Consider the following statements regarding World Toilet Organization : 1. It is one of the agencies of the United Nations. 2. World Toilet Summit, World Toilet Day and World Toilet College are the initiatives of this organization, to inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis. 3. The main focus of its function is to grant funds to the least developed countries and developing countries to achieve the end of open defecation. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
- (a) 2 only ✓ UPSC's answer
- (b) 3 only
- (c) 1 and 2
- (d) 2 and 3
Why the answer is (a)
• The World Toilet Organization is a Singapore-based non-profit founded in 2001 by Jack Sim to break the taboo around sanitation; it is not a UN agency, so statement 1 is wrong.
• Statement 2 is correct: it launched the World Toilet Summit (2001), World Toilet Day (19 November, later adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2013) and the World Toilet College for training sanitation workers.
• Statement 3 is wrong: the organisation is an advocacy and capacity-building body; it does not function as a grant-making fund for developing countries.
• Its work aligns with SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation and with India's Swachh Bharat Mission.
• Hence 2 only, option (a).
Why the other options are wrong
- (b) 3 only
- Statement 3 is wrong: the organisation does not grant funds; statement 2 is correct.
- (c) 1 and 2
- Statement 1 is wrong: it is an NGO, not a UN agency.
- (d) 2 and 3
- Statement 3 is wrong: it is not a funding body.
Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2024, held on 16 June 2024. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.