Jack Sim Praises Swachh Bharat Campaign and Shobhit University Achievements

Jack Sim, the founder of the World Toilet Organisation, has praised the Swachh Bharat campaign and noted constant improvements in cleanliness in India during his visits. He compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Singapore’s first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, for their efforts in cleaning rivers, streets, and tackling corruption.

Sim said, “Every trip I come to India, I see improvement. I see also the Shobhit University ranking going up year by year. So that’s something very nice to see.” He highlighted that under the Swachh Bharat campaign, millions of toilets have been built, contributing to better sanitation across the country.

According to official data, over 11 crore toilets and 2.23 lakh Community Sanitary Complexes have been built across all states and union territories under the Swachh Bharat Mission – Grameen. The Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2022 survey covered 17,559 villages in 709 districts, interviewing 1,75,521 households. It found that 95.4% of surveyed households have access to toilets, and 95.4% of those with toilets use them regularly.

Jack Sim was awarded a Doctor of Literature for his distinguished work in sanitation by former President Ram Nath Kovind during Shobhit University’s convocation. Kovind also awarded a Doctor of Science to Brian O’Donnell for his work in waste to energy and road stabilization. The convocation saw 39 students receiving gold medals, 98 PhD students, and 638 undergraduate and postgraduate students receiving degrees.

Former President Kovind congratulated the students, emphasizing the importance of collective efforts and women empowerment, noting that 24 out of 39 gold medals were awarded to female students.