Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan: Gujarat fails to achieve target in constructing toilets in schools, anganwadis

By A Representative
A just-released report, the Union ministry of drinking water and sanitation has found that Gujarat has faltered in meeting annual implementation plan (AIP) target for the constructing toilets in schools in rural areas. The report, which is actually a detailed agenda note for review meeting with state principal secretaries/ secretaries in charge of rural sanitation, scheduled for August 25, has said that in the financial year 2013-14 Gujarat achieved just 24.3 per cent of the AIP target as against cent per cent by Kerala and Rajasthan, 60.5 per cent by Karnataka, and 51.6 per cent by West Bengal. The all-India average for meeting the AIP target was 48.4 per cent.
In the year 2014-15, the report states, as of July 2014, Gujarat’s achievement for constructing toilets in schools has been zero. The report regrets, Gujarat happens to be one of the dozen-odd states which haven’t been able to meet even the national AIP average for 2014-15, which is 4.2 per cent, for toilets in schools, nor has it achieved the 100 day target. Other states with poor performance in meeting the 100-day target are Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Uttarakhand.

Achievement in construction of toilets in schools 2013-14

Worse, the report states that Gujarat could meet just 10.4 per cent of the AIP target for constructing toilets in anganwadis in rural areas, as against the all-India average of 27.8 per cent. Tamil Nadu met cent per cent targets, followed by Rajasthan 83.2 per cent, Karnataka 40.5 per cent, and Madhya Pradesh 35.2 per cent. The report underlines, “The maintenance of school and anganwadi toilets is a major issue”, and to achieve the targets, the report underlines, states much attract corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds, apart from tapping on government sources.
The report is based on the data provided by the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan, a flagship programme begun by the previous UPA government. The report says, the states which have failed to achieve their targets under Nirmal Bharat should accelerate the pace of implementation as they are registering “slow progress.” It points out, the Prime Minister wants that “all schools will have to be provided with for separate toilets for boys and girls by August 15, 2015”, adding, all states should make plans in order to achieve the target, and may submit requirements for this.

Achievement in construction of toilets in anganwadis 2013-14

The poor achievement in constructing school and anganwadi toilets in rural areas of Gujarat, however, has been offset by the state’s excellent performance by achieving cent per cent target in 2013-14 in the construction of toilets in individual households, the data suggest. Another state, apart from Gujarat, which achieved cent per cent target is Karnataka. In 2014-15 (till July), too, the report suggests, Gujarat has performed reasonable well by achieving 10.3 per cent of the target as against the all-India average of 3.7 per cent.
The report gives data from three different sources of the per cent of individual households having toilets in rural India. Thus, according to the Census of India 2011, Gujarat’s 34.24 per cent of individual households had toilets, as against the all-India average of 32.67 per cent. According to the 2012 National Sample Survey, 41.3 per cent Gujarat households had toilets, as against national average of 40.6 per cent. And, as per the rural sanitation coverage baseline survey (2012-13), 52.75 per cent Gujarat households had toilets, as against the national average of 40.35 per cent.

Comments

Gujarat Information Commission issues warning against misinterpretation of RTI orders

By A Representative The Gujarat Information Commission (GIC) has issued a press note clarifying that its orders limiting the number of Right to Information (RTI) applications for certain individuals apply only to those specific applicants. The GIC has warned that it will take disciplinary action against any public officials who misinterpret these orders to deny information to other citizens. The press note, signed by GIC Secretary Jaideep Dwivedi, states that the Right to Information Act, 2005, is a powerful tool for promoting transparency and accountability in public administration. However, the commission has observed that some applicants are misusing the act by filing an excessive number of applications, which disproportionately consumes the time and resources of Public Information Officers (PIOs), First Appellate Authorities (FAAs), and the commission itself. This misuse can cause delays for genuine applicants seeking justice. In response to this issue, and in acc...

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

'MGNREGA crisis deepening': NSM demands fair wages and end to digital exclusions

By A Representative The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha (NSM), a coalition of independent unions of MGNREGA workers, has warned that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is facing a “severe crisis” due to persistent neglect and restrictive measures imposed by the Union Government.

Gandhiji quoted as saying his anti-untouchability view has little space for inter-dining with "lower" castes

By A Representative A senior activist close to Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar has defended top Booker prize winning novelist Arundhati Roy’s controversial utterance on Gandhiji that “his doctrine of nonviolence was based on an acceptance of the most brutal social hierarchy the world has ever known, the caste system.” Surprised at the police seeking video footage and transcript of Roy’s Mahatma Ayyankali memorial lecture at the Kerala University on July 17, Nandini K Oza in a recent blog quotes from available sources to “prove” that Gandhiji indeed believed in “removal of untouchability within the caste system.”

Targeted eviction of Bengali-speaking Muslims across Assam districts alleged

By A Representative A delegation led by prominent academic and civil rights leader Sandeep Pandey visited three districts in Assam—Goalpara, Dhubri, and Lakhimpur—between 2 and 4 September 2025 to meet families affected by recent demolitions and evictions. The delegation reported widespread displacement of Bengali-speaking Muslim communities, many of whom possess valid citizenship documents including Aadhaar, voter ID, ration cards, PAN cards, and NRC certification.

'Centre criminally negligent': SKM demands national disaster declaration in flood-hit states

By A Representative The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has urged the Centre to immediately declare the recent floods and landslides in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Haryana as a national disaster, warning that the delay in doing so has deepened the suffering of the affected population.

Saffron Kingdom – a cinematic counter-narrative to The Kashmir Files

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* “Saffron Kingdom” is a film produced in the United States by members of the Kashmiri diaspora, positioned as a response to the 2022 release “The Kashmir Files.” While the latter focused on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits and framed Kashmiri Muslims as perpetrators of violence, “Saffron Kingdom” seeks to present an alternate perspective—highlighting the experiences of Kashmiri Muslims facing alleged abuses by Indian security forces.

From lazy to lost? The myths and realities behind generational panic about youth

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak Older generations in many societies often describe the young with labels such as “lazy, unproductive, lost, anxious, depoliticised, unpatriotic or wayward.” Others see them as “social media, mobile phone and porn addicts.” Such judgments arise from a generational anxiety rooted in fears of losing control and from distorted perceptions about youth, especially in the context of economic crises, conflicts, and wars in which many young lives are lost.

'Govts must walk the talk on gender equality, right to health, human rights to deliver SDGs by 2030'

By A Representative With just 64 months left to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), global health and rights advocates have called upon governments to honour their commitments on gender equality and the human right to health. Speaking ahead of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), experts warned that rising anti-rights and anti-gender pushes are threatening hard-won progress on SDG-3 (health and wellbeing) and SDG-5 (gender equality).

Counterview

Search This Blog