The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Rural Development envisaged a comprehensive ‘Assessment Study of Impact and Sustainability of Nirmal Gram Puraskar’ in the country. The main purpose of the study was to assess the impact of NGP on the pace of progress of sanitation availability and usage in the country under TSC and its related impacts on health, education, gender empowerment, social inclusion in rural areas on different user groups particularly the rural poor. This study also focused on the durability and sustainability of the provision and usage of sanitary facilities over time. The rationale of the present evaluation study was to provide important evidence on whether the NGP component of the TSC to be continued and if so till when and with what modifications so as to reach the goal of 100% sanitation coverage and usage in rural areas of the country by 2012. The subsequent chapters provided a national level report on assessment of impact of NGP.