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The Government of Andhra Pradesh has introduced a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the MUSTABU – Daily Hygiene & Discipline Programme, aligned with the WASH in Schools (WinS) Framework. This initiative is mandatory for all schools and hostels across the state and aims to institutionalize daily hygiene practices among students to ensure healthy, safe, and dignified learning environments .
MUSTABU Programme in Andhra Pradesh Schools: SOP, Objectives, and Implementation Details
What is the MUSTABU Programme?
MUSTABU is a school-based daily hygiene and discipline programme conceptualized initially in Parvathipuram District and later adopted statewide due to its proven effectiveness. The programme focuses on regular hand-washing, personal hygiene, discipline, and behaviour change communication (BCC) among children and adolescents.
It is implemented under the broader vision of Swarna Andhra – Swachha Andhra (SASA) and contributes to Vision 2047 (Pillar-9) by strengthening preventive public health practices in schools .
Objectives of MUSTABU
The key objectives of the MUSTABU Programme include:
- Institutionalizing daily personal hygiene habits
- Preventing water-borne, skin, parasitic, and viral diseases
- Improving student attendance, attentiveness, and learning outcomes
- Building discipline, leadership qualities, and self-confidence
- Creating clean, child-friendly, and inclusive school and hostel environments
- Promoting age-appropriate and gender-sensitive hygiene practices
- Supporting Swachh Andhra – Vision 2047 at the grassroots level
Scope and Applicability
The SOP is mandatory for:
All Government and Government-Aided Schools
Residential Schools and Hostels under:
- APSWREIS
- APTWREIS
- APREIS
- KGBVs
- Social Welfare & Tribal Welfare Hostels
The programme applies to Classes I to XI and is implemented in convergence with Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban & Grameen) and WASH in Schools initiatives.
Core Components of MUSTABU
1. Daily Personal Hygiene Practices
Every student must follow:
- Clean uniform and footwear
- Trimmed nails
- Neat and clean hair
- Clean face and ears
- Hand-washing with soap at critical times
- Use of safe and clean drinking water
Special emphasis is placed on menstrual hygiene awareness for adolescent girls, ensuring dignity and privacy .
2. MUSTABU Corner (Mandatory)
Each classroom and hostel wing must have a MUSTABU Corner containing:
- Hand-washing steps chart
- Personal hygiene charts
- Child-friendly IEC material
- Mirror (where feasible)
- Soap/handwash
- Weekly hygiene checklist
- Display board for “MUSTABU Stars” .
Roles and Responsibilities
- Teachers/Wardens
- Maintain MUSTABU Corner
- Conduct daily 5-minute hygiene observation
- Nominate Student Hygiene Leaders
- Ensure hand-washing practices
- Identify “MUSTABU Star of the Week”
- Record hygiene compliance
- Student Hygiene Leaders
- Encourage peers positively
- Maintain cleanliness
- Report issues discreetly
- Headmaster/Principal
- Ensure 100% implementation
- Integrate MUSTABU into assemblies
- Review weekly hygiene reports
- Submit monthly compliance reports
- District Education Officers / Project Directors
- Monitor implementation
- Ensure inter-departmental convergence
- Reward best-performing schools and hostels .
Daily and Weekly Schedule
- Daily Activities
- 5 minutes after morning assembly
- Visual hygiene checks
- Mandatory hand-washing before meals (hostels)
- Weekly Activities
- Hygiene awareness programmes
- Selection and display of MUSTABU Stars .
Incentives and Recognition
- MUSTABU Star of the Week
- Cleanest Classroom / Hostel Wing (Monthly)
- District-level awards for best schools and hostels
- Integration with Swachha Andhra and WinS Awards
Monitoring and Reporting
Key indicators include:
- Student hygiene compliance
- Functional handwashing facilities
- Safe drinking water availability
- Toilet cleanliness
- Reduction in illness-related absenteeism
- Reports are submitted monthly and integrated into State MIS dashboards .
Expected Outcomes
- Long-term hygiene behaviour change
- Reduced hygiene-related illnesses
- Improved learning outcomes
- Stronger leadership and responsibility among students
- Cleaner, safer school and hostel ecosystems .
Conclusion
The MUSTABU Programme is more than a hygiene initiative—it is a preventive public health intervention and discipline-building programme. With immediate statewide rollout and regular reviews, MUSTABU ensures that no child in Andhra Pradesh suffers due to preventable hygiene-related illnesses.
MUSTABU Programme in Andhra Pradesh Schools: SOP, Objectives, and Implementation Details
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