DST Expands Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 With Sanitation Worker Welfare
- What: Nationwide cleanliness and worker welfare drive
- Who's affected: DST staff, Survey of India, sanitation workers
- Key milestone: 110 Safai Mitras felicitated with health checkups
- Effective date: Commenced September 17, 2026
More than a hundred sanitation workers received medical checkups and personal finance training as India's central science department expanded its cleanliness drive beyond office broom work. The Department of Science and Technology mobilized autonomous research bodies and nationwide Survey of India field offices under the Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 campaign, which launched on September 17.
Rather than limiting the fortnight to ceremonial sweeping, the department centered efforts on the welfare of frontline support staff. The department hosted financial literacy workshops conducted by market regulator SEBI on September 23, followed by a comprehensive health checkup camp. Secretary Prof. Umesh V. Waghmare felicitated 110 Safai Mitras on September 29, formally acknowledging the outsourced personnel maintaining national research facilities.
Senior scientists and administrators also joined direct cleanup drives at Vigyan Sadan and Technology Bhawan over the Gandhi Jayanti weekend. Complementary initiatives featured waste-to-art competitions and tree plantations to embed sustainable waste handling into daily laboratory and office routines.
Coordinated by Joint Secretary A. Dhanalakshmi, the outreach pressed scientific institutions to treat workplace sanitation as an ongoing operational standard rather than a fleeting annual exercise.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the focus of DST's Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 campaign?
The campaign combined campus cleanliness drives with welfare initiatives for support staff, including health screenings, financial literacy sessions, and waste management activities across research bodies.
Which institutions participated in the DST cleanliness drive?
The initiative covered DST headquarters, autonomous research institutions, and Survey of India offices across the country.
How were sanitation workers supported during the campaign?
DST felicitated 110 Safai Mitras, conducted a dedicated preventive health checkup camp, and partnered with SEBI to offer personal financial awareness workshops.
Source
PIB Press Release ID 2319076, Ministry of Science & Technology · 2026-10-05
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