Reviewing the progress of Special Campaign 6.0, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology; Earth Sciences and Minister of State for PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, pointed to clear gains over last year's Special Swachhata Campaign 5.0 in the number of cleanliness campaign sites covered, the revenue raised from scrap disposal and the space freed.
By October 19, 2026, Special Swachhata Campaign 6.0 had reached 8,34,509 cleanliness campaign sites, against 2,75,432 in the same period of Special Campaign 5.0 in 2025 — a 3.03-fold rise. Scrap disposal brought in ₹491.28 crore, up from ₹304.72 crore in the corresponding period last year, an increase of 1.61-fold. The drive also freed 116 lakh square feet of space, compared with 113.12 lakh square feet in the matching period of Special Campaign 5.0.
Under Special Campaign 6.0, the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) in the Ministry of Personnel cleared 1,200 square feet of space on one floor of its office premises. The step mirrors the campaign’s emphasis on making the best use of available office space and matching the use of premises to functional needs.
According to the Minister, the campaign draws on lessons from earlier editions and aims to raise performance every year. Having started with the weeding out of physical files, it has gradually widened to cover electronic files, e-waste management and the disposal of obsolete items. Earning revenue from scrap disposal has also become a key part of the campaign.
For the current implementation phase, Dr. Jitendra Singh has asked Secretaries to broaden participation in Special Campaign 6.0 by taking activities to field offices and establishments throughout the country. He stressed the value of holding dedicated one-day campaigns in offices and establishments, along with continuous efforts to improve cleanliness and dispose of obsolete materials effectively.
Clearing pending references and public grievances, reviewing physical and electronic files and freeing office space for productive use are also part of the campaign. These measures add to the physical cleanliness drive and carry it into the day-to-day functioning of government offices.
Among the leading contributors, the Department of School Education and Literacy reported 4,15,353 cleanliness campaign sites, and the Ministry of Railways raised ₹425.06 crore from scrap disposal as on October 19, 2026.
Special Campaign 6 runs from October 2 to October 31, 2026. The review captures the results achieved so far in the ongoing campaign, which will continue until October 31.
The Minister further stressed the need to build greater public awareness and motivation around cleanliness, responsible waste disposal and recycling. He called for promoting the scientific management of e-waste and showcasing technologies for reusing and recycling waste, including uses of spent cooking oil and plastic, so that sustainable waste-management practices are better understood.
Secretaries to the Government of India took part in the meeting. Ms. Nivedita Shukla Verma, Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG); Ms. Rachna Shah, Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT); Prof. Umesh V. Waghmare, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST); Dr. Srinivasa Kumar Tummala, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES); Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR); and Dr. Rajesh Sudhir Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology (DBT), were present in person, while other Secretaries to the Government of India joined online.
The Secretary, DARPG, presented the status of Special Campaign 6 across Ministries, Departments and their field establishments. DoPT told the meeting that it had switched to electric vehicles for the Department, supporting the goals of Swachhata and Special Campaign 6. The Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST), stressed evaluating office space through a “utility versus availability” lens to make the best use of it. Dr. Jitendra Singh asked all Secretaries to follow this approach when reviewing space in their Ministries and Departments, so that its use matches actual functional needs. He also asked them to share successful initiatives and best practices with DARPG and other Ministries and Departments, so that working models can be spread and replicated more widely. This would help other Ministries and Departments learn from these experiences and adopt similar practices wherever relevant, strengthening the implementation of Special Campaign 6.