What was the primary goal of the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) launched in India in 1999?

Explanation:

• The Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) was launched by the Government of India in 1999 as an extension of the Central Rural Sanitation Programme (CRSP) of 1986.

• The primary objective of TSC was:

  • Eliminating open defecation in rural India.

  • Encouraging hygiene and sanitation awareness.

  • Building low-cost toilets for rural households.

  • Improving waste disposal and community-led sanitation efforts.

Analysis of Other Options:

• Option (1) To promote large-scale infrastructure development → Incorrect

  • TSC was not focused on general infrastructure but specifically on sanitation.

• Option (3) To build modern hospitals in urban areas → Incorrect

  • The campaign targeted rural sanitation, not urban hospitals.

• Option (4) To provide subsidies for bottled water distribution → Incorrect

  • TSC aimed to provide safe drinking water through improved sanitation, not bottled water subsidies.

Thus, Option (2) "To eliminate open defecation and improve rural sanitation" is the correct answer.