The Swachhata Hi Sewa (SHS) campaign 2025 has officially begun across schools in India from 17th September 2025, marking yet another collective stride towards India’s dream of a cleaner, greener, and healthier future. The campaign will culminate on October 2, 2025, celebrated as Swachh Bharat Diwas, the birth anniversary of Lal Bahadur Shastri and Mahatma Gandhi. This fortnight-long initiative is happening in educational institutions across the country, engaging students, teachers, and communities through a series of participatory and awareness-building activities. From Swachhta Shapath (cleanliness pledges) and campus cleanliness drives to essay-writing, painting competitions, rallies, cultural events, and plantation drives, the campaign has been designed to instill lifelong values of sanitation, hygiene, and sustainable practices.
The Swachhata Hi Sewa (SHS) campaign 2025 is being observed in all schools nationwide, beginning from 17th September and culminating on Swachh Bharat Diwas, i.e., 2nd October 2025.
The campaign aims to instill awareness on cleanliness, sanitation and sustainable practices among… pic.twitter.com/o13z9DF3dG
— Ministry of Education (@EduMinOfIndia) September 17, 2025
The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), launched in 2014, has transformed the nation’s approach to cleanliness and waste management. Building upon this momentum, the Swachhata Hi Sewa campaign acts as a people’s movement, reinforcing the idea that cleanliness is not only the government’s responsibility but also the duty of every citizen.
By focusing on schools in 2025, the campaign recognizes that children are the most effective change-makers. When students are encouraged to adopt clean and sustainable habits, they not only shape their own futures but also influence families and communities at large. Schools serve as incubators of behavioral change, making them the perfect setting for a campaign that envisions a clean and green India.
Activities Under SHS 2025 in Schools
The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with state governments, has rolled out guidelines to ensure uniform participation by schools nationwide. Activities are planned to be both educational and experiential, allowing students to learn by participating.
Swachhta Shapath (Cleanliness Pledge)
The campaign began on September 17 with mass pledge ceremonies in classrooms and school assemblies. Students and teachers took the Swachhta Shapath, committing themselves to personal hygiene, proper waste disposal, avoiding single-use plastics, and promoting eco-friendly practices.
Campus Cleanliness Drives
Every school is organizing special drives where students, teachers, and non-teaching staff participate in cleaning classrooms, playgrounds, libraries, washrooms, and surrounding areas.
Essay and Painting Competitions
Creative expression plays an important role in shaping young minds. Schools are conducting competitions on themes such as “My Vision of a Clean India,” “Green Practices for a Sustainable Future,” and “Say No to Plastic.” These events not only test writing and artistic skills but also stimulate critical thinking about environmental challenges.
Rallies and Awareness Campaigns
Students have been taking out prabhat pheris (morning rallies) in their neighborhoods, carrying placards, banners, and slogans on cleanliness and sanitation. The aim is to create community-wide awareness while involving parents, local residents, and shopkeepers.
Cultural Events
Plays, skits, dances, and songs are being staged with a strong message on waste segregation, recycling, menstrual hygiene, and water conservation. Such activities use art and culture as powerful tools for social transformation.
Plantation Drives
Given the growing concerns of climate change, plantation drives are an integral part of the campaign this year. Students are planting saplings in school campuses and nearby community areas, linking cleanliness with sustainability and environmental conservation.
The SHS 2025 campaign places students at the heart of the movement. By participating in cleanliness and awareness activities, students are not only contributing directly to cleaner campuses but also learning habits that will benefit them for life.
Leading by Example: When children pick up brooms, plant trees, or carry cloth bags instead of plastic, they inspire adults around them to follow suit.
Spreading Awareness: Through rallies and cultural events, students take the message of cleanliness beyond the classroom and into the community.
Sustainable Thinking: Exposure to concepts like waste segregation, recycling, and water conservation helps create a generation that values and practices sustainability.
This approach aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasizes experiential learning and social responsibility as essential parts of education. While students lead the way, teachers and communities play an equally important role in keeping the campaign alive. Teachers act as role models by guiding students in activities and including cleanliness values in classroom lessons.
Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) are also involved to motivate families to follow sustainable practices at home. Local communities join hands with schools in managing waste, supporting tree plantation drives, and arranging resources for cultural programs. This joint effort ensures that the campaign goes beyond school boundaries and reaches villages, towns, and cities.
The campaign’s culmination on 2nd October 2025, Gandhi Jayanti, is symbolic. Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” His dream of a clean India resonates deeply with the Swachh Bharat Mission. By concluding SHS 2025 on this day, schools and communities pay tribute to Gandhi’s vision while celebrating Swachh Bharat Diwas. Also, just as Shastri inspired the nation to embrace discipline, self-reliance, and national service, the campaign reminds students and citizens that cleanliness and sustainability are also acts of patriotism and service to the nation.
Nationwide events, including mega cleanliness drives, debates, and exhibitions, will mark the finale. Students who excel in competitions will be felicitated, and best practices will be shared across schools.
The SHS 2025 campaign goes beyond immediate cleanliness and connects directly with India’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It contributes to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) by promoting hygiene and sanitation, SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) by encouraging safe water use and proper waste management, SDG 13 (Climate Action) through plantation drives and awareness on environmental protection, and SDG 15 (Life on Land) by safeguarding green spaces and biodiversity. In this way, the campaign is not just about maintaining clean surroundings but also about securing a sustainable and healthier future for the coming generations.
Building a Cleaner, Greener, Healthier India
The Swachhata Hi Sewa Campaign 2025 is more than a two-week initiative; it is a movement to shape young minds into responsible citizens who value cleanliness and sustainability. By engaging students through practical activities, the campaign ensures that lessons on hygiene, sanitation, and environmental responsibility go beyond textbooks and become part of daily life.
