Nominated by the Honorable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi for the Swatch Bharat Abhiyan, the India Today group has consistently undertaking different initiatives. Following are the details:
- Construction of more than 1000 family toilets for poorer sections of the society, undertake studies to understand issues & challenges related hygiene and sanitation through Care Today Fund – a CSR initiative of the group using donations raised from participants of 13th edition of India Today Conclave in 2014 and TV Today Newtwork Limited
- Regular coverage of issues related to hygiene and sanitation through its publications
- Launch Safaigiri awards for different categories and widely publicize call for nominations through publications and electronic media
- Identify reputed personalities to be on the jury for selection for Safaigiri awardees
- Hold Safaigiri Singathon an event to enhance awareness on sanitation & hygiene
Responding to the Government of India’s Swatch Bharat Abhiyan, and encouraged by the success of Clean Toilet Project activities, the T V Today Network Limited donated Rs 93,25,955 (ninety three lacs twenty five thousand nine hundred and forty four rupees) in February 2015 and directed Care Today Fund to undertake activities aligned to health & sanitation.
Care Today Fund is currently pledged grants worth Rs 59,45,000 out of the donations received to construct 325 toilets and to undertake a feasibility of cleaning the Shahadra Drainage flowing through NOIDA. Care Today is working in partnership with U-Respect Foundation, Nageshwara Charitable Trust and SSR Ecotech Private Limited.
Nominated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, India Today Group launched the Safaigiri, which will identify champions, whether individuals or institutions, in 13 categories who will be awarded for their inspiring work. We invite you to send your nominations and be part of the nationwide movement. Categories up for nomination: Cleanest Beach Town, Cleanest Ghat, Cleanest Hill Station, Cleanest Market Place, Cleanest Monument, Cleanest Park and more
In this year's Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about Swachh Bharat's biggest brand ambassadors. Here is what he said: ''You may not have paid heed to it, but try to remember what happened in your family? There are crores of such families in India, whose children are in the age group of five, ten and fifteen and they have become the greatest ambassador of "Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan". These children prevent their parents from littering in their homes and ask them to avoid spreading filth and rubbish here and there. In case, any father is addicted to consuming gutka and whenever the father opens the windows of the car to spit, his son prevents him to do so on the plea of keeping India clean. The success of this programme is due to those little children.'' In keeping with this spirit, Safaigiri SIngers will be going to the least clean areas of India and motivating school children to use hygiene kits, which they will distribute.
Research shows that while work on toilets is proceeding on course, with 18 lakh toilets expected to be built by early next year against Prime Minister's target of 25 lakh toilets by March 2016, use remains a problem, as in many parts of India there is no understanding of the connection between good health and use of toilets. So although according to NSS data, 60 per cent of rural households do not have access to toilets, even 2 per cent of rural households which have access to toilets do not use them. Another study by Research Institute for Compassionate Economics (RICE) says 7 per cent of households with access to toilets were not using them. Safaigiri Singers will work methodically and continuously to overcome this mindset in the most affected parts of India, making children their brand ambassadors by distributing these kits in schools.