Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar today said two lakh villages across the country have become open defecation free so far.

&quot;In 2014, there were 44 per cent toilets available in the country. Today, this number has gone up to 64 per cent. While we aim to make the country open defecation free by 2019, two lakh villages have become open defecation free so far,&quot; the rural development minister said.

He was speaking at Y B Chavan centre here on the occasion of launch of a nationwide campaign &#39;Darwaza Band&#39; which is aimed at promoting use of toilets and discouraging open air defecation.

&quot;Today we praise foreign nations for their cleanliness. After 2019, foreigners who come here should praise our cleanliness. That should be the kind of work we should do,&quot; the minister said.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was also present at the event, said all districts in Maharashtra are working speedily towards achieving an open defecation free status.

&quot;In the last one year, 19 lakh toilets were constructed (in the state). I assure you that among big states, Maharashtra will be the first to become open defecation free,&quot; he said.

Cleanliness has increased by 35 per cent in Maharashtra where 16,000 villages have become open defecation free, which amounts to 18 per cent of total villages across the nation, the chief minister said.

&quot;200 out of 250 cities have achieved an open defecation free status. While all cities in the state will become open defecation free by 2017 end, entire Maharashtra will be free of open defecation 2018,&quot; he said.

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who is leading the &#39;Darwaza Band&#39; campaign, said he was fortunate to be a part of it.

&quot;If my face and voice can be used to inculcate a sense of cleanliness among the masses, I will be most happy. People who defecate in the open should use toilets,&quot; he said.

(PTI)

Indian government is building toilets at a rapid pace to encourage people to stop defecating in the open

Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar today said two lakh villages across the country have become open defecation free so far. "In 2014, there were 44 per cent toilets available in the country. Today, this number has gone up to 64 per cent. While we aim to make the country open defecation free by 2019, two lakh villages have become open defecation free so far," the rural development minister said. He was speaking at Y B Chavan centre here on the occasion of launch of a nationwide campaign 'Darwaza Band' which is aimed at promoting use of toilets and discouraging open air defecation. "Today we praise foreign nations for their cleanliness. After 2019, foreigners who come here should praise our cleanliness. That should be the kind of work we should do," the minister said. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was also present at the event, said all districts in Maharashtra are working speedily towards achieving an open defecation free status. "In the last one year, 19 lakh toilets were constructed (in the state). I assure you that among big states, Maharashtra will be the first to become open defecation free," he said. Cleanliness has increased by 35 per cent in Maharashtra where 16,000 villages have become open defecation free, which amounts to 18 per cent of total villages across the nation, the chief minister said. "200 out of 250 cities have achieved an open defecation free status. While all cities in the state will become open defecation free by 2017 end, entire Maharashtra will be free of open defecation 2018," he said. Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who is leading the 'Darwaza Band' campaign, said he was fortunate to be a part of it. "If my face and voice can be used to inculcate a sense of cleanliness among the masses, I will be most happy. People who defecate in the open should use toilets," he said. (PTI)

200,000 Indian villages are now open defecation free, claims govt

The Indian government plans to refurbish infrastructure and quality of education in Islamic religious schools, known as madrassas, across the country.

Building toilets, providing meals to students and training teachers are the core areas the government aims to focus on.

Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Saturday that they aim to build 100,000 toilets in madrassas by March 31, 2018.

The plan to focus on madrassas is a part of the federal government&#39;s 3T formula -- teachers, tiffin and toilets.

&quot;In the meetings, we have decided that the madrassas which are providing mainstream education or those that want to, we will help such madrassas on a big scale,&quot; Naqvi said.

The government also wants madrassas to impart science and technology classes in order to get their syllabus in sync with modern-day requirements.

The decision to revamp madrassas was taken before five Indian states went to polls in February and March.

&quot;Some of the members of the foundation (General Body of the Maulana Azad Education Foundation, an autonomous non-profit minority welfare institution) will travel to different states to find out those who wish to associate with this paradigm,&quot; the minister further said.

The Narendra Modi administration also wishes to more than double the scholarships provided to Muslim girls by end of next financial year.&nbsp;

Currently, 20,000 students have availed the&nbsp;Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship, and next year&#39;s target is to reach 45,000 students.

And by 2019, the government wants to the scholarship programme to benefit 500,000.

Indian governments, including previous regimes, have tried to modernise madrassas in India, but the efforts have been frowned at by traditionalists like the ulemas (clergy).

