New Delhi [India], October 1 (ANI): Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy on Thursday called for a nationwide 30-day cleanliness drive from Gandhi Jayanti on October 2 to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birth anniversary on October 31, urging citizens, government and private institutions, educational establishments, NGOs and other organisations to participate.
Speaking to the media, Reddy said the cleanliness campaign should begin from people's homes and workplaces, with government and private offices, educational institutions, NGOs, associations and sanitation workers participating in the drive.
"From Gandhi Jayanthi to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birth anniversary is coming up on October 31st, for almost 30 days, everyone should take up this Swachh Bharat campaign program across the country, and an appeal has been made for everyone in the country to become participants," Reddy said.
"Tomorrow, nationwide, the Government of India, various state governments, government and private educational institutions, government and private offices, NGOs, various associations in colonies, along with Swachh Bharat Warriors sanitation workers, all of them should take up a drive for 30 days," he said.
Reddy urged citizens to clear unnecessary material and waste from their homes and offices as part of the campaign.
"This program should start from our homes. In our offices too, whatever waste there is, whether in private offices or government offices, all offices should be checked during these 30 days. If there are any useless items, useless papers, or wasted papers, all of those should be cleared out under the Swachh Bharat campaign," he said.
The remarks came as the government is undertaking Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 activities, with October 1 designated for simultaneous cleanliness activities under the theme 'Ek Din, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath'.
Reddy also urged citizens to collect and recycle electronic waste, highlighting its potential to help recover critical minerals.
"Along with that, today the Government of India, through the Ministry of Mines, is running an e-waste initiative. We should also gather, collect, segregate, and recycle this today through three such programs that have been arranged by e-waste," he said.
The Ministry of Mines has announced a one-month e-waste collection drive from October 2 to October 31, under which discarded electronic and electrical items will be collected and channelled for appropriate recycling and scientific processing through authorised mechanisms.
Reddy said electronic products such as mobile phones, laptops and computers contain critical minerals that can potentially be recovered through recycling.
"Because today in India, millions of people, from regular sanitation workers to farmer laborers in villages, are using cell phones. Studying students in large numbers are using laptops. In offices, computers are being used, and many other types of electronic goods are being used. Critical minerals are present in all of these," he said.
He appealed to citizens not to keep discarded electronic goods stored in their homes for years or dispose of them as ordinary waste.
"Therefore, without misusing all of them, without hoarding them in houses for years, without throwing them away as garbage in the earth, all of them should be collected, brought, and segregated. From that, lithium and other critical minerals that the country desperately needs can be extracted," Reddy said.
The Ministry of Mines has said the e-waste initiative is aligned with the objectives of the National Critical Mineral Mission and aims to strengthen resource recovery, circular-economy practices and responsible e-waste management.
Reddy also referred to the National Critical Mineral Mission and said critical minerals are important for sectors including electronics and advanced manufacturing.
"Today, we manufacture and send cell phones to many countries in the world. Without critical minerals, cell phone manufacturing is not possible. Today, the cameras we use, microphones, and every kind of item, every single one, requires critical minerals today," he said.
The Union Minister further appealed to citizens to participate in e-waste collection and support recycling efforts aimed at recovering such materials.
Towards the end of his interaction, Reddy also spoke about what he described as the need for "cleanliness" in public discourse.
"Definitely, speaking against the country, against the constitutional institutions of the country, against our military, and against the statutory institutions of the country is something that needs to be stopped. Everyone should have cleanliness in their minds. Keeping hatred in mind, and doing deceitful politics is not good," he said.
The Ministry of Mines has separately said that its Special Campaign 6.0, running from October 2 to October 31, will focus on effective collection, segregation and scientific disposal of e-waste, including efforts to facilitate recovery of critical minerals from discarded electronic products. (ANI)
Union Minister G Kishan Reddy calls for 30-day nationwide cleanliness drive, urges e-waste collection to recover critical minerals
