-The Hindu   The figure for households without Toilets is 47 per cent for Hindu households as against 31 per cent for Muslims and 16 per cent for Christians and Sikhs, according to NSS data. Extensive new evidence shows that building Toilets alone will not eliminate open defecation in India as not everyone who has access to toilet, especially men, believe that it's important to use it. Not having a toilet remains the major...

-UNDP India New Delhi: "Social media is changing the way we live and relate to each other" said noted filmmaker Shekhar Kapur. The challenge in his view, was "how to ensure those ideas are positive and for the good?" Mr. Kapur was speaking at the Social Good Summit 2014, ‘Technology for Social Good' organized by the United Nations Development Programme in India. Talking of his vision for the world in 2030,...

-The Hindu In addition to adequate provision of funds for cleaning, sanitation training and maintenance of Toilets in schools, the issue of fixing accountability must also be addressed The revival of the issue of Toilets in schools has brought to the fore a discussion that has for long existed among educationists, with varying positions occupying centre stage at different times. A couple of decades ago, when the deplorable state of education began...

-Economic and Political Weekly   Through a two-way process comprising text analysis of the policy framework of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan programme and analysis of empirical data collected through interaction with policy implementers, teachers, students, experts, etc, this article puts forth the argument that urban education system has failed partly because of the inability of the implementers to plan, manage and facilitate the programme. Monika Banerjee (banerjie77@gmail.com) is with the Zakir Husain Centre...

-The Indian Express It is heartening that several ministries and companies have responded with alacrity to the prime minister's call for the construction of Toilets. It is indicative not only of the PM's authority but also of the fact that the concern is widely shared. The ministry of rural development has proposed to increase the allocation for constructing individual, school, anganwadi and community Toilets in rural areas. But it has proposed to...