PIB · Government of India ·

ICAR Institutions Drive Eco-Friendly Festival Waste Management and Cleanliness Initiatives under Swachhata Hi Seva Campaign

Distilled Policy Brief

  • Under the 'Swachhata Hi Seva' campaign, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutions organized cleanliness, community awareness, and sustainable waste management programs following Ganesh Visarjan.
  • ICAR-NISA (Ranchi, Jharkhand) and ICAR-CIRCOT (Mumbai, Maharashtra) successfully segregated biodegradable puja materials like flowers and converted them into organic manure at composting facilities.
  • The initiative emphasized avoiding Plaster of Paris (PoP) and chemical-laden idols, protecting natural water sources, and promoting eco-friendly clay idols and responsible waste disposal.

🎯 Prelims High-Yield Examination Points

ICAR institutions like ICAR-NISA (Ranchi) and ICAR-CIRCOT (Mumbai) implemented waste segregation and organic composting of biodegradable festival waste under the 'Swachhata Hi Seva' campaign.

⚖️ Mains Analytical & Syllabus Linkages

Analyze the role of institutional campaigns and community participation in promoting sustainable waste management, environmental protection, and circular economy practices during mass religious festivals in India.

🎯 UPSC Prelims Practice Drill

Environment & Ecology

Consider the following statements regarding the initiatives undertaken by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutions under the 'Swachhata Hi Seva' campaign: 1. ICAR-NISA (Ranchi) and ICAR-CIRCOT (Mumbai) successfully processed biodegradable puja materials like flowers into organic manure at composting facilities. 2. The initiative strictly advocated the immersion of Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols in natural water sources to promote traditional practices. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  • [A] 1 only
  • [B] 2 only
  • [C] Both 1 and 2
  • [D] Neither 1 nor 2
▶ Reveal Official Answer & Analytical Explanation
✓ Correct Option: [A] 1 only

Statement 1 is correct because ICAR-NISA, Ranchi, and ICAR-CIRCOT, Mumbai, successfully segregated biodegradable puja materials like flowers and converted them into organic manure at composting facilities. Statement 2 is incorrect as the campaign strongly discouraged the immersion of Plaster of Paris (PoP) or chemical-laden idols in natural water sources, promoting eco-friendly clay idols and safe disposal instead.

Tark High-Yield Question Bank ⚡ Practice Full Test in Testing Arena ↗

🏛️ Historical Twin PYQ Anchor (2021)

UPSC Prelims 2021

Consider the following statements regarding the "National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)": 1. It is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 2. Central Pollution Control Board acts as the sole regulatory executive body.

Forensic Anchor: Cabinet Allocation of Business Rules & NCAP Framework
Examiner Trap Takeaway: UPSC swapped Central Pollution Control Board role with State Pollution Control Boards for state-level monitoring.

📚 Static Syllabus & Constitutional Linkages

Solid Waste Management Rules: Statutory rules governing the segregation, processing, and disposal of solid waste, emphasizing source segregation and composting.
Water Pollution and Control: Impact of anthropogenic activities, festival effluents, and heavy metal accumulation on freshwater ecosystems under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act.