Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to receive another award, this time for his Swachh Bharat Abhiyan project, which will be awarded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation during his visit to the United States.
MoS PMO Jitendra Singh took to Twitter and said, “Another award, another moment of pride for every Indian, as PM Modi's diligent and innovative initiatives bring laurels from across the world.”
Modi had launched the Swachh Bharat Mission on 2 October 2014. The Mission has two sub-missions, the Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural) and the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban). Under this project, cleanliness level is improved by solid and liquid waste management activities and making villages open-defecation free and sanitised.
Earlier, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, on 17 January, had congratulated the government for the achievements made by the Ayushman Bharat healthcare scheme in its first 100 days.
On 25 August, in his 'Mann Ki Baat' address, Modi had announced a movement to end 'single-use plastic' that would begin on 2 October. He urged people to observe the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi this year as a day to make India plastic-free.
In 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was awarded the UN's highest environmental honour, Champions of the Earth Award, bestowed upon five other individuals and organisations, for his leadership of the International Solar Alliance and pledge to eliminate single use plastic in India by 2022.
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