India accounts for over sixty percent of global open defecation resulting in a series of economic, health and social consequences. Efforts by the national government would be greatly supported by a better understanding of the unique drivers of open defecation in India. This paper contributes to existing literature by taking a holistic approach to analyze the drivers of persistent open defecation in India, examining how economic and cultural factors impact the habit.
Through a quantitative analysis of a survey conducted in five North Indian states, it finds that changing social norms and attitudes are crucial in eradicating open defecation in India. Due to such conclusions, this paper recommends that the ongoing sanitation campaign (the Swachh Bharat mission) in India focus a lot more on Information, Education and Communication (IEC) efforts in order to generate sustainable demand for latrine adoption and eradicate the practice of open defecation around the country.
Link to Paper is here.