are made to sound definitive. The more eyebrow raising the claim, the greater the reach. The truth is what an organisation can get its supporters to believe. The ruling party at the Centre has been quite effective at harnessing social media to disseminate information to the Indian public as part of a concerted effort at winning an ideological war against the Opposition parties. In anticipation of the upcoming elections in Karnataka, both the BJP and Congress have dedicated social media teams working round the clock on outreach and on highlighting the work their respective rivals have not done. Inevitably, social media platforms have turned into becoming battlegrounds where barbs and ad hominem remarks are traded at the drop of a hat . Until very recently, the world faced a legitimate threat of nuclear war as a result of a Twitter spat between the leader of a world superpower and a rogue nation. Back at home, India’s two national parties - the protectors and enforcers of the country’s democracy, our leaders in these troubling times marked by rising public debt, toxic air, farmer suicides and communal violence - are currently squabbling over toilet statistics. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 <div type="javascript" title="Custom"><cdata><![CDATA[


]]></cdata></div>














 So, now the BJP is trying to reframe the tweet as evidence of its generosity and portray the Siddaramaiah government as corrupt and inefficient. However, the BJP does not finance the construction of toilets with its own funds but with the taxes each and every Indian pays as Swachh Bharat cess - which totalled <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/25-of-swachh-bharat-cess-hasnt-reached-dedicated-fund/articleshow/62259934.cms">₹164 billion</a> in 2016 and 2017. In all fairness, the president of the Congress, Rahul Gandhi, is no stranger to the mathematical gaffe. In December 2017, he posted a table from his Twitter account that contained information about the rise in prices of essential items like cooking gas, tomatoes, onions and pulses from 2014 to 2017 under the BJP regime. However, he overstated each price rise by <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/rahul-gandhi-goofs-up-basic-math-in-a-tweet-corrects-it-later-2454791.html">100 percentage points</a>. The BJP fired back by referring to him as an<a href="http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/bjp-calls-rahul-immature-shehzada-for-math-blooper-117120700171_1.html"> “immature prince”.</a> Gandhi later deleted the tweet and uploaded a revised table, but not without thanking the BJP for pointing out his mistake. Development, not division As campaigning for the state elections in Karnataka enters its final phases, the barbs and finger-pointing will likely escalate. As is usually the case, development has become the focal issue of each party’s campaign. The BJP was rather straightforward about its three aims- development, development and more development. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 <div type="javascript" title="Custom"><cdata><![CDATA[


]]></cdata></div>














 Soon after it posted the tweet above, the BJP’s social media team retweeted another development-related tweet from its Karnataka unit. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 <div type="javascript" title="Custom"><cdata><![CDATA[


]]></cdata></div>














 It seems that the BJP is the only party comfortable with proffering development data. Oh, the irony. Maybe it would have paid for the BJP to concentrate on the mathematical process of division instead of the kind that involves polarisation.

The top two political parties in India are bickering over who’s better at building toilets

