Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of Sulabh International, a social service organization, passed away on 15 August 2023 at the age of 80 due to cardiac arrest at AIIMS New Delhi.
- Born on April 2, 1943, in Bihar, Pathak held a PhD in sociology from Patna University and began his career as a lecturer.
- He founded Sulabh International in 1970, which has constructed over 1.5 million household toilets and 8,500 public toilets across India.
- Pathak developed the Sulabh Shauchalaya System, an eco-friendly toilet technology converting waste into biogas and fertilizer.
- He introduced pay-and-use public toilets, offering clean and affordable sanitation facilities, and rehabilitated manual scavengers.
- Pathak worked for the upliftment of widows by providing them education, vocational skills, and social security.
- He received numerous awards, including Padma Shri (1991), Padma Bhushan (1999), Stockholm Water Prize (2009), and Gandhi Peace Prize (2016).
- Pathak’s contributions were praised by prominent figures, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Q.: Who established Sulabh International, a renowned social service organization?
a) Mahatma Gandhi
b) Bindeshwar Pathak
c) Mother Teresa
d) Azza Hazare
Ans : b) Bindeshwar Pathak
