Union Minister Chairs Committee Meeting on Swachh Bharat Mission

29 Mar 2025 CW Team

Key Attendees & Discussions The meeting was attended by:

Minister of State for Housing & Urban Affairs, Shri Tokhan Sahu MoHUA Secretary, Shri Srinivas Kathikala Senior ministry officials and Members of Parliament (Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha) Joint Secretary (SBM), Ms. Roopa Mishra, who delivered a presentation on the mission’s achievements and future strategies.

Minister’s Address: Transformative Impact of SBM-U In his opening remarks, Shri Manohar Lal applauded the transformative impact of SBM-U, emphasising that cleanliness is not a one-time effort but a continuous process requiring sustained innovation and public participation.

He highlighted the mission’s tangible outcomes, including: Improved public health indicators – Reduction in child mortality rates. Enhanced sanitation access for women. Behavioural change as a key driver of sustainable sanitation goals. Future-ready urban sanitation infrastructure.

Encouraging Global Best Practices & Healthy Competition The Minister called for the adoption of global best practices in urban sanitation and encouraged healthy competition among cities to drive performance. He cited Indore and Surat as exemplary models of urban cleanliness, urging other cities to follow suit with community-driven initiatives.

Minister of State’s Remarks: Citizen Responsibility & Visible Progress Shri Tokhan Sahu noted that SBM has: Significantly contributed to reducing child mortality. Led to visible improvements in urban cleanliness. Instilled a sense of responsibility among citizens to maintain cleanliness in their surroundings.

Way Forward & Accountability Measures Committee members shared their views and suggestions for strengthening the mission. Shri Manohar Lal assured that an Action Taken Report (ATR) would be presented in the next meeting, ensuring accountability and informed progress tracking.

With a continued focus on sustainability, innovation, and citizen participation, Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban 2.0 remains a cornerstone in India’s journey towards a cleaner, healthier urban future.

Union Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, Shri Manohar Lal, chaired a Consultative Committee Meeting of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) on 27th March 2025 to review the progress and future roadmap of Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban 2.0 (SBM-U 2.0). Key Attendees & Discussions The meeting was attended by: Minister of State for Housing & Urban Affairs, Shri Tokhan Sahu MoHUA Secretary, Shri Srinivas Kathikala Senior ministry officials and Members of Parliament (Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha) Joint Secretary (SBM), Ms. Roopa Mishra, who delivered a presentation on the mission’s achievements and future strategies. Minister’s Address: Transformative Impact of SBM-U In his opening remarks, Shri Manohar Lal applauded the transformative impact of SBM-U, emphasising that cleanliness is not a one-time effort but a continuous process requiring sustained innovation and public participation. He highlighted the mission’s tangible outcomes, including: Improved public health indicators – Reduction in child mortality rates. Enhanced sanitation access for women. Behavioural change as a key driver of sustainable sanitation goals. Future-ready urban sanitation infrastructure. Encouraging Global Best Practices & Healthy Competition The Minister called for the adoption of global best practices in urban sanitation and encouraged healthy competition among cities to drive performance. He cited Indore and Surat as exemplary models of urban cleanliness, urging other cities to follow suit with community-driven initiatives. Minister of State’s Remarks: Citizen Responsibility & Visible Progress Shri Tokhan Sahu noted that SBM has: Significantly contributed to reducing child mortality. Led to visible improvements in urban cleanliness. Instilled a sense of responsibility among citizens to maintain cleanliness in their surroundings. Way Forward & Accountability Measures Committee members shared their views and suggestions for strengthening the mission. Shri Manohar Lal assured that an Action Taken Report (ATR) would be presented in the next meeting, ensuring accountability and informed progress tracking. With a continued focus on sustainability, innovation, and citizen participation, Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban 2.0 remains a cornerstone in India’s journey towards a cleaner, healthier urban future.

Building Material

18 Sep 2025

Ambuja Cements Drags JSW Cement to Court Over ‘Kawach’ Brand

Ambuja Cements, part of the Adani Group, has filed a trademark infringement case against JSW Cement in the Delhi High Court, alleging that its rival copied the ‘Kawach’ brand with its new product ‘Jal Kavach’.Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora issued summons to JSW Cement and its subsidiary, JSW IP Holdings Pvt Ltd, while referring the matter to mediation. Hearings are scheduled to resume on October 15 if no settlement is reached.Ambuja, which registered the ‘Kawach’ trademark in 2019, argues that the term ‘Kavach’—meaning shield—is the distinctive feature of its branding. ..

Technology

18 Sep 2025

Bentley Systems Named Innovation Partner of the Year 2025 by Afcons

Bentley Systems, the infrastructure engineering software company, has been recognised by Afcons Infrastructure Limited as its Innovation Partner of the Year 2025 at the Innovation Partners 2025 Felicitation Ceremony in Mumbai. The award acknowledges Bentley’s contribution to Afcons’ engineering digitalisation journey through an enterprise agreement providing access to over 250 Bentley engineering software tools. This adoption has enabled Afcons to accelerate project delivery, standardise digital workflows, and strengthen innovation across its infrastructure portfolio. Among key i..

Infrastructure Urban

18 Sep 2025

SBI Sells 13.18% Stake in Yes Bank to Japan’s SMBC

State Bank of India (SBI) has completed the sale of a 13.18 per cent stake in Yes Bank to Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) for over Rs 8,889 crore. The divestment is part of a Rs 13,482 crore deal finalised in May with SMBC and seven private banks.Following the transaction, SBI’s shareholding in Yes Bank stands at 10.8 per cent. The deal, involving 4,134.4 million shares at Rs 21.50 each, is the largest cross-border transaction in the Indian banking sector.SBI Chairman C S Setty described the 2020 RBI-led rescue of Yes Bank as a pioneering public-private partnership, addi..