The Swachh Shakti 2019, a convention of Women Sarpanches was held at Kurukshetra in Haryana.

Facts :

• The convention was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister also distributed the Swachh Shakti 2019 awards on the occasion.
• The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation in association with the Govt. of Haryana had organized the Swachh Shakti-2019.
• Swachh Shakti-2019 showcased the best practices from grass root level in the rural areas for Swachh Bharat, the achievements of Swachh Bharat Mission and  Swachh Sunder Shauchalay campaign.

Swachh Shakti :

• Swachh Shakti is a national event which aims to bring in to focus the leadership role played by rural women in Swachh Bharat Mission.
• Swachh Shakti convention is part of ongoing activities under the aegis of the Swachh Bharat Mission, launched on October 2nd, 2014, by the Prime Minister Narendra Mode aimed at achieving a Clean and Open Defecation Free (ODF) India by 2nd October 2019.
• The Swachh Shakti program was launched by the PM Modi in 2017 at Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The Second Swachh Shakti convention was held at Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh in 2018.
• The Swachh Shakti convention aims to showcase how at the grass root level, rural women champions are acting as a change agent to mobilize the community and lead from the front women taking initiatives for a Swachh Bharat.