Five crore Indian children still lack access to sanitation service in their schools, says UN report
2-minute summary
A recent UN report titled 'Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in schools 2015-2025' by the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) highlights critical gaps and achievements in India's school infrastructure. While India has demonstrated remarkable progress—achieving a 14% reduction in schools lacking sanitation services and ranking among the 28 countries on track for universal basic drinking water coverage by 2030—it still bears the world's highest absolute burden. As of 2025, approximately 5 crore (50 million) Indian children lack access to school sanitation services, and 20 million lack basic hygiene services. The report serves as a decadal evaluation of initiatives like the Swachh Bharat Mission, emphasizing that rapid progress in drinking water infrastructure (exceeding 4% annual coverage growth) must be matched by sustained investments in comprehensive WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) facilities, particularly addressing regional data gaps and ensuring infrastructural equity across all school levels.
Why it's in the news
The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme released a global decadal report (2015-2025) on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in schools, revealing that India has the highest absolute number of children lacking school sanitation services globally, despite notable progress in drinking water coverage.
Facts to remember
- A UN report titled 'Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in schools 2015-2025' was released by the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP).
- As of 2025, approximately 5 crore Indian children lack access to school sanitation services, and 20 million lack basic hygiene services.
- India has achieved a 14% reduction in schools lacking sanitation services and ranks among 28 countries on track for universal basic drinking water coverage by 2030.
Background and context
Universal access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) is a foundational pillar of human capital development, public health, and gender equity in educational institutions. The lack of adequate sanitation and menstrual hygiene management facilities has historically contributed to high dropout rates among adolescent girls in India. Over the past decade, national interventions such as the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), launched in 2014, aggressively prioritized the construction of toilets in all schools, achieving near-universal infrastructure creation on paper. However, transitioning from mere asset creation (hardware) to functional maintenance, uninterrupted water supply, proper waste disposal, and hygiene education (software)—as tracked by international frameworks like the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6)—remains a multi-layered governance challenge spanning central, state, and local bodies.
Constitutional provisions
- Article 21 — The Right to Life encompasses the right to a clean environment, safe drinking water, and basic sanitation, which are critical for the health and dignity of school-going children.
- Article 21A — Provides free and compulsory education to all children aged 6 to 14 years; adequate school infrastructure including WASH facilities is an implicit prerequisite for meaningful and equitable access to education.
- Article 47 — Directs the State to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health as among its primary duties.
Committees and reports
- Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in schools 2015-2025 (WHO/UNICEF JMP Report) — Provides comprehensive global and national tracking data on WASH coverage in educational institutions relative to SDG targets.
Government schemes
- Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) — A national flagship campaign that catalyzed large-scale construction of toilets in rural and urban schools across India since 2014.
- Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan — An integrated scheme for school education that provides annual grant support for school maintenance, including the upkeep of toilets and drinking water facilities.
International organisations
- WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene — Official UN mechanism tasked with tracking global progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene.
Mains practice: Despite significant infrastructure creation under national sanitation campaigns, millions of Indian children still lack functional school sanitation and hygiene services. Analyze the structural and implementation gaps in sustaining WASH infrastructure in schools.
Introduction:
Adequate Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools are vital for public health, gender parity, and human capital formation. While recent UN reports highlight India's commendable progress in drinking water coverage and a reduction in unserviced schools, structural gaps persist with millions of children still lacking basic sanitation.
Body:
• Focus on Asset Creation over O&M: Government interventions historically prioritized the physical construction of toilets (hardware) over long-term operations, maintenance (O&M), and regular repair funds, leading to dilapidation.
• Unreliable Water Supply: Many school sanitation facilities become dysfunctional due to the absence of continuous, piped drinking water supply required for flushing and handwashing.
• Institutional & Financial Gaps: School management committees and local bodies often lack dedicated financial autonomy and technical capacity for routine upkeep and desludging.
• Regional & Equity Disparities: While overall gaps are narrowing, remote rural schools and secondary/higher secondary levels often lag behind primary or urban institutions in integrated hygiene services.
• Menstrual Hygiene Gaps: Lack of safe disposal mechanisms, incinerators, and private spaces for adolescent girls continues to impact retention rates adversely.
Conclusion:
Bridging the remaining sanitation gap requires transitioning from a target-driven construction model to an institutionalized service-delivery framework. Empowering local bodies, securing decentralized O&M financing, and integrating real-time digital monitoring will be crucial to fulfilling India's SDG commitments by 2030.
Prelims practice questions
Q1. Consider the following statements regarding the 'Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in schools' report: 1. It is jointly published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. 2. The report forms part of the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) tracking Sustainable Development Goal targets. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: C. Both statements are correct. The report on water, sanitation, and hygiene in schools is a decadal tracking report published by the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP), which monitors global progress toward SDG targets.
Q2. As per recent global assessments on school sanitation and drinking water, which of the following best describes India's status regarding basic drinking water coverage in schools by 2030?
- India has completely achieved universal coverage with zero children lacking access.
- Data collection for India was entirely missing, preventing any estimation.
- India is among the countries on track to achieve universal coverage of basic drinking water in schools by 2030.
- India is among the countries lagging significantly behind global averages.
Answer: C. The report highlights that India is among the 28 out of 62 countries that are on track to achieve universal coverage of basic drinking water in schools by 2030, showing rapid progress.
Q3. Which of the following central government initiatives directly addresses school sanitation, infrastructure maintenance, and universal education equity in India?
- Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana
- Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan and Swachh Bharat Mission
- Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)
- Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme
Answer: B. The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) addresses sanitation creation, while Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan is an integrated school education scheme providing maintenance grants for infrastructure like school toilets and drinking water.
Revision flashcards
- Who publishes the JMP report on WASH in schools? WHO and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP).
- What milestone has India achieved regarding drinking water in schools according to the recent report? India is among the countries on track to achieve universal coverage of basic drinking water in schools by 2030.
- Which ministry implements the Samagra Shiksha scheme which supports school maintenance grants? Ministry of Education.
- What constitutional article provides the Right to Education, linking schooling to fundamental rights? Article 21A.
- What does the acronym JMP stand for in global health and sanitation monitoring? Joint Monitoring Programme (for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene).