Consider the following statements

1. The India Sanitation Coalition is a platform to promote sustainable sanitation and is funded by the Government of India and the World Health Organisation.
2. The National Institute of Urban Affairs is an apex body of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in the Government of India and provides innovative solutions to address the challenges of Urban India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• The India Sanitation Coalition (ISC) was launched in June 2015 at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). It serves as a platform to enable and support safe and sustainable sanitation in India by bringing together multiple organisations through a variety of catalytic actions. While ISC plays a significant role in sanitation advocacy, it is not funded by the Government of India or the World Health Organisation (WHO). Instead, ISC focuses on unlocking WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) financing, particularly from the private sector, and collaborates with various organisations such as Water for People, IRC, and TARU Leading Edge. ISC hosts the India chapter of Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA) in partnership with the 7 coalition members.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• The National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) is India’s leading national think tank on urban planning and development. Established as an autonomous body in 1976 under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), NIUA provides innovative solutions to address the challenges of a fast urbanizing India. It focuses on research and capacity building in urban policy and planning but is not classified as the “apex body” of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The institute works closely with MoHUA and other government sectors, but the description in the statement does not accurately reflect NIUA’s role. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is the apex authority of Government of India at the national level to formulate policies, sponsor and support programme, coordinate the activities of various Central Ministries, State Governments and other nodal authorities and monitor the programmes concerning all the issues of housing and urban affairs in the country.

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2; Difficulty Level: Medium