DESW Steps Up Special Campaign 6.0 on Swachhata, Pendency
The Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare intensified its work under nationwide Special Campaign 6.0, which runs from 2 to 31 October 2026 on Swachhata and pendency.

Why in News
The Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare announced intensified activity under the Government of India's nationwide Special Campaign 6.0, held from 2 October to 31 October 2026 to institutionalise Swachhata and reduce pendency in government processes.
The Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (DESW), which sits within the Ministry of Defence, has stepped up its participation in the Government of India's nationwide Special Campaign 6.0. The drive is being run from 2 October to 31 October 2026 and carries two declared aims: to turn cleanliness, or Swachhata, into a settled habit of government offices, and to bring down the backlog of pending work in government processes. The department said that its own establishments, together with the offices attached to and subordinate to it, are carrying out a set of targeted activities through the month, with attention to how efficiently a workplace functions and how sustainable its surroundings are.
Four lines of action
- Electronic waste: DESW is treating the collection, scientific segregation and responsible disposal of e-waste as a priority, following what the E-Waste (Management) Rules require, and is promoting the idea of 'Waste to Wealth' by turning discarded material into something of value.
- Cleanliness and workplace upgradation: cleaning drives and Shramdaan, that is voluntary manual labour, are being held across establishments to lift hygiene, appearance and order so that both officials and visitors find a better environment.
- Cutting pendency: administrative procedures are being streamlined so that pending references move faster, among them public grievances and assurances given to Parliament, with better service to the ex-servicemen community as the object.
- Awareness and institutionalisation: longer-term measures are being put in place to fold the principles of Swachhata into the department's everyday working, so that what starts as a campaign hardens into ordinary administrative practice.
Why it matters for veterans
DESW is the arm of the Ministry of Defence that looks after the welfare of former soldiers, sailors and air warriors and their families, so the speed at which it disposes of files is felt directly by pensioners and their dependants. By clearing grievances and parliamentary assurances within the campaign month, the department expects service delivery to the veteran community to improve rather than merely look tidier.
A repeated exercise
The number in the name marks the current round of a campaign the Centre repeats across ministries and departments, and the government's intent, as the department put it, is a cleaner, more efficient and more responsive administration. Candidates should note the campaign window, because an October-long drive on Swachhata and pendency is the kind of detail that is set as a single-fact question.
Important Facts
| Campaign | Special Campaign 6.0 (nationwide, Government of India) |
|---|---|
| Duration | 2 October to 31 October 2026 |
| Objectives | Institutionalising Swachhata and reducing pendency in government processes |
| Department | Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (DESW) |
| Ministry | Ministry of Defence |
| E-waste | Handled as per the E-Waste (Management) Rules; 'Waste to Wealth' promoted |
| Key activities | Cleanliness drives, Shramdaan, workplace upgradation, faster disposal of pending references |
| Pendency covered | Grievances and Parliamentary assurances |
| Beneficiaries | The ex-servicemen community and their families |
Exam Point of View
Remember the campaign's name (Special Campaign 6.0), its window (2 to 31 October 2026), its twin objectives (institutionalising Swachhata and reducing pendency), the department involved (Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare) and its ministry (Defence), the rules cited for e-waste (E-Waste (Management) Rules), the 'Waste to Wealth' concept and the term Shramdaan.
Practice Questions
Over which period is the Government of India's nationwide Special Campaign 6.0 being conducted?
- A.1 to 30 September 2026
- B.2 to 31 October 2026
- C.15 August to 15 September 2026
- D.1 to 31 December 2026
Show answer
Explanation
The correct answer is 2 to 31 October 2026. Special Campaign 6.0 is a nationwide drive of the Government of India run through that month, with the twin purposes of making Swachhata a permanent feature of government working and of cutting the backlog of pending matters in government processes. The Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare confirmed that it and its attached and subordinate offices are carrying out targeted activities across the window, with a focus on workplace efficiency and a cleaner, more sustainable office environment. Option A, a September window, and option C, which spans the independence day to teachers' day period, do not match the dates announced. Option D places the campaign in December, which is also wrong. The start on the second of October, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, is the detail worth remembering, since cleanliness drives in India are traditionally anchored to that date.
The Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, which detailed its activities under Special Campaign 6.0, functions under which ministry?
- A.Ministry of Home Affairs
- B.Ministry of Defence
- C.Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
- D.Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Show answer
Explanation
The correct answer is the Ministry of Defence. The Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, abbreviated DESW, is a department of that ministry and is responsible for the welfare of former service personnel and their families, which is why the faster disposal of grievances and Parliamentary assurances under the campaign matters to veterans and pensioners. Option A, the Ministry of Home Affairs, handles internal security and the central armed police forces, not ex-servicemen welfare. Option C, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, works on welfare for socially disadvantaged groups. Option D, the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, deals with civil service administration and the pensions of civilian government employees, and although it is closely associated with pendency reduction drives in general, the department named in this instance is squarely under Defence.
Under Special Campaign 6.0, the concept of converting discarded material into valuable resources is described by which term?
- A.Waste to Wealth
- B.Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
- C.Zero Landfill Mission
- D.Clean to Green
Show answer
Explanation
The correct answer is 'Waste to Wealth'. In its campaign work the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare has made electronic waste a priority area, collecting it, segregating it scientifically and disposing of it responsibly in keeping with the E-Waste (Management) Rules, and it frames that effort through the Waste to Wealth idea of turning discarded material into something useful. Option B, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, is a familiar general principle of waste handling but is not the phrase used for this initiative. Option C, a Zero Landfill Mission, and option D, Clean to Green, are invented labels that sound plausible but were not part of the department's stated approach. Candidates should pair the term with the rules cited for e-waste handling, since questions on such campaigns usually test the exact phrase along with the legal instrument behind it.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Special Campaign 6.0 being held?
From 2 October to 31 October 2026. It is a nationwide Government of India campaign aimed at institutionalising Swachhata and reducing pendency in government processes, and the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare is among the participating departments.
Which ministry does the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare come under?
The Ministry of Defence. DESW looks after the welfare of ex-servicemen and their families, and under Special Campaign 6.0 it is speeding up the disposal of pending grievances and Parliamentary assurances.
What is the 'Waste to Wealth' idea referred to in the campaign?
It is the practice of converting waste into valuable resources. Under Special Campaign 6.0 the department is applying it to e-waste by collecting, scientifically segregating and responsibly disposing of it in line with the E-Waste (Management) Rules.
Sources
- https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2321988 (opens in a new tab) — Press Information Bureau
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