The Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar conferred Swachhata Ranking Awards 2018 for higher educational institutionsin New Delhi today. Best 51 higher educational institutions have been selected for Swachhata Ranking Awards in 8 different categories.Speaking on the occasion, Shri Prakash Javadekar said that cleanliness must be a habit in students and it can be developed only in educational institutions, therefore Ministry is promoting and rewarding cleanliness efforts of educational institutions. He further said that clean India is the foundation of healthy India; Swasth Bharat cannot become reality without Swachh Bharat and government is committed to make it possible.Prakash Javadekar remembered Mahatma Gandhi on this occasion and said that he was the real brand ambassador of cleanliness and he educated people towards cleanliness by all his efforts. He said that we must give our tribute to Mahatma Gandhi by making our country a clean country. He informed that 9 Crore toilets have been made and 4.80 lakh villages have been announced as Open Defecation Free (ODF) in short span of 4 years which is remarkable achievement for the nation under Swachh Bharat Mission.
The Union Minister emphasized that we should educate our children and society about solid waste management, electric waste management and water harvesting techniques so that they can make our country more eco friendly and clean. He said that due to Swachhata Ranking Awards our educational campuses are becoming clean now we take them to further, from clean campus to green campus.The Union Minister alsoreleased two books during the event 1. Elective Course Curriculum on Swachhata and Waste Management2. Booklet on 60 HEIs campus and Village Swachhata Activities. He congratulated MGNCRE for launching a sanitation course on Swachhata Management in curriculum.Union Minister of State for HRD, DR Satya Pal Singh said that the cleanliness is the real meaning of education and we must adopt it. He emphasized on internal cleanliness as well as outer cleanliness to become a good human being. He said that basic aim of education must be to make a complete human being. Cleanliness is such a sacred thing which must be followed like one follows religion, he added.Secretary, Higher Education, Shri R. Subrahmanyam, Chairman UGC, Shri D.P.Singh and Chairman AICTE, Shri Anil Sahasrabudhe were also present along with other officials during the event.