<ul><li>The funds were then disbursed in January 2016 to the Delhi government, but were not utilised by the six implementation bodies.</li><li>The total number of household toilets the civic bodies had expected to construct was 11,117, which is woefully short of the Government of India’s target based on a 2011 census of 1,27,005. </li><li>South Delhi Municipal Corporation, Delhi Cantonment Board and Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board did not see the need to construct any public toilets. </li></ul>A <a href="http://www.cag.gov.in/sites/default/files/audit_report_files/Chapter_3_Compliance_Audit_of_Report_No_3_of_2018_-_Social%2C_General_and_Economic_Sectors_%28Non-PSU%29_Government_of_Delhi.pdf">report tabled by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)</a> at the <keyword id="6356117" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi-Assembly">Delhi Assembly</keyword> had some astonishing revelations. Of the ₹403.1 million allocated for the construction of toilets, not one rupee has been spent. The money has been lying ‘idle’ in the non-interest generating current accounts of the government. The Modi government’s flagship mission was launched on October 2nd, 2014. The funds were then disbursed in January 2016 to the Delhi government, but were not utilised by the six implementation bodies -- South Delhi Municipal Corporation (South DMC), <keyword id="6356596" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="north-delhi-municipal-corporation">North Delhi Municipal Corporation</keyword> (North DMC), East Delhi Municipal Corporation (East DMC), Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB). According to the report, the <keyword id="6354944" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="aam-aadmi-party">Aam Aadmi Party</keyword> government had initially promised to construct 200,000 toilet blocks in slums/JJ clusters and unauthorised colonies in its manifesto but failed to deliver on the promise. In fact, the few toilets that were constructed were done from the <keyword id="75926" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="municipal-board">Municipal Board</keyword>’s own funds. The audit pointed to a lack of planning, the skewing of some guidelines and the failure of an adequate monitoring and evaluation mechanism as reasons for the government’s inability to follow through on its commitment. The key findings were as follows:- <ul><li>The implementation bodies underestimated the number of toilets they needed to construct. The three types of toilets that come under this scheme include - household toilets, community toilets and public toilets. According to the audit, the total number of household toilets the civic bodies had expected to construct (September 2015) was 11,117, which is woefully short of the Government of India’s target based on a 2011 census of 1,27,005. </li><li>Out of the six civic bodies, only the East Delhi Municipal Corporation saw the need to construct household toilets in its area. And there too, only 11,117 toilets were projected to be constructed by East DMC whereas the government had projected a need for 56,734 toilets.</li><li>The South Delhi Municipal Corporation and Delhi Cantonment Board didn’t see the need to construct any community toilets but the government had projected a requirement of 718 and 408 community toilets respectively.</li><li>South Delhi Municipal Corporation, Delhi Cantonment Board and Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board did not see the need to construct any public toilets. However, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation and East Delhi Municipal Corporation found the necessity of constructing only 205 and 120 public toilets as against 4,116 and 1,972 respectively projected by the central government.</li><li>The South Delhi Municipal Corporation cited space constraints as a reason for not projecting any requirement for construction of community toilets and public toilets.</li><li>“South and North DMCs did not consider unauthorized colonies for projecting requirement of Individual Household Toilets stating that they do not have jurisdiction over them thereby leaving unauthorized colonies out of Mission coverage with regard to Household Toilets.”</li><li>The audit also pointed out that the Delhi government only spent ₹20.3 million on public awareness programme against ₹51.7 million released for this purpose. The audit said, ”this was indicative of inadequate efforts on the part of these implementing agencies to educate the households to avail the benefit of household toilets.”</li><li>The audit noted that the finances were irresponsible managed. There were delays in releasing funds to the implementing agencies, which was exacerbated by the fact that some funds were allocated incorrectly. Furthermore, the implementation agencies did not make use of whatever funds they did receive.</li><li>The report added that the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), which is responsible for making slums and JJ clusters open defecation free, did not receive the state’s share from the government which accounted for 60% of the amount required. The DUSIB later refunded the entire amount of ₹68.6 million it had received from the centre under the Mission.</li><li>Finally, the audit noted that the oversight and monitoring mechanism set up to ensure the implementation of the Mission was ineffective. “The State level High Power Committee (HPC) headed by the Chief Secretary is responsible for approval of plan and projects, sanction of allocation of resources, and monitoring of outcome of the Mission. The audit noted that the HPC met four times since inception of the scheme; discussed the identification of beneficiaries; sought an action plan for scheme implementation, ordered the timely release of funds received from the GoI as well as the State share to the implementing agencies; and requested timely submission of utilisation certificate. Many of these issues were discussed repeatedly in every meeting without much progress thereon.”</li></ul>

The Delhi government has failed to make even one toilet under the Swachh Bharat Mission

The report on how <keyword id="2312336" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Swachh-Bharat-Mission">Swachh Bharat Mission</keyword> was successful is out and states that cities in eastern and southern part of India did better than northern and western India. 
 The <keyword id="3246333" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Swachh-Sarvekshan">Swachh Sarvekshan</keyword> survey that gauged the impact of <keyword id="63500" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cleanliness-Drive">cleanliness drive</keyword> in 73 cities stated that Mysuru remained the cleanest of all, followed by Chandigarh and Tiruchirapalli. 
 However, <keyword id="6354814" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="prime-minister-Narendra-Modi">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</keyword>’s Varanasi constituency was among the 10 dirtiest cities and Dhanbad ranked the worst. 
 
