PM Modi to recieve Global Goalkeepers Award; All you need to know

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to be honoured with the Global Goalkeeper Award by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on September 24, for his efforts to improve sanitation in India through the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan initiative. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was launched on October 2, 2014, in honour of Mahatama Gandhi, and has provided over 98% of India's villages with over 100 million toilets, with a singular goal of eliminating open defecation. Here is everything you need to know about the prestigious award that PM Modi is going to be conferred with: 

The Global Goals Award

The Global Goals Awards are annual awards by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which are presented to leaders and individuals for their relentless efforts in achieving the universal Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as proposed by the United Nations.

"These awards tell the extraordinary stories of remarkable individuals taking action to bring the Global Goals to life and help achieve them by 2030," read the foundation website for this year's awards. 

READ | Howdy Modi: A look at the awards PM Modi will add to on his US visit

Category of Awards

The Global Goals Awards are spread across five categories with each category having a specific age criteria. PM Narendra Modi will receive the Global Goalkeeper Award which is a special recognition award that celebrates a political leader who has demonstrated their commitment to the Global Goals through impactful work in their country and/or globally. The other categories are Progress, Changemaker, Campaign and Goalkeepers Voice.

READ | Dia Mirza: The world looks up to India to set an example globally

Why PM Modi has been selected?

PM Modi has been selected as a recipient of the prestigious Global Goalkeeper Award to mark his efforts to provide the Indian population with access to sanitation. An official statement from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation stated:

"Before the Swachh Bharat mission, over 500 million people in India did not have access to safe sanitation, and now, the majority do. There is still a long way to go, but the impacts of access to sanitation in India are already being realised. The Swachh Bharat mission can serve as a model for other countries around the world that urgently need to improve access to sanitation for the world's poorest."

READ | Global postal union meets amid Trump threat to pull the US out

Speakers at the Global Goalkeepers Event

Previous years of the Global Goalkeepers Event have witnessed the presence of some big names at the annual event. The former President of United States Barack Obama, President of France Emmanuel Macron, Deputy UN Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau and Nobel Peace Prize winners like Malala Yousafzai and Nadia Murad are few of the notable speakers.

READ | Global climate protests begin in Australia before UN summit