Young women are part of a campaign to bring much-needed social change and improve sanitation facilities If you don't have a toilet at home, you might not get a bride in India. In a silent revolution of sorts, Indian women across the country, especially in rural and semi-urban areas, have a single condition before they agree to a match – the groom must have a toilet in his home. The "No Toilet,...

Painting a grim picture of the standard of education in Indian schools, a report on Friday disclosed that half the students in class V cannot read class II texts. The report, released by vice-president Hamid Ansari in the Capital, said that in spite of the Right to Education (RTE) Act roll-out in April, ground realities have not changed much. The nationwide survey found that though enrolment has increased, the role of...

A lack of toilets and poor hygiene practices in India cost Asia's third largest economy almost $54 billion every year, the World Bank said on Monday. Premature deaths, treatment for the sick, wasted time and productivity, as well as lost tourism revenues, are the main reasons for the high economic losses, the bank said in a report. "For decades, we have been aware of the significant impacts of inadequate sanitation in India,"...

The Indian economy loses nearly $54 billion (around Rs 24,000 crore) annually due to lack of toilets and poor hygiene, a World Bank study said on Monday. In a study 'Economic Impact of Inadequate Sanitation in India', conducted by its South Asia Water and Sanitation unit, the multilateral body said premature deaths, treatment for the sick and loss of productivity and revenue from tourism were the main factors behind the significant...

No matter how tired we are in the course of a difficult day’s work, there is always the reassuring feeling that at the end of the hard work we’ll go back to sleep in the comfort of our home. But there are millions of people in our cities who simply do not have a home. The homeless of our cities suffer the most; yet they are the most neglected. No...