Dr Jitendra Singh took part in an electronic-waste disposal exercise at the Department of Personnel and Training under Special Swachhata Campaign 6.0. The minister, whose portfolios include Science and Technology, Earth Sciences and Personnel, emphasised organised disposal and recognition of the remaining value in obsolete office equipment.
Singh described the period from Gandhi Jayanti to Patel Jayanti as a focused month for renewing cleanliness practices. It is not intended to replace year-round upkeep, he said, but to help departments review their habits and reinforce them through concentrated action.
The minister said successive campaigns draw on experience from earlier editions. One lesson has been that obsolete electronics and other unused items can generate meaningful revenue when departments dispose of them through a systematic process.
He reported approximately ₹490 crore in scrap-disposal receipts during the first 15–17 days of the current campaign. Singh expressed confidence that revenue would more than double by October 31; this was his expectation for the remaining campaign period.
Earlier disposal practices sent scrap to market without a standardised process, Singh said. The present exercise uses the GeM Portal. He argued that obsolete equipment should not be viewed simply as waste when its remaining value can be recovered.
Singh also questioned the practice of discarding a complete computer set because a peripheral, such as a mouse or screen, no longer works. Referring to items identified for disposal, including 152 desktops and 52 air conditioners, he stressed the need to account properly for equipment that is unused or obsolete.
DoPT placed three auction notices on GeM on September 30, 2026. They cover IT equipment, electrical and electronic goods, and furniture, with a separate recommended reserve price for each category.
The IT list includes 152 desktops, 35 printers, eight scanners and three photocopiers. It also contains 59 UPS units and 217 miscellaneous articles, among them keyboards and mice.
Electrical and electronic goods comprise 52 air conditioners, four televisions, five refrigerators and 17 water dispensers. Furniture includes chairs, tables, storage units, sofas, drawers and workstations. Together, the categories carry a recommended reserve price of about ₹9 lakh.
The exercise links workplace cleanliness with organised asset disposal under Special Campaign 6.0. DoPT Secretary Rachna Shah and other senior departmental officers also participated, supporting the effort to clear obsolete goods while recovering their residual value.