Clean India, Strong India

On Gandhi Jayanti, Swachh Bharat reflects India’s journey from toilets to transformation, proving cleanliness is not just dignity but a driver of growth, heritage, and opportunity

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A litter-free beach or a heritage site with safe sanitation facilities makes visitors stay longer, enjoy more, and return

On Gandhi Jayanti, we recall Mahatma Gandhi's timeless conviction: “Sanitation is more important than independence.” It was not a metaphor, but a call to action. It signalled that dignity, health, and discipline must form the bedrock of national progress.

It has been 11 years since the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). India has made sanitation a peoples movement, jan andolan. What began with the vision of making India Open Defecation Free, as envisioned by our Homble Prime Minister, has now evolved into a culture of cleanliness, hygiene, and community ownership, reaffirming the belief in “Swabhav Swachhata, Sanskar Swachhata”.

‘The impact of the Swachh Bharat Mission is well known and has been studied by various reputable organisations; the assets created under this program also tell their own story. Under SBM-Grameen, over 11.5 crore toilets have been constructed, and today, more than 4.7 lakh villages have declared themselves as ODF Plus Model — they are equipped with solid and liquid waste management systems and are visually clean. ‘The true impact lies not in these statistics alone, but in the lived experiences of families living in rural areas. This includes places where women who no longer need to walk long distances to relieve themselves, and healthier children; cleaner water bodies where wastewater and plastics are better managed and witnessing pan-chayats and women’s groups taking local leadership in waste management.