A first such survey was done in 2014, which was a 476-city survey. Then also, Karnataka’s Mysuru had emerged as the winner. 
 
If we compare the two analysis, cities that have improved include Visakhapatnam, Surat, Rajkot and Gangtok. 
 
Meanwhile, the 10 dirtiest cities include Ghaziabad and Meerut. 
 
In Delhi, South and North Delhi Municipal Corporation improved rankings and were at 47 to 43, respectively. 
 
Tamil Nadu’s Chennai ranked 37 in comparison to its fourth position in 2014. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

Swachh Sarvekshan spells bad news for Modi’s Varanasi, Mysuru emerges cleanest of all

Gone are the days when art was limited to galleries, displayed only behind closed doors and walls were stained with paan, scribbles, urine, posters and lack of general apathy. 
 
Now, tables have turned, all thanks to the St+Art Foundation, a non-profit organisation that works on art spaces in public spaces, which is hosting the Sr+Art Festival in the national capital for the second consecutive year. 
 
This year, they aimed big. They wanted to embed art into the cities we live in- and what better city to start with than the national capital of the country itself? 
 So, the result is this- over 14 artists from <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> and all across the world have come together to paint their heart out on walls and as a result creating India's very first open air public art district in <keyword id="6411894" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lodhi-Colony">Lodhi Colony</keyword>. 
 
Though the work that started in December 2015 is still in progress, presently several walls between Khanna Market and Meherchand Market are a spectacle lending themselves as an open air art gallery. 
 
Prepare to be mesmerized when you cross Meherchand Market and end up noticing a mural of freedom fighter Rani Lakshmi Bai painted by Lady Aiko, a Japanese artist or catch yourself reading the painted poem on the walls of Lodhi in Block 11 written by the painter Neils Shoe Meulman himself. His calligraffiti will be hard to look away from. 
 
It reads: Sans Serifs No Letters, And No Words To Read, Sans Words No Signs, No Names In The Streets, Just Rows Of Buildings, And Gardens Sans Weeds. 
 
There will be more art adorning the walls as you pass by the Colony and while you pass each mural, remarkably different than the previous one, you will be forced to catch your breath for a moment-at the sheer brilliance of the work of these artists, most of whom have been successful in completing painting over a wall in under 4-5 days. 
 
Their weapons of choice? Rollers, stencils, spray cans and last but not the least, their free hand. 
 
Built on the foundation of the Swachh Bharat Mission, the initiative focuses on creatively spreading the message of maintaining a cleaner physical environment. “Art has the potential to create a positive impact on a city and its residents, while also paving the way towards making people more conscious about their environment. Through the creation of India’s first public art district, we hope to work with the government on more projects to create a sustainable approach towards the Swachh Bharat Mission,” says, Arjun Bahl, co-founder and festival director, St+Art India. 
 
They are also conducting guided walks for anyone and everyone who wants to experience the magic of this open air gallery. Go for the walk, you won't regret it. 
 
Infact, we went on one of the walks ourselves, and got you some exclusive pictures. 
 
Be prepared to have your mind blown away!

