Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences and MoS in the Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh today launched the Web Portal for Special Campaign 6, saying that the Swachhata campaign  launched in 2014 has evolved from a simple cleanliness initiative into a whole-of-government and whole-of-nation movement, and has so far earned Rs  5,000 crores has been earned through scrap disposal, bringing about behavioural change, improving efficiency in government functioning and creating economic value from waste.

Addressing the launch programme Dr. Jitendra Singh said the campaign reflects the citizen-centric approach of the Government and demonstrates how a national call can become a people’s movement when it addresses foundational issues affecting the everyday lives of citizens.

The launch event was attended by Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Smt. Nivedita Shukla Verma; Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, Shri T.K. Anil Kumar; Secretary, Ministry of Mines, Shri Keshav Chandra; Secretary, Department of Posts, Shri Subrat Das; senior officers and nodal officers representing various Ministries and Departments, besides media representatives.

The campaign has demonstrated that systematic cleanliness and waste management can also generate substantial economic value. Over the last five years, 5,000 crores have been earned through scrap disposal, while 1,000 lakh square feet of office space has been freed, more than 24 lakh cleanliness campaign sites have been undertaken and around 2 crore files have been weeded out for improved record management. These achievements reflect the expansion of the campaign beyond cleanliness to efficient utilisation of government resources, reduction of pendency, better use of public spaces and conversion of waste into wealth.

Recalling the beginning of the Swachhata initiative, Dr. Jitendra Singh said cleanliness was among the earliest priorities of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi after the Government assumed office in 2014. The Prime Minister’s emphasis on Swachhata in his first Independence Day address on August 15, 2014, brought a foundational issue affecting the everyday lives of common citizens to the centre of the governance agenda. The initiative, he said, also set the tone for a departure from the conventional status quo approach and greater emphasis on citizen-centric governance.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said the response to the Swachhata campaign demonstrated how a clear national call can lead to widespread public participation and behavioural change. Recalling the emphasis on construction of toilets, particularly for women, he spoke about the hardships faced by women in rural and suburban areas and the difficulties experienced by school-going girls because of inadequate sanitation facilities. He cited an instance from his own constituency where a Class 9 girl had stopped attending school until a toilet was constructed at her home and school. A subsequent survey found around 200 households facing similar concerns, bringing to light a significant issue that had remained largely unaddressed.

The Minister said one of the major outcomes of the sustained Swachhata campaign has been a change in public behaviour, with people becoming increasingly conscious about littering and cleanliness in public spaces. At the same time, the campaign has changed the perception of waste by demonstrating its economic value through the principle of “Waste to Wealth”.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said the Special Campaign has become one of the early examples of a “whole-of-government plus whole-of-nation” effort. The initiative initially began with cleaning of files and offices and subsequently expanded to freeing up spaces, improving utilisation of public areas and systematic disposal of scrap. Recalling the early experience, he said around 20 crore was initially generated through scrap disposal, demonstrating the economic value of discarded government material and the potential of systematic disposal to generate resources.

The Minister also spoke about the campaign’s contribution to improving workplace discipline and timely clearance of files. He said dashboards and online feedback mechanisms have enabled Ministries and Departments to assess their progress from time to time and improve implementation. Recalling instances of neglected and inaccessible spaces in government establishments, he said the campaign also provided an opportunity to identify such areas, clear them and put them to productive use.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said the dedicated campaign period from October 2, Gandhi Jayanti, to October 31, Sardar Patel Jayanti, should not be seen as a period during which cleanliness activities are undertaken only for a month. Rather, the campaign serves as an annual reiteration of the resolve and commitment to maintain cleanliness, efficiency and responsiveness throughout the year. He said the experience accumulated through successive editions has provided a strong foundation for Special Campaign 6 and would enable the campaign to move forward with greater focus and effectiveness.

Secretary, DARPG, Smt. Nivedita Shukla Verma, said Special Campaign 6 is not merely about cleaning files and offices but about redefining the culture of governance by making efficiency, cleanliness and responsiveness an everyday feature of government functioning. She said the campaign has grown into a nationwide movement involving offices and public spaces across the country, including remote locations, public sector undertakings, autonomous organisations, missions abroad and citizen-facing establishments such as post offices, schools and railway stations.

She said Special Campaign 6 would build on the experience of scientific waste management with particular emphasis on effective collection, segregation and environmentally sound disposal of e-waste in compliance with the e-waste management rules. The upgraded digital platform will enable real-time monitoring during the preparatory, implementation and evaluation phases and will include a dedicated module for tracking e-waste. She called upon Ministries and Departments to participate with renewed energy and collectively achieve better results than the previous year.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said the Special Campaign should be seen not merely as an annual cleanliness exercise but as a continuing commitment to better governance. He said the campaign has created greater awareness among citizens, brought discipline into government functioning, unlocked the value of waste and contributed to improving the esteem of government institutions as well as society as a whole. As Special Campaign 6 moves forward, he said, the accumulated experience of the past editions provides an opportunity to carry the campaign forward with greater participation, efficiency and sustained commitment.

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AK/AS

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