IGNOU Celebrates Gandhi Jayanti with number of Activities around Swachh Bharat Abhiyan; IGNOU gets 5th rank in Swachh Campus Ranking 2018 by MHRD

Indira Gandhi National Open University organized number of activities to commemorate Gandhi Jayanti and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The fortnight long activities included Safai Abhiyaan by all the Regional Centers as well as the Maidan Garhi Headquarter.

The university also received 5th rank in Swachh Campus Ranking 2018 amongst the cleanest Higher Educational Institutions in the country in the University (Non Residential) category by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. The university was also awarded for Maintaining, Promoting, and Encouraging the Culture of “Swachhta” in Higher Educational Institutions in the Country. This achievement showcases IGNOU’s continuous efforts towards whole hearted participation in clean and green campus under Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan.

Today’s program started with Prof. Nageshwar Rao address where he stressed the need to inculcate habit of cleanliness. He said that cleanliness should start not only from our immediate surroundings but the locality, the city we live in. He also complimented the Regional Centers for the willingness to work for clean environment around their centers and Study Centers. He urged everyone to continue and making a habit of keeping the office and surroundings clean.

Ms. Vidya Sonal, Registrar, IGNOU on the occasion while urging all IGNOU employees to observe basic hygiene and cleanliness for better environment, made all to take an oath on the day of Gandhi Jayanti to devote time, and follow simple rules to keep the workplace, locality, and the city clean.

On the occasion a drawing competition was also held for the IGNOU staff children on the theme. Prof Nageshwar Rao while distributing the prizes praised children’s imagination and said that it would instill the right habits for better and clean tomorrow.

The booklet showcasing the number of interventions carried out by Regional Centres was also launched in creating awareness about Swachhta, across length and breadth of India.

The program concluded with planting of trees at the IGNOU Maidan Garhi Campus by the Vice-Chancellors, other IGNOU members and their children.

Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) took up various activities under Swachh Bharat Mission with the support of the its Regional Centre’s and Learner Support Centre’s spread across India like Sensitization of the Regional Centre staff and villagers through awareness meetings, Swachhta Rally in the villages, Cleaning of the office and surroundings, Plantation drive, Toilet cleaning, Cleaning of drainage, Garbage collection and disposal, Hand washing Campaign, Health and hygiene talks at the Regional Centre, Facilitation to the villagers in the toilet construction with the help of government officials, Use of dustbins (wet and dry waste) management, Cleanness drive in the school, Poster making and Slogan writing competitions on Swachhta, Spreading awareness among them about IGNOU programmes in Health & Sanitation, Awareness Programmes on Swachhta organized at the Learner Support Centre’s, Distribution of dustbins to the poor village people to encourage them to use them to keep the home environment clean, Awareness about Swachhta through Participation in Gram Sabha Meetings etc.,

Swachh Bharat Mission was launched by Government of India in the year 2014. It is nation-wide campaign of largest clean up drive for period 2014-19 with the major objective to clean up the streets, construction of toilets etc to achieve an Open-Defecation Free (ODF) India by 2 October 2019, the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi. Since the start of the mission Government of India involved universities, college, school students in the mega drive of cleanliness.