Welcome to Lodhi Colony- India's first open air public art district

Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>’s one of the most ambitious dreams is to establish 100 Smart Cities across India. To realise his dream, the state governments and other stakeholders have started taking baby steps. They have chalked out the criteria for the selection and ranking of cities hoping to build ‘a new Chicago every year’ in the country by agreeing to implement innovative financing models and urban governance reforms. 
 These agreements were reached following intense discussions at the two-day ‘Consultation Workshop of state governments and stakeholders on smart cities.’ The final recommendations were presented at the concluding ‘Plenary Session,’ which was chaired by <keyword id="6721" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="babul-Supriyo">Babul Supriyo</keyword>, minister of state for urban development and housing &amp; urban poverty alleviation. 
 The state governments and other stakeholders have suggested that the basic eligibility conditions to participate in the ‘<keyword id="513113" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="smart-city">Smart City</keyword> Challenge’ competition should include a city development strategy, progress under <keyword id="2312336" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Swachh-Bharat-Mission">Swachh Bharat Mission</keyword>, timely payment of salaries to municipal staff, information and grievance redressal mechanism as well as e-News Letter. 
 
They’ve also added that the ranking of these cities will be based on parameters such as: self-financing ability (25% weightage), institutional systems and capacities (25%), existing service levels and committed plan of action for three years (25%), past track record in implementing reforms (15%) and the quality of vision document (10%). 
 
Indian states have suggested two sets of reforms separately for small and metropolitan cities, land monetisation, quick progress towards e-governance and online service delivery, integrated geographic information system (GIS)-based master plans, policy reforms, fixed tenures for mayors and municipal officials, improving revenues through 100% collection of taxes and user charges etc. 
 
In order to enable the state governments to take up the challenges under smart cities initiative, Minister of States Babul Supriyo has urged the state authorities to devolve necessary functions, funds and functionaries to the urban local bodies.

Indian States Gear Up For An Era Of ‘Smart Cities’

The <keyword id="6354424" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Bank">World Bank</keyword> it seems is very serious on helping PM <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>'s Swachh Bharat dream. It approved a US$1.5 billion loan for the <keyword id="2312336" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Swachh-Bharat-Mission">Swachh Bharat Mission</keyword> (SBM) Support Operation Project to support the Modi government in its efforts to ensure all citizens in rural areas have access to improved sanitation – such as a toilet or latrine with a focus on changing behaviors – in ending the practice of open defecation by 2019. 

	Today, of the 2.4 billion people who lack access to improved sanitation globally, more than 750 million live in India, with 80 percent living in rural areas. More than 500 million of the rural population in India continue to defecate in the open, suffering from preventable deaths, illness, stunting, harassment and economic losses.
 

	In view of this situation, the project will support the rural component, known as SBM – Gramin (SBM-G), over a five-year period using a new performance-based program which links funds directly to results, ensuring that benefits are delivered to the people in need – more than 60 percent of India’s rural population.
 The SBM-G program focuses on ensuring usage of <keyword id="68945" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Toilets">toilets</keyword> along with their construction. States and their implementing agencies will be given incentives for meeting performance standards. Performance will be measured against the states’ ability to reduce open defecation, sustaining their open defecation free (ODF) status and improving solid and liquid waste management in rural areas. The financing mechanism promotes the leadership of the states, which will have flexibility in innovating and adopting their own delivery models. “One in every ten deaths in India is linked to poor sanitation. And studies show that low-income households bear the maximum brunt of poor sanitation. This project, aimed at strengthening the implementation of the Swachh Bharat Initiative of the government, will result in significant health benefits for the poor and vulnerable, especially those living in rural areas,” said <keyword id="1375051" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Onno-Ruhl">Onno Ruhl</keyword>, World Bank Country Director for India in a company statement. “Incentivizing good performance by states and the focus on behavioral changes are two important components of this project,” he added. 

	The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) will play the overseeing and coordinating role for the Program and support the participating states. Funds will also be used to develop the capacity of MDWS in program management, advocacy, monitoring and evaluation.
 

	“India has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in pursuing the ambitious SBM campaign and embracing the focus on behavior to complement the construction of toilets,” said Annette Dixon, World Bank Vice President for the South Asia Region. “It is our privilege to support the Indian government in this initiative and we look forward to working side by side.”
 

	The World Bank will also provide a parallel US$25 million technical assistance to build the capacity of select state governments in implementing community-led behavioral change programs targeting social norms to help ensure widespread usage of toilets by rural households.
 

	“This program, built on lessons learnt from global and national sanitation projects, represents a fundamental change in approach and recognizes the importance of coupling investments in the construction of toilets to its usage. For it to succeed, large-scale social mobilization for behavior change is critical at the community level,” said Soma Ghosh Moulik, Lead Water and Sanitation Specialist and the project’s Task Team Leader.“Third party assessments and regular monitoring will provide reliable information on the project’s progress,” she added.

World bank comes forward to help PM Modi realize his Swachh Bharat dream

Indian <keyword id="2598106" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Railway-minister-Suresh-Prabhu">Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu</keyword> stressed on passenger services and amenities while presenting his second Rail Budget for 2016-17. 
 
Prabhu stressed on cleanliness of stations, improving existing coaches, introducing new state-of-the art coaches, new bio toilets, etc. 
 
During his speech, Prabhu mainly stressed on initiatives taken and planned under the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’. 
 
Many stations will be undertaken on PPP model for cleanliness. 
 
Prabhu announced 65,000 additional berths, 884 coaches and 2,000 water vending machines. 
 
He also stressed on online booking system and assured to a seamless system without any technical glitches. 
 
Prabhu assured of installing 17, 000 bio toilets spread over 475 stations before this fiscal, adding that 74 new trains will be covered under rail housing system. 
 
Taking recommendations from the common man, Prabhu said the railways have strengthened its social media, feedback and redressal system, which are taking direct feedback from the travellers and acting upon them. 
 
For senior citizens and women, Prabhu said their safety will be taken care of and increased the quota.

RailBudget2016: Suresh Prabhu offers too much on the platter for passengers

At a time when people have started questioning government’s expenditure in advertisements, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=modi">Narendra Modi</a> government is all set to initiate a massive advertisement campaign in print media and on radio and television glorifying the anniversary of the ‘<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/topic/Swachh-Bharat-Abhiyan">Swachh</a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/topic/Swachh-Bharat-Abhiyan"> Bharat Mission’</a>. 
 
On October 2, Prime Minister Modi’s pet project of cleanliness completes a year. To commemorate the success, Modi’s ministers have received plan blueprint from the PM himself. 
 
Modi has formed a team of ministers to plan a 17-day anniversary celebration between September 25 and October 11. The team includes Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, Road Transport Minister <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Nitin+Gadkari">Nitin Gadkari</a>, Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore. 
 
Apart from advertisements, there would be appraising performance of all the states and printing the achievements in booklets. The chief ministers of the states would also be roped in and encouraged to conduct walkathons with the high-profile Swachh Bharat ambassadors. The states have also been asked to rope in governors to administer the "Swachhta pledge" to government officials to keep their surroundings clean. 
 
The government will also honour NGOs and volunteers who have contributed in the cleanliness programme. Swachh Bharat ambassadors would also visit households where toilets have been built under the scheme. 
 
 A senior government official told The Economic Times, "We plan to organise events in states and in the capital with Swachh Bharat Abhiyan brand ambassadors like Baba Ramdev, actor Kamal Hassan and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.” 
 
(Image: PIB)

Swachh Bharat’s first anniversary will be huge! Modi is ensuring the Govt goes all out

