Bindeshwar Pathak

Education

Bindeshwar Pathak graduated in Sociology in 1964. He earned his master's degree in 1980 and his PhD in 1985, from the University of Patna. A prolific writer and speaker, Pathak has authored several books, the most well-known of which is The Road to Freedom, and is a frequent participant in conferences on sanitation, health and social progress around the world.

Movement for Sanitation and Hygiene

He first came to understand the plight of scavengers in 1968 when he joined the Bhangi-Mukti (scavengers’ liberation) Cell of the Bihar Gandhi Centenary Celebrations Committee. During that time, he traveled throughout India, living with scavenger families as part of his Ph.D. research. Drawing on that experience, he resolved to take action, not only out of sympathy for the scavengers but also in the belief that scavenging is a dehumanizing practice that would ultimately have a destructive impact on modern Indian society.

He established the Sulabh International Social Service Organization in 1970, combining technical innovation with humanitarian principles. The organization works to promote human rights, environmental sanitation, non-conventional sources of energy, waste management and social reforms through education. The organization counts 50,000 volunteers. He has made innovative use of biogas creation by linking Sulabh toilets to fermentation plants, he had designed over three decades ago and which are now becoming a byword for sanitation in developing countries all over the world. One of the distinctive feature of Pathak's project lies in the fact that besides producing odour-free bio-gas, it also releases clean water rich in phosphorus and other ingredients which are important constituents of organic manure. His sanitation movement ensures cleanliness and prevents greenhouse gas emission.

Awards and Honours

Bindeshwar Pathak is a Padma Bhushan recipient from the Government of India. In 2003, his name was added to the Global 500 Roll of Honour. Bindheshwar Pathak also received the Energy Globe Award, the Dubai International Award for Best Practices, and the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award for Environment. Stockholm Water Prize was awarded to him in year 2009. In June, 2013, he also received the Legend of Planet award from the French senate in Paris, ahead of World Environment Day. Antarrashtriya Bhojpuri Samman was awarded to him in the 4th world Bhojpuri Sammelan in Port Louis.

In January, 2011, Dr Pathak was invited to deliver a lecture at the Cambridge Union,a debating society of the University of Cambridge. The lecture was well received by the students where Dr Pathak urged the students to join voluntary work in the field of sanitation. Known for its debating culture, the Cambridge Union Society is the oldest student debating society in the world and Cambridge University's largest.

.In April 2016, Mayor of New York (Mr. Bill De Blasio), declared 14 April 2016 as DR. BINDESHWAR PATHAK DAY. On 17 January 2017

The Making of a Legend, book written by Bindeshwar Pathak was launched on 12 July 2017, in New Delhi, on the life of Prime Minister Narendra Modi

In recognition of the pioneering work done by Sulabh International Social Service Organization, Dr. Pathak has received the following awards:

1. Swadeshi Vigyan Puraskar 2017, Swadeshi Science Movement of India, Delhi
2. CNN-News 18 Indian of the Year, 2015 Outstanding Achievement Award, 2016 by CNN India
3. Humanitarian Award of the New York Global Leaders Dialogue, 2016
4. Public Health Champions Awards by World Health Organisation (WHO), 2016
5. Goyal Peace Prize by Kurukshetra University, 2015
6. Amity Lifetime Achievement Award by Amity University, 2015
7. Lord Baden Powell National Award, 2015
8. Sardar Patel Award-2014 by Sardar Vallabh bhai Patel Foundation, 2015
9. Lifetime Achievement Award for Sanitation for All: Toilet First by India CSR Group, 2015
10. Vivekanand Seva Samman Award by Shree Burra bazar Kumar sabha Pustakalaya, 2015
11. Power Thinkers Award for services to humanity by Personality Plus International, 2015
12. Lifetime Achievement Award for contribution in the field of Sanitation by Lucknow Book Fair, 2015
13. Mother Teresa Memorial Award by Indian Development Foundation (IDF), 2014
14. The 'NGO Leadership and Excellence Award' by the World CSR Congress, 2014
15. The International Banga Moni Award by the Micheal Madhusudan Academy, 2014
16. The Late Madan Mohan Verma Smriti Sammaan by the Journalist Association of Electronic and Print, 2014
17. National Health Care Promotion Award by Heart Care Foundation of India, 2013
18. Lifetime Achievement Award by ABP News, 2013
19. Lifetime Achievement Award by Rotary Club of Madras, 2013
20. LEGENDE DE LA PLANETE Congres Fondateur Jeux Ecologiques at UNESCO, Paris, 2013
21. Lifetime Achievement Award by V World Aqua Congress, 2011
22. Bhagirath Alankaran by Ganga Seva Nidhi, 2011
23. National Award for Innovations in the Services for the Urban Poor by The India Urban Space Foundation, 2010
24. Bihar Ratna Award, 2010
25. Sanitation Visionary Award by World Toilet Organisation, 2009
26. FACE Award 2008 by FACE magazine, 2009
27. Sat Paul Mittal Award, 2009
28. Vishwa Bhojpuri and Indian Diaspora Sammaan, 2009
29. Stockholm Water Prize, Sweden, 2009
30. Inter-governmental Renewable Energy Organisation Award (IREO), New York, USA, 2009
31. Hall of Fame Award by World Toilet Organisation at World Toilet Summit, Macau, China, 2008
32. Rashtriya Gaurav Award by Citizen Forum of Human Rights, 2008
33. National Energy Globe Award by Energy Globe, Brussels, Belgium, 2008
34. Hindi Vachaspati Award by Rashtriya Hindi Parisad, 2008
35. Aryavart Shikhar Samman by The Indian Nation Publication, 2007
36. Bharat Gaurav Award by Citizen Forum of Human Rights, 2007
37. Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership in the Social Sector by Dr. P. N. Singh Foundation, 2007
38. Maharana Uday Singh Award, 2006
39. One India One People Foundation Award, 2006
40. International Human Rights’ Award, 2006
41. Sakshi Bharat Award, 2006
42. AIWEFA Platinum Jubilee Award 2005
43. Good Corporate Citizen Award, 2005
44. Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar, 2003
45. Scroll of Honour by UN-Habitat, Rio-de-Janeiro (Brazil), 2003
46. Global 500 Roll of Honour Award by UNEP, Beirut (Lebanon), 2003
47. Dubai International Award for ‘Best Practices for Improving the Living Environment’ by UNCHS, Dubai, 2000
48. Samaj Ratna Award, 1999
49. Distinguished Leadership Award, 1997
50. Michael Madhusudan Dutt Award, 1997
51. Babu Jag jivan Ram Award for Abolishing Scavenging, 1997
52. Global Urban Best Practice by United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UNCHS), Istanbul, 1996
53. Limca Book of Records’ ‘Man of the Year Award’, 1995
54. Vikas Ratna Award, 1995
55. Manav Sewa Puraskar, 1995
56. NRI Gold Award, 1994
57. Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award, 1994
58. Ratna Shiromani Award by India International Society for Unity, 1993
59. Rotary International Spectra-93, Par Excellence Award for Protection of Environment, 1993
60. Anne Mukhopadhya Award for Social Work, 1992
61. Shahid Bhup Singh Award for Social Work, 1992
62. Bombay Citizen’s Award, 1992
63. Dr. Pinnamaneni and Smt. Seethadevi Foundation Award, 1992
64. The International Saint Francis Prize for the Environment
65. "Canticle of All Creatures", Assisi, Italy, 1992
66. National Citizens’ Award, 1991
67. Padma Bhushan, 1991
68. Civic Betterment Award, 1990–91
69. Builders’ Information Bureau Award, 1990
70. Prabandhak Mahan Muzzaffarpur, 1990
71. K.P. Goenka Memorial Award, 1984