Swachh Bharat Mission and Swachh Bharat Kosh
Environment & Ecology › Environmental Institutions and Schemes in India · Topic 19.15
The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), or Clean India Mission, was launched by the Prime Minister on 2 October 2014, the 145th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, to achieve a clean India by 2 October 2019, the 150th anniversary. It has two components: Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), run by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, and Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), run by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Its main goals were to end open defecation by building household, community and public toilets, to introduce scientific solid waste management, and to change behaviour on sanitation and hygiene. The Government reported that more than 10 crore household toilets were built under SBM-Gramin, and on 2 October 2019 India declared itself open defecation free (ODF), a claim based on government surveys and debated by some independent studies. Phase II of SBM-Gramin (2020-21 to 2024-25) focuses on sustaining ODF status, solid and liquid waste management in villages and the ODF Plus status. SBM-Urban 2.0 (2021 to 2026) aims for garbage-free cities, scientific management of all waste, treatment of used water and clearing of legacy dumpsites. The Swachh Bharat Kosh was created in 2014 as a fund under the Ministry of Finance, to receive contributions from individuals, philanthropists and corporates (including under CSR) for sanitation and cleanliness work, particularly sanitation in schools. Donations to it get tax benefits. The Swachh Survekshan annual rankings, the Swachh Bharat cess and the Swachhata Hi Seva campaigns are related.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Environment & Ecology · Environmental Institutions and Schemes in India
At a Glance
- Launched 2 October 2014
- Target date 2 October 2019
- Rural ministry Jal Shakti
- Urban ministry Housing and Urban Affairs
- Fund Swachh Bharat Kosh
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Environment & Ecology: Environmental Institutions and Schemes in India
Where Does It Fit?
This topic follows the Eco-Mark Scheme and presents the national sanitation mission. It leads to the afforestation and river conservation schemes, and the scheme for household toilets. Previous topic: Eco-Mark Scheme. Next topic: National Afforestation Programme.
What Are the Components and Goals of SBM?
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Launch | 2 October 2014 by the Prime Minister, to make India clean by 2 October 2019 |
| SBM-Gramin | Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, now Jal Shakti; household toilets, community toilets and village cleanliness |
| SBM-Urban | Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; individual and community toilets, solid waste management, behaviour change |
| ODF declaration | India declared itself open defecation free on 2 October 2019, based on government verification |
| SBM-G Phase II | 2020-21 to 2024-25; sustaining ODF status and ODF Plus for waste management |
| SBM-U 2.0 | Launched 1 October 2021 for five years; garbage-free cities, used water management, legacy waste clean-up |
| Swachh Survekshan | Annual urban cleanliness survey ranking cities |
What Is the Swachh Bharat Kosh and Related Issues?
- Swachh Bharat Kosh: created in 2014 to take voluntary contributions from individuals, philanthropists and corporates for sanitation
- Uses: school sanitation, toilets, waste management and awareness
- Tax benefit: contributions qualify for tax deduction and CSR credit
- Swachh Bharat cess: 0.5 percent service tax cess introduced in 2015, later subsumed by GST in 2017
- Toilets: over 10 crore built in rural India
- Behaviour change: usage matters as much as construction
- Criticism: data on usage, water availability and manual scavenging
- Waste: many cities still lack full processing and have legacy dumps
What Else Should You Remember?
- SBM date: launched at Rajpath by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
- Gandhi’s 150th anniversary: 2 October 2019 target date
- Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation: merged into Jal Shakti in 2019
- ODF verification: states declared ODF and third-party surveys verified
- ODF Plus: ODF villages with solid or liquid waste management
- ODF Plus Model: highest tier of ODF Plus
- Garbage Free Star Rating: urban rating system
- Water Plus: rating for cities that treat used water
- Swachh Survekshan: Indore has topped repeatedly since 2017
- Swachh Bharat Kosh Trust: administers the Kosh
- School sanitation: Swachh Vidyalaya campaign built toilets in all schools
- Sanitation coverage: household toilet coverage rose from under 40 percent in 2014 to nearly all
- Manual scavenging: banned by the 2013 Act but persists
- Toilet incentive: Rs 12,000 per household toilet in rural areas
- Faecal sludge management: a policy for septic tank cleaning
- Sewage treatment: AMRUT mission supports
- Behaviour change: Swachhata Hi Seva campaigns and mass media
- Health: reduced open defecation linked to lower diarrhoea
- Evaluation: a few studies show gains in health and some gaps in use
- Link to previous: see Eco-Mark Scheme
- Link to next: see National Afforestation Programme
- Link to toilets: see Pradhan Mantri Sauchalay Yojana
- Caution: numbers on toilets built and ODF status are official claims and may change, so check the Mission dashboards
- Exam hint: remember 2014 launch, 2019 target, two ministries and the Kosh
- Ministry of Jal Shakti: runs the rural component through the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation
- Gandhian symbol: the logo is Mahatma Gandhi’s spectacles and the slogan Ek Kadam Swachhata Ki Ore
- Used water: SBM-U 2.0 and the Water Plus rating push cities to treat sewage and reuse water
- Sanitation workers: the mission stresses safety and dignity of sanitation workers and mechanised cleaning of sewers
- Waste picker role: urban plans are meant to integrate informal waste pickers
- Community toilets: used where individual toilets are not possible, such as in slums and public places
- Ranking effect: Swachh Survekshan rankings create competition among cities and have improved services in several
Why Does It Matter for the Exam?
