(Image source from: Livemint.com)

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is conferring Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi with the prestigious ‘Global Goalkeeper Award’ for his leadership and commitment to the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is a nation-wide campaign in India launched in 2014 with an aim to clean up the streets, roads, and infrastructure.

According to the sources, Modi will be presented with the 2019 ‘Global Goalkeeper Award’, which according to the Foundation is a “special recognition” that celebrates a political leader who has “demonstrated their commitment to the Global Goals through impactful work in their country and/or globally”.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan aims to achieve universal sanitation in the country by this year as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary celebrated on October 2.

Annual Award Function

The Foundation will host the fourth annual Goalkeepers ‘Global Goals Awards’ on September 24 in five categories (Progress, Campaign, Changemaker, Goalkeepers Voice, and the Global Goalkeeper).

The awards are presented to leaders and individuals for their efforts in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“These Awards tell the extraordinary stories of remarkable individuals taking action to bring the Global Goals to life and help achieve them by 2030,” the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said.

The foundation further said that this year, Goalkeepers will focus on the challenge of fighting global inequality to ensure that no one is left behind.

Speakers at the event will include the Foundation Co-Chairs, Bill and Melinda Gates, Mohammed and United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Henrietta Fore.

By Sowmya Sangam