- The government has invited applications for its latest initiative under the Swachh Bharat Mission called the ‘San-Sadhan’ Hackathon,
- The initiative aims to ease the lives of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) by making toilets smarter, more accessible and easier to use.
- The initiative is being organized jointly by the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in collaboration with Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 91springboard.
- Through this hackathon,the government is looking for smart,scalable and innovative solutions for economical toilets for individual and community use in rural and urban contexts.
- As per census 2011,about 2.68 crore people in India fall under the category of Persons with Disabilities(PwD).
- The Rights for Persons with Disabilities Act,2016 mandates universal accessibility for PwDs in public-oriented premises and services such as health,transport,educational facilities as well as sanitation.