New Delhi, Nov 17 () Nabard has headroom to raise about Rs 35,000 crore from the market during the remaining months of the current fiscal to fund its business growth and also support various agricultural and rural development schemes of the government, a top official said.
 "So far we have raised Rs 20,000 crore and remaining Rs 35,000 crore can be raised depending on demand and requirement," Nabard Chairman Harsh Kumar Bhanwala told .
 This includes Extra Budgetary Resources (EBR) borrowing for various flagship schemes of the government, he added.
 The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) raises funds through long term bonds, usually of 10-15 years tenures.
 Last financial year, Nabard raised a total of Rs 56,069 crore through non-convertible debentures, of which Rs 33,169 crore was for government schemes and the remaining for the organisation's own funding requirements.
 Some of the government schemes financed by Nabard include Swachh Bharat Mission, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana.
 In 2018-19, Nabard's loan portfolio grew nearly 22 per cent to Rs 4.32 lakh crore. Assets under management of the bank were at Rs 4.87 lakh crore at the end of March 2019, up 20 per cent since March 2018.
 Bhanwala also said Nabard's Self Help Group - Bank Linkage Programme (SHG-BLP), benefiting millions of rural women, will soon move to a digital platform which will revolutionise lending to women SHGs. DP ABM

Have headroom to raise Rs 35,000 cr from market: Nabard chief

After showing off his modelling skills when he graced the cover of India Today’s latest issue, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=baba+ramdev&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Baba Ramdev </a>showed off his <keyword id="64" type="SPORT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Football">football</keyword> skills with a cameo performance at a <keyword id="1115011" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Charity-football-match">charity football match</keyword> in Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium last night. 
 We know what you’re thinking and to answer your doubts- nope he wasn’t wearing a jersey or any accepted sportswear. Instead, <keyword id="6355107" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Baba-Ramdev">Baba Ramdev</keyword> was scoring it up on the field wearing his trademark saffron dhoti and matching shoes, with not a care in the world. 
 
Which brings to me my question- have we ever seen Baba Ramdev wearing anything except that saffron dhoti? 
 
 
 
For now, I’ll keep the wondering to myself and move on with the story. The match, in question was played between Bollywood celebrities and Indian politicians to raise awareness for Prime Minister<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=narendra+modi&amp;sortorder=effectivedate"> Narendra </a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=narendra+modi&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Modi’</a>s two pet-projects -- the Swachh Bharat Mission and the Beti Bachao, Beti Badhao campaign for girl child empowerment. The tickets of the match, priced at Rs 200, Rs 400 and Rs 600 will go towards these two campiagns. 
 
While <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=abhishek+bachchan&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Abhishek Bachchan</a> led the <keyword id="1189543" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="All-Stars-Football-Club">All Stars Football Club</keyword> that included <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=ranbir+kapoor&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Ranbir Kapoor</a>, Arjun Kapoor, Dino Morea and Sidharth Malhotra among others, the parliamentarians were led by minister of state for heavy industries B<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=babul+supriyo&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">abul</a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=babul+supriyo&amp;sortorder=effectivedate"> Supriyo</a>. 
 
We leave you with a picture of Baba Ramdev trying to score in a rather awkward pose. Bend it like Baba, indeed!

You Searched For "Swachh Bharat Mission" and got 14 results

Modi gets top man for his Swachh Bharat Mission

BI India Bureau

India built 100 million rural toilets, but Indians are yet to learn to use them

Preeti Soni

Swachh City Solutions App for garbage free India by April

BI India Bureau

Google to expand mix mode commute option to cities across India

PTI

The top two political parties in India are bickering over who’s better at building toilets

Dilsher Dhillon

The Delhi government has failed to make even one toilet under the Swachh Bharat Mission

Kavita Majumdar

Swachh Sarvekshan spells bad news for Modi’s Varanasi, Mysuru emerges cleanest of all

BI India Bureau

Welcome to Lodhi Colony- India's first open air public art district

Poulomi Das

Indian States Gear Up For An Era Of ‘Smart Cities’

BI India Bureau

World bank comes forward to help PM Modi realize his Swachh Bharat dream

Anushree Singh

RailBudget2016: Suresh Prabhu offers too much on the platter for passengers

Akanksha Jain

Swachh Bharat’s first anniversary will be huge! Modi is ensuring the Govt goes all out

BI India Bureau

Have headroom to raise Rs 35,000 cr from market: Nabard chief

PTI

When Baba Ramdev played football wearing a dhoti

Poulomi Das

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides