---
title: "Swachh Bharat Mission: India's Sanitation Drive"
description: "The Swachh Bharat Mission is India's 2014 initiative to eliminate open defecation and improve sanitation, crucial for public health and hygiene."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/swachh-bharat-mission"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The Swachh Bharat Mission is India's national sanitation programme launched in 2014 to eliminate open defecation, build household and community toilets, and improve solid waste management.
- What is the difference between SBM-Gramin and SBM-Urban?
- How is open-defecation-free (ODF) status verified under the Mission?
- How was the Swachh Bharat Mission funded?
- What criticisms has the Mission faced?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

The Swachh Bharat Mission is India's national sanitation programme launched in 2014 to eliminate open defecation, build household and community toilets, and improve solid waste management.

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## Timeline

1. 2 October 2014

   The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM, "Clean India Mission") was launched on , Mahatma Gandhi's 145th birth anniversary, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Rajgh…

2. 2 October 2019

   The stated goal was to achieve an open-defecation-free (ODF) India by , Gandhi's 150th anniversary.

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On 2 October 2019, the Government of India declared rural India open-defecation-free, reporting more than 100 million household toilets built since the Swachh Bharat Mission's launch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014.

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