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Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban and Rur… — Govt Scheme for UPSC | Vaidra
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Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban and Rural

Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (for Urban) and Ministry of Jal Shakti (for Rural)activesocialLaunched: 2014-10-02

About the Scheme

SBM is India's flagship sanitation mission launched Oct 2 2014. Phase I built 11.98 crore toilets; achieved ODF India by 2019. Phase II (SBM-G 2.0 and SBM-U 2.0) focuses on ODF Plus/Model villages and Garbage Free Cities. 5.44 lakh+ ODF Plus villages; 1.96 lakh ODF Plus Model villages. 4,479 urban cities ODF+.

Target Beneficiaries: 1.4 billion Indians; 5.44 lakh ODF Plus villages; 4,479 urban cities ODF+; 1,191 Water Plus cities

Implementing Agency: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (for Urban) and Ministry of Jal Shakti (for Rural)

Official Website →

✦Key Features

  • 11.98 crore Individual Household Latrines built; 2.65 lakh Community Sanitary Complexes
  • 5.44 lakh ODF Plus villages (out of 5.94 lakh total); 1.96 lakh ODF Plus Model villages
  • SBM-Rural Phase II (2020-25): ODF Plus: solid waste, liquid waste, biodegradable waste management
  • SBM-Urban Phase II (2021-26): Garbage Free Cities 1-5 star; 4,479 ODF+; 1,191 Water Plus cities
  • Swachh Survekshan: annual city cleanliness ranking competition since 2016
  • ODF Plus Model States: J&K, Sikkim, Lakshadweep, D&NH and Daman & Diu
  • SBM-U 2.0 focus: faecal sludge management, legacy waste remediation

✓Eligibility Criteria

  • Households without existing functional toilets (for IHHLs).
  • Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) for public and community toilets and waste management projects.
  • Gram Panchayats (GPs) for rural sanitation and waste management initiatives.
  • Individuals and communities committed to adopting hygienic practices.

★Benefits

  • Improved public health and reduced incidence of sanitation-related diseases.
  • Enhanced dignity and safety, especially for women and children.
  • Reduced environmental pollution and improved aesthetic appeal of surroundings.
  • Economic benefits through reduced healthcare costs and potential job creation in waste management.
  • Contribution to India's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation).

▶Application Process

  • Submit an application online through the SBM portal or offline at the respective Gram Panchayat/Urban Local Body office.
  • Provide necessary personal and household details along with required documents.
  • Application undergoes verification by local authorities to assess eligibility.
  • Upon approval, financial assistance/subsidy is disbursed for toilet construction.
  • Construction of the toilet facility by the beneficiary or through designated agencies.
  • Post-construction verification ensures proper utilization and functionality.

₹ Budget Allocation

52137

Funding Ratio (Centre:State): 60:40 (General States), 90:10 (NE/Himalayan), 100% (UTs)

Exam Relevance

GS Paper: GS2

Prelims Relevance8%
Mains Relevance9%

Syllabus Tags

SanitationUrban DevelopmentRural DevelopmentPublic HealthGS2

Historical Context

Evolved from Central Rural Sanitation Programme (1986) -> Total Sanitation Campaign (1999) -> Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (2012). Launched in current form on Oct 2, 2014.

Exclusion Criteria

  • Individuals who already received subsidies under previous schemes (ILCS/NBSP)
  • Commercial establishments for individual household toilet subsidies

Sub-Schemes

Gobar-Dhan

Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan

SBM-U 2.0

Focus on water-secure and garbage-free cities

Challenges

  • Behavioral relapse in rural areas (slippage)
  • Inefficient segregation of waste at source in urban areas
  • Manual scavenging issues despite mechanization efforts
  • Sustainability of Community Sanitary Complexes (CSCs)

Reforms & Recommendations

  • Formalization of waste pickers into the municipal workforce
  • Strict enforcement of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic waste
  • Focus on 'Gobar-Dhan' for rural energy security

Performance Statistics

Metric

11.7 Crore

Source: SBM-G Portal

Metric

Over 90%

Source: PIB

Critical Analysis

SBM is arguably the world's largest behavioral change program. Its success lies in moving sanitation from a 'departmental task' to a 'Jan Andolan' (People's Movement). While Phase I achieved the hardware goal of ODF status, Phase II faces the 'slippage' challenge—ensuring people continue to use toilets. The shift to ODF Plus (Waste management) is more complex than toilet construction as it requires sophisticated supply chains for plastic and fecal sludge management. The 'Urban 2.0' focus on remediating legacy dumpsites (garbage mountains) is a critical climate and health imperative but suffers from slow municipal execution.

SDG Linkages

SDG 6: Clean Water and SanitationSDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

Constitutional Backing

Article 47 - Duty of the State to raise the level of nutrition and standard of living and to improve public healthArticle 21 - Right to a clean environment as part of Right to Life

Technology Used

SBM Mobile App (Geo-tagging)Google Maps Toilet LocatorSCADA for STP monitoring

Success Stories

Indore Model

Key Takeaways

  • Phase I: ODF (Open Defecation Free)
  • Phase II: ODF Plus and ODF Plus Model
  • SLWM (Solid and Liquid Waste Management)
  • Focus on 'Visual Cleanliness' and Garbage Free Cities

Probable Questions

Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 marks a shift from 'sanitation as an end' to 'sanitation as a means' to a circular economy. Elaborate.

MediumVery High

Mains Answer Fodder

SBM can be used for: 1. Success of nudge theory in public policy. 2. Linkage between sanitation and maternal/child health (Stunting/Wasting). 3. Circular economy through 'Waste to Wealth'. 4. Cooperative Federalism (Swachh Survekshan rankings).

Convergence Schemes

  • Jal Jeevan Mission
  • AMRUT
  • MGNREGS (for toilet construction labor)

Sector Tags

SanitationPublic HealthUrban Development