Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launches Swachh Bharat Mission Academy

Union minister for Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Tuesday launched the Swachh Bharat Mission Academy at an event in the national capital, as a part of the ongoing week-long behaviour change campaign titled "GandagiMuktBharat" . 

Shekhawat launched the academy by dialing the designated IVR toll-free number and listening to the welcome message of the academy.  

The primary purpose of launching the academy was to sustain the behaviour change that promotes the capacity building of the key stakeholders, which include the Swachhagrahis and other field functionaries. 

The IVR-based free online learning course on ODF would be crucial in achieving goals that are being underlined in the second phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission(Grameen)(SBM(G)). 

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Jal Shakti minister Shekhawat said, "The Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen)has transformed the rural part of the country by manifesting a Jan Andolan for sanitation which is unlike any other the world has ever seen". 

"The movement has led the nation to the historic achievement of Open Defection Free(ODF) declaration by all villages, districts, and states on the 2nd of October, 2019" further added Shekhawat.

The second phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission(Grameen) was launched this year. The primary focus  was the sustainability of the Open-Defecation-Free(ODF) movement and Solid and Liquid Waste Management(SLWM). 

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"Swachh Bharat Mission Academy, with its mobile-based technology will significantly train the Swachhagrahis as well as PRI members, community-based organizations, NGOs, SHGs and others who are associated with phase 2 of SBM(G)", the Union Minister added.

Union minister of state for Jal Shakti, Shri Rattan Lal Kataria also congratulated the SBM(G)team, central and state government officials and several Swachhagrahis for their efforts in last five years for triggering a massive behavior change across the country, primarily in the rural communities and making the program a true Jan Andolan(People's movement). He urged them to continue working with the same spirit in SBM Phase 2 as well. 

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Parameswaran Iyer, the secretary of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) further elaborated on the roles of the academy and its functionalities under the second phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission(Grameen). 

"The phone-based academy will provide this free of charge, access to on-demand, anytime, anywhere training course with high quality and standardized content over the basic mobile phone & also improve the knowledge and interpersonal communication skills to enhance the quality of interaction with the beneficiaries. The IVR based training course contains a 60 minutes module spanning various topics under ODF-S as well as SLWM. The SBM Academy course has four chapters, each with four audio lessons and a multiple-choice quiz at the end of the chapter. To be considered successful, the user must answer at least 50% of the questions correctly", added Iyer.

At present, the entire content of the academy is available in Hindi and the users are expected to dial into a toll-free number (18001800404) and complete listening to the entire content in their mobile phones.

Ministers Shekhawat and Kataria also had an interaction with some of the Swachhagrahis, functionaries who work at the ground level and some of the state officials, urging them to fully utilize this free learning course.

(With inputs from ANI).