Communicating Swachhata, Changing Behaviour

The backgrounder details the Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) journey of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), emphasizing how the nationwide campaign moved beyond infrastructure creation to target sustained behavioural shifts and social norms. Launched on October 2, 2014, SBM operated through Grameen and Urban components, utilizing Mahatma Gandhi's ideals of cleanliness and self-service as moral anchors. The implementation strategy integrated grassroots actors like Swachhagrahis, interpersonal communication, community mobilisation via Nigrani Samitis, mass media, popular culture, and digital tools. Furthermore, the report highlights the empowerment of women and children as active change agents, alongside structured certification protocols, awards, and monitoring tools such as Swachh Survekshan to transition sanitation into a community-owned, sustained practice.