The journey from ODF to ODF Plus Model has not been about ticking boxes, but about ensuring that households, schools, and anganwadi centres reflect the success of the rural water and sanitation missions.
Telangana has highest number of villages declared 'Open Defecation Free Plus', the 'plus' signifying sustained ODF status, solid and liquid waste management, and visual cleanliness.
Every year on 19 November, the UN celebrates World Toilet Day to create awareness about the 4.2 billion people who are living without ‘safely managed sanitation’.
A field survey conducted by Centre for Policy Research, University of Texas and UC Berkely tracked changes in open defecation in rural north India in the last five years.
Former IAS officer Parameswaran Iyer built 11 crore toilets all over India in 60 months. That's how PM Modi could declare rural India open-defecation free.
Driving an electric vehicle for months, the Hyundai IONIQ5, BMW iX and now the Kia Carens Clavis electric, has convinced me of the viability of EVs for city and mid-range commutes.
With the US-India trade deal yet to get done, rupee depreciation may be helping to mitigate India’s loss of competitiveness. The other problem is extreme despondence among overseas equity investors.
Of the total package, $649 million will be utilised for additional hardware, software, and support services, and the remaining for Major Defence Equipment (MDE).
Don’t blame misfortune. This is colossal incompetence and insensitivity. So bad, heads would have rolled even in the old PSU-era Indian Airlines and Air India.
Ours is a country that is full of street garbage. Swatch Bharat is just another failed scheme of socialist India.