When Prime Minister Modi, speaking from the ramparts of the Red Fort, stressethe need for proper sanitation and talked about building toilets, many felt uncomfortable at how "inappropriate" the stage was. But can they refute the reality of open defecation in India? Can they deny that women in our country are still forced to defecate out in the open? Can they honestly say that the dignity of an Indian woman is being upheld when she has to step out late at night or in the early hours of dawn to relieve herself?

Almost 300 million women in India have no access to basic sanitation facilities, running a risk of various gynaecological and urinary problems. That's as many as 1-in-3 women.

A national survey conducted by AC Nielsen and NGO Plan India in 2012 found that 23% girls drop out of school after reaching puberty.