- Why in news
- On 12 February 2026, the Jal Shakti Ministry told the Lok Sabha how far SBM(G) Phase II has progressed. It gave State-wise counts of ODF Plus (Model) villages and waste-management coverage as on 10 February 2026.
- What it is
- Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase II runs from 2020-21 to 2026-27. It moves villages from Open Defecation Free (ODF) status to ODF Plus (Model) status. This needs solid and liquid waste management and visible cleanliness, along with lasting behaviour change.
- Duration
- Phase II runs from 2020-21 to 2026-27.
- Aim
- Move villages from ODF to ODF Plus (Model), with solid and liquid waste management and visual cleanliness.
- IEC and capacity building cap
- Up to 5% of total project funds, of which up to 2% at the Centre and up to 3% at State/district level.
- Ministry
- The mission is run by the Ministry of Jal Shakti (Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation).
Don’t confuse with ODF vs ODF Plus: ODF means no open defecation. ODF Plus adds solid and liquid waste management and visual cleanliness.
Don’t confuse with SBM(G) vs SBM(Urban): SBM(G) covers rural areas under Jal Shakti. SBM-Urban is run by the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Sustains ODF gains and improves rural public health and the village environment.
- Jan Bhagidari and IEC build community ownership of sanitation assets.
Problems
- Sanitation is a state subject, and progress varies widely across States (e.g. Manipur and Meghalaya are far behind Madhya Pradesh and UP).
- Reported figures on IMIS depend on State self-reporting, and behaviour change is hard to sustain.
Way forward
- Focus support and funds on lagging States and on maintaining assets.
- Strengthen IEC and use independent verification of ODF Plus claims.
- 2016Mains GS4 · Q4How social influence and persuasion can make Swachh Bharat Abhiyan successful.
- 2017Mains GS2 · Q6Examine aligning WASH beneficiary segments with anticipated outcomes in policy.
- 2026Mains GS3 · Q17Solid waste management challenges, policy framework, and Delhi-Indore comparison.
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Scheme with ODF Plus focus, 2020-21 to 2026-27; schemes are 16% of Prelims news questions, but this release adds few new facts.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.