Bhubaneswar : Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar felicitated 25 Housekeeping and Horticulture Staff with the SafaiMitra Award-2024 for their significant contributions to cleaning activities inside and outside the campus during the Swachhata Hi Seva – 2024 campaign. The Awards were handed over by Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar, Director, IIT Bhubaneswar on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti celebration at the Institute.

It may be mentioned that IIT Bhubaneswar joined the Nation in the Swachhata Hi Seva Special Campaign and conducted various activities reiterating its commitment towards cleanliness, in line with this year’s theme ‘Swabhav Swachhata – Sanskaar Swachhata’. Various activities were divided into the three pillars of the campaign:

1. Cleanliness Target Units (CTUs) – Shramdaan activities (Timebound transformation of target units & general cleanliness)
2. Swachhata Mein Jan Bhagidari (Public Participation, Awareness & Advocacy)
3. SafaiMitra Suraksha Shivirs, Preventive health checkups & social security coverage

The Institute organised a Mass Cleanliness Drive on 1^st October 2024, in which Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar, Director, Prof. Rajesh Roshan Dash, Dean (Student Affairs), Shri Bamadev Acharya, Registrar and other senior faculty members and employees joined the housekeeping staff in cleaning the road in front of the Main Gate of the Institute.

On 2^nd October 2024, while celebrating the Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the members of the Institute offered floral tribute to the Father of the Nation. Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar stressed on the prohibition of single-use plastic in the Institute. On this occasion, in addition to the distribution of the SafaiMitra Award, awards for poster competitions held earlier on Swachhata Hi Seva were handed over to the students and children of the campus. Prof. Rajesh Roshan Dash and Shri Bamadev Acharya also spoke on the occasion and highlighted on the various initiatives being executed and planned to ensure the cleanliness of the Institute premises. Shri Acharya mentioned that the Institute is planning to implement a new initiative under which all the members of the Institute including the faculty members and employees will give 100 hours of shramdaan per year (2 hours per week) for maintaining the cleanliness of the campus.

The faculty members, employees, students and residents of the Institute joined in this campaign with much enthusiasm to make the purpose of the Swachhata Hi Seva mission a success.