"India Showcases Rural Water and Sanitation Model to African Nations"
Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)
Central scheme launched in 2019 to provide tap water connections to every rural household.
Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G)
National rural sanitation programme aimed at ending open defecation.
"Water" including water supply and sanitation is placed under Entry 17 of the State List in the Seventh Schedule, making it primarily a state subject; the Centre's role has largely been to coordinate and part-fund centrally sponsored missions. Article 47 additionally places a duty on the State to work towards raising the level of public health. In line with this, the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) functions under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, formed in 2019 by merging the erstwhile Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation with the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, bringing water-resource management and drinking-water and sanitation delivery under one roof.
On this base, two flagship missions were launched: Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G) in 2014 to end open defecation, and the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) on 15 August 2019 to provide a Functional Household Tap Connection to every rural home. Both missions lean on the decentralised structure created by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, which devolves planning, execution and operation and maintenance to Gram Panchayats and Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs). The sector also has non-governmental actors working alongside these missions. The India Sanitation Coalition, for instance, operates as a multi-stakeholder platform rather than a body funded by government and international agencies, distinct from statutory research bodies such as the National Institute of Urban Affairs, an apex body under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. This distinction between government-run missions and voluntary multi-stakeholder platforms is a recurring feature of how India organises WASH governance.
This domestic model is increasingly becoming a template for India's external engagement. As part of the ninth India International Water Week, the DDWS convened an Indo-Africa Roundtable on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, bringing together representatives from African countries to discuss shared challenges. This reflects a broader shift in India's development diplomacy: from being primarily a recipient of international assistance to becoming a provider of technical knowledge, digital governance tools and institutional models for other developing countries.
JJM aims to supply potable tap water at a prescribed daily quantity to every rural household, funded through a Centre-State cost-sharing formula that varies by region, and implemented through a chain running from the National Jal Jeevan Mission down to State and District Water and Sanitation Missions and finally to Gram Panchayats. Rural tap-water coverage under the mission has expanded substantially since its launch, reflecting the scale of the public investment involved. The mission also emphasises source sustainability, encouraging a gradual shift from excessive groundwater dependence towards surface-water sources, and water-quality monitoring through community-based Field Testing Kits.
SBM-G, in parallel, converted sanitation into what is described as a people's movement, relying on behavioural change and community-led approaches rather than only subsidised toilet construction. …
Consider the following statements:
1.The India Sanitation Coalition is a platform to promote sustainable sanitation and is funded by the Government of India and the World Health Organization.
2.The National Institute of Urban Affairs is an apex body of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in Government of India and provides innovative solutions to address the challenges of Urban India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM):
1.It was launched on 15 August 2019 with the objective of providing Functional Household Tap Connections to every rural household.
2.It functions under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, formed by merging the erstwhile Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation and the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
3.It has a legally fixed target of providing 100 litres per capita per day of piped water to all rural households.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements:
1.Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin was launched in 2014 and helped India achieve open defecation free (ODF) status nationally by 2019.
2.The Jal Jeevan Mission's Centre-State funding pattern is applied uniformly across all States and Union Territories.
3.Water and sanitation is placed in the State List of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Match List I (Programme/Institution) with List II (Primary Function) and select the correct answer using the code given below:
List I:
A.Jal Jeevan Mission
B.Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin
C.Sujalam Bharat
D.Village Water and Sanitation Committee
List II:
1.Rural sanitation and behaviour-change movement
2.Household tap water connections
3.Digital public infrastructure for water governance
4.Local-level planning and operation & maintenance of water schemes
Which of the following best describes Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 6.2, which India links to the Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin?
The Ministry of Jal Shakti, under which the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation functions, was formed in 2019 by merging which two erstwhile Union Ministries?
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