The government seeks to modernise the traditional Islamic schools because it wants Muslims to have better job opportunities once they finish their studies.

The syllabus in madrassas are very different from that adopted by the general schools in India. Content of education is decided by a few Islamic institutes and students are taught in Arabic, as opposed to English or other Indian languages in other schools.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

The government aims to improve the quality of teaching and build 100,000 toilets in such schools, which are called madrassas

The Indian government plans to refurbish infrastructure and quality of education in Islamic religious schools, known as madrassas, across the country. Building toilets, providing meals to students and training teachers are the core areas the government aims to focus on. Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Saturday that they aim to build 100,000 toilets in madrassas by March 31, 2018. The plan to focus on madrassas is a part of the federal government's 3T formula -- teachers, tiffin and toilets. "In the meetings, we have decided that the madrassas which are providing mainstream education or those that want to, we will help such madrassas on a big scale," Naqvi said. The government also wants madrassas to impart science and technology classes in order to get their syllabus in sync with modern-day requirements. The decision to revamp madrassas was taken before five Indian states went to polls in February and March. "Some of the members of the foundation (General Body of the Maulana Azad Education Foundation, an autonomous non-profit minority welfare institution) will travel to different states to find out those who wish to associate with this paradigm," the minister further said. The Narendra Modi administration also wishes to more than double the scholarships provided to Muslim girls by end of next financial year. Currently, 20,000 students have availed the Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship, and next year's target is to reach 45,000 students. And by 2019, the government wants to the scholarship programme to benefit 500,000. Indian governments, including previous regimes, have tried to modernise madrassas in India, but the efforts have been frowned at by traditionalists like the ulemas (clergy). The government seeks to modernise the traditional Islamic schools because it wants Muslims to have better job opportunities once they finish their studies. The syllabus in madrassas are very different from that adopted by the general schools in India. Content of education is decided by a few Islamic institutes and students are taught in Arabic, as opposed to English or other Indian languages in other schools. (WION with inputs from PTI)

India eyes infrastructural overhaul in Islamic religious schools

Muslim clerics have deicded not to solemnise marriages if the groom&#39;s side does not have a toilet at their place in certain parts of northern India.

Data belonging to international NGO&nbsp;Public Radio International suggest that some 70 per cent of Indian households don&#39;t have access to toilets and worse still, some 60 per cent of India&#39;s 1.2 billion population continue to defecate in the open.

The current government wanted to address the problem by building 2.5 million toilets in urban areas but the target has fallen way short, almost by 76 per cent as of now.

Maulana Mahmood A Madani, secretary general of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, said having a toilet has been made a mandatory condition for Muslim marriage in three states -- Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.

He said the same rule will soon be applied&nbsp;in the rest of the country too.&nbsp;

&quot;I feel that all religious leaders from all the religion throughout the country should decide that they will not conduct any rituals in houses where there are no toilets,&quot; he said.

&quot;There are two types of cleaning - one is external and the other internal. Both are interconnected, we will only be able to achieve the internal cleaning if our body is clean,&quot; he said.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

&nbsp;

Muslim clerics have decided not to solemnize marriages in parts of North India if the groom doesn't have a loo at his house

Muslim clerics have deicded not to solemnise marriages if the groom's side does not have a toilet at their place in certain parts of northern India. Data belonging to international NGO Public Radio International suggest that some 70 per cent of Indian households don't have access to toilets and worse still, some 60 per cent of India's 1.2 billion population continue to defecate in the open. The current government wanted to address the problem by building 2.5 million toilets in urban areas but the target has fallen way short, almost by 76 per cent as of now. Maulana Mahmood A Madani, secretary general of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, said having a toilet has been made a mandatory condition for Muslim marriage in three states -- Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. He said the same rule will soon be applied in the rest of the country too. "I feel that all religious leaders from all the religion throughout the country should decide that they will not conduct any rituals in houses where there are no toilets," he said. "There are two types of cleaning - one is external and the other internal. Both are interconnected, we will only be able to achieve the internal cleaning if our body is clean," he said. (WION with inputs from PTI)

No toilet, no marriage: Muslim clerics push for sanitary hygiene

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200,000 Indian villages are now open defecation free, claims govt

India eyes infrastructural overhaul in Islamic religious schools

No toilet, no marriage: Muslim clerics push for sanitary hygiene