Issue with Swachh Survekshan Awards

Source: The post Issue with Swachh Survekshan Awards has been created, based on the article “Numbers game: Factors affecting general improvement in sanitation must be overcome” published in “The Hindu” on 13th January 2024.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS paper3- Economy- infrastructure

News: The article discusses the Swachh Survekshan Awards in India, where cities are ranked for cleanliness. Indore and Surat top the list, but the article criticizes the ranking system for focusing too much on the same cities every year and ignoring others’ challenges.

What are the Swachh Survekshan Awards?

The Swachh Survekshan Awards are an annual event in India that ranks cities, towns, and states based on their cleanliness and sanitation efforts.

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What are the Issue with Swachh Survekshan Awards?

Stagnation of Top Cities: Indore and Surat have consistently been named India’s cleanest cities for several years, indicating a lack of change and improvement.

Volatile Rankings Beyond Top 10: Cities like Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, and Gwalior show inconsistency in their rankings, while top cities remain constant.

Overemphasis on Top Cities: The focus on perennial top performers like Bhopal, Indore, Surat, and Visakhapatnam overshadows the challenges faced by other cities, hindering a comprehensive improvement in public sanitation across the country.

Criticism of Sub-Categories: The awards’ numerous sub-categories can appear arbitrary and limited, potentially undermining their credibility and fairness.

Ineffective Motivation: The current ranking system may not effectively motivate overall sanitation improvement, as factors beyond a city’s control significantly influence cleanliness.

What should be done?

Retire Top Cities: Top performers like Indore and Surat should be retired from future rankings for a few years to focus on other cities’ challenges.

More Inclusive Categories: Instead of only Ganga towns, include towns along other rivers like Cauvery or Narmada for more inclusive recognition.

Address Underlying Issues: Focus on factors like economic conditions and history, which significantly impact a city’s sanitation, rather than just rankings.

Question for practice:

Discuss how the Swachh Survekshan Awards’ ranking system could be improved to better address the sanitation challenges of different cities across India.