- Launch: 2 October 2014
- Target: 2 October 2019
- Fund: Swachh Bharat Kosh
- Current affairs link: SBM-U 2.0 and ODF Plus
- Common errors: saying SBM was launched in 2019
As an analytical point, SBM changed the national conversation on sanitation and built toilets at a large scale, but sustaining use, ensuring water and managing waste are harder tasks. The Kosh and CSR funding show a shift to involve private money.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Toilets Access
- Waste Cities
- Fund Kosh
What Came Next?
The next topic covers the National Afforestation Programme. Next topic: National Afforestation Programme.
Key People and Terms
- SBM Swachh Bharat Mission
- ODF Open defecation free
- ODF Plus ODF with waste management
- SBK Swachh Bharat Kosh
- FSM Faecal sludge management
- SBM-U Urban mission
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Launched 2 October 2014.
- Target: 2 October 2019.
- Rural: Jal Shakti; urban: MoHUA.
- SBM-U 2.0 began 2021.
- Kosh created 2014.
Do Not Confuse With
- SBM-G and SBM-U Rural versus urban mission
- ODF and ODF Plus No open defecation versus plus waste management
- Swachh Bharat Kosh and Clean Ganga Fund Sanitation fund versus Ganga fund
Memory Hook
Gandhi’s day in fourteen starts it, nineteen sees ODF; Kosh collects for clean.
Mains Angle
Questions ask for dates, ministries and the Kosh. These points help.
- Goals ODF, waste
- Results Toilets
- Gaps Use, waste
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Evaluate the Swachh Bharat Mission’s achievements and challenges, including the role of the Swachh Bharat Kosh.”
How to Answer
- Launch 2014.
- Components G and U.
- Results ODF.
- Gaps Use, waste.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Swachh Bharat Mission?
The Swachh Bharat Mission is India's national cleanliness campaign launched on 2 October 2014 to end open defecation, build toilets, improve solid waste management and change sanitation behaviour, with a target date of 2 October 2019. It has a rural part run by Jal Shakti and an urban part run by Housing and Urban Affairs.
What is the Swachh Bharat Kosh?
The Swachh Bharat Kosh was created in 2014 as a fund under the Ministry of Finance to receive voluntary contributions from individuals, philanthropists and corporates, including under CSR, for sanitation work such as toilets in schools and waste management. Contributions to it qualify for tax benefits.
What is ODF Plus?
ODF Plus is a status for villages that have sustained their open defecation free status and also have arrangements for solid waste management and liquid waste management, such as greywater treatment, along with cleanliness. It is part of the second phase of the rural mission and has aspirational, rising and model levels.
What is SBM-Urban 2.0?
SBM-Urban 2.0, launched on 1 October 2021 for five years to 2026, aims at garbage-free cities with scientific management of all waste, segregation at source, clearing of legacy dumpsites, treatment of used water, and promoting a circular economy. It also supports sewage and septage management through the Water Plus rating.
What are the main criticisms of the Swachh Bharat Mission?
Critics note that building toilets did not always lead to use, especially where water supply was poor, that ODF claims rest on official surveys, that manual scavenging and septic tank deaths persist, that waste processing in cities is weak, and that behaviour change and sustained maintenance need more attention than construction.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 The SBM was launched on 2 October 2014.
Gandhi Jayanti.
2 The urban SBM is run by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
By Housing and Urban Affairs.
3 The Swachh Bharat Kosh takes voluntary contributions.
Including CSR.
4 SBM-U 2.0 targets garbage-free cities.
Launched 2021.
Past Mains Questions on This Topic
This topic comes under Environmental Institutions and Schemes in India. UPSC Mains questions asked on the matching syllabus topic, year-wise with marks:
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