Under Rahul Gandhi’s inspired leadership, the Congress has officially entered the Zombie zone, turning itself into the living dead. The party has retaken Himachal Pradesh and some Muslim-dominated wards in Delhi. It is winning a by-election in Chhattisgarh, as well. Sure, these signs of life matter.
World Toilet Day is held every year on November 19. India, in its endeavour to achieve health, hygiene, and cleanliness along with universal sanitation coverage, launched the Swachh Bharat Mission.
Namaste – National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem is a joint venture of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
In August this year, 500 cities across India declared themselves as ‘Safai Mitra Surakshit Shehar’. This implies transformation of every ‘manhole’ into a ‘machine hole’ and showcases the success of the decisive drive towards discarding the inhuman practise of manual scavenging.
The SafaiMitra Suraksha Challenge launched on 19th November 2020 is a leap forward towards achieving zero fatality and a mechanised design in place and practice to deal with human waste.
The Indian Census has been delayed. While some sources claim that it is now to be conducted in 2023, it appears on the whole that the planning and preparation that is a prerequisite for the initiative has been put off indefinitely. While the Government of India posted in its notices that the reason for the delay was the Covid-19 pandemic, this article explores why such a reason might be a purely ostensible one. The article argues for immediate course correction, for reasons more than just having a “headcount”.