Employee support was the focus as Dr Jitendra Singh opened a childcare centre and blood donation camp at Delhi's Kartavya Bhawan-3. The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, who also holds portfolios covering the PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, said Special Swachhata Campaign 6.0 links better use of government buildings with staff welfare and workplace improvements.
Looking back at the reforms undertaken under Prime Minister Narendra Modi since May 26, 2014, Dr Singh said government improvements must encompass employees' day-to-day needs, not simply streamlined procedures or greater transparency. Helping working parents manage childcare, he explained, can allow them to focus on their public duties.
Calling the ongoing effort a 'Reform Express', the minister emphasised workplace conditions that let staff give full attention to their responsibilities. Gyms, dining arrangements and pantry facilities are among the existing measures he cited. The new creche at Kartavya Bhawan-3 adds a practical childcare option for employees with young children, whose needs must be addressed.
The Kartavya Bhawan-3 creche follows Ministry of Women and Child Development guidance. It occupies more than 2,000 square feet, with room for roughly 30–35 children. So far, 27 children have been enrolled, and admissions to the remaining places are continuing.
Parents will find play and learning spaces, child-appropriate washrooms, audio-visual equipment and drinking water at the centre. A sleeping room, feeding and care area, and kitchen or dry pantry support daily care. CCTV monitoring, padded surfaces and a medical kit are also part of the safety arrangements.
Dr Singh highlighted the pressures on mothers who must manage office work alongside their children's health, meals and care. A reliable creche nearby can ease those competing responsibilities. Parents already using the facility reported feeling more able to concentrate at work because their children were being looked after.
In the minister's account, better public administration depends partly on meeting employees' practical needs. The facilities at Kartavya Bhawan-3 are intended to improve the work environment while supporting government staff in delivering services effectively.
Grih Kalyan Kendra (GKK), a society associated with the Department of Personnel and Training, will operate the childcare centre. It has experience supporting central government employees' families and already runs about six other Delhi creches. Through a partnership with the NGO Mobile Creches, GKK is also strengthening training for childcare teachers and carers.
The occasion brought together two different forms of service: support for the families of government workers through the creche, and voluntary community contribution through the blood donation camp. Both activities were presented as expressions of public responsibility and inclusive governance under the spirit of Seva Sankalp.
Kartavya Bhawan, Dr Singh said, is meant to reflect a modern, effective administration centred on citizens. Its offices must also take account of the dignity, inclusion and wellbeing of employees. He acknowledged the DoPT, Grih Kalyan Kendra and the officials involved in opening the creche.
As part of the Swachhata-related Special Campaign 6.0, the DoPT has also moved towards electric transport for departmental work. Eighteen petrol and diesel vehicles were withdrawn and replaced with electric ones, a step aimed at reducing the environmental impact of government operations.
Among those attending were DoPT Secretary Ms Rachna Shah and senior representatives of the departments and ministries concerned.