UGC has directed Higher Education Institutions (HEls) to ensure that Swachhata Hi Seva 2024 (SHS 2024) will be observed from 14th September, 2024 to 1st October, 2024 with the theme of ‘Swabhav Swachhata – Sanskaar Swachhata’, which will culminate in the Swachh Bharat Diwas celebrations on 2nd October, 2024. The SHS 2024 will have the following 3 main pillars:
- Swachhata Ki Bhaagidari – with emphasis on Public Participation, Awareness & Advocacy; activities such as pledges, competitions, walkathons, plantation drives (Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam), clean street food challenge, waste to art, sale of recycled products, Swachh Bharat Cultural Fests etc. may be organised.
- Sampoorna Swachhata through Shramdaan including Swachhata Lakshit Ekayi – Mega cleanliness drives with shramdaan focussing on general cleanliness across urban and rural areas with focus on community assets like water bodies, roads, railway stations, garbage dumps, nallahs, etc will be undertaken. Each of the cities will also be transformed with beautification, plantation, waste to art installations by communities etc. As a special initiative this year, emphasis will be given to time bound transformation of ‘black spots’ or Cleanliness Target Units ( CTU) i.e. difficult to clean, neglected spots posing environmental, health and hygiene risk- through partnership with local bodies, civil society, industry and local community. While CTUs are being identified by urban local
bodies (ULBs), HEls are encouraged to identify their own CTUs where holistic and sustainable transformation can be achieved through design thinking, use of cutting-edge technology, process re-engineering and Jan Bhagidari. - SafaiMitra Suraksha Shivirs – Single-window health and welfare camps may be conducted for SafaiMitras for preventive health care screening/ check-ups and to enable linkages with various welfare schemes of Central and State Government which could benefit them. Such Shivirs will also be planned at district or block level by the District Administration, HEls may coordinate with the administration to facilitate participation by Safai Mitras in these Shivirs to avail entitlements under welfare schemes. If any potential beneficiary is left out from any scheme, s/he will be covered by district administration as per their entitlement by 2nd October 2024.
