PM Modi to receive the Global Goalkeepers Award in New York on Sep 24

Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi is set to be conferred with the Global Goalkeepers Award by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on September 24 in New York to commemorate his efforts to provide access to sanitation to the Indian population. The Global Goalkeeper Award by the Gates Foundation 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 awards are given every year to honour leaders and individuals for their efforts in achieving the universal Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as proposed by the United Nations (UN).

Success of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

PM Modi will be bestowed with the award to mark his efforts in realising and providing access to safe sanitation. On October 2, 2014, Narendra Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan in honour of Mahatama Gandhi to make people realise the need for sanitation. Under the project, the Indian government built over 100 million toilets and provided around 98% of Indian villages with free toilets. PM Modi will also be the first Prime Minister to be honoured with the Global Goalkeepers Award. In an official statement, the Gates Foundation commended the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and said that it can serve as a model for other countries.

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'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' - A model for other nations

The statement also mentioned that the impact of access to sanitation has already been realised in India. "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," the official statement read.

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