On 15 August 2014, in his maiden Independence Day address to the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a firm resolve to eradicate open defecation in India in just five years. Launched to implement this vision, the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) had a challenging job on hand but has proved to be one of the major successes of the government. Over the past six years, almost 10 crore toilets were built under SBM-Grameen, and rural sanitation coverage rose from 39 per cent in 2014 to 100 per cent in 2019. The Mission's mass outreach effort mobilized over 60 crore people to change their behaviour. India declared itself Open Defecation Free on 2 October 2019, Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary. The Swachh Bharat Revolution looks at how India made the impossible possible. With a Foreword by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and edited by Parameswaran Iyer, it provides wide-ranging perspectives on the programme and celebrates a historic national achievement.
About the Author
PARAMESWARAN IYER is currently the Global Lead for Strategic Initiatives in the World Bank's Water Global Practice. Prior to this, he served as Secretary to the Government of India at the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (later, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the newly formed Ministry of Jal Shakti), from March 2016 until August 2020, and led the implementation of the flagship Swachh Bharat Mission. A former IAS officer, Iyer headed the innovative community-led Swajal Project in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand in the 1990s, has over twenty-five years of global experience in the water and sanitation sector and has worked in many countries, including Vietnam, China, Egypt and Lebanon. A fitness enthusiast, Iyer also served as road manager to his daughter and son on the pro tennis circuit during a two-year sabbatical from his professional career.
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