Swachhata Hi Seva 2026: Health Ministry Holds Shramdaan
The Union Health Ministry held a shramdaan in New Delhi on 1 October 2026 under the Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 campaign, themed Ek Din, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath.

Why in News
On 1 October 2026 the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare organised a shramdaan in New Delhi under the Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 campaign, led by Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary of the Department of Health Research and Director General of ICMR.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare carried out a voluntary cleanliness drive, called a shramdaan, in New Delhi on 1 October 2026 under the Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 campaign. The spot chosen for the drive was the stretch near Gate No. 3 of Kartavya Bhavan-1 on Dr. Rajendra Prasad Marg.
Who led the drive
Dr. Rajiv Bahl led the shramdaan. He is Secretary of the Department of Health Research and also serves as Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Talking to reporters at the site, he said that keeping surroundings clean has to become a steady, shared effort rather than a one-off gesture, and he urged officers as well as ordinary citizens to pitch in.
Senior officials who joined
- Smt. Aradhana Patnaik — Additional Secretary and Mission Director of the National Health Mission (NHM)
- Dr. Rakesh Gupta — Additional Secretary and Director General of the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO)
- Dr. Loveneesh G. Krishna — Director General of Health Services (DGHS)
- Other senior officers and staff members of the Ministry
Smt. Aradhana Patnaik spoke on Jan Bhagidari, that is people’s participation, and on what each person owes to the places they share. Clean public spaces last, she said, only where every individual joins in and acts responsibly.
The campaign and its theme
The theme of the campaign is Ek Din, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath, which means one day, one hour, together. Staff and officers worked with visible enthusiasm, mirroring the idea of joint action that the theme carries. Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 is running across the country with the aim of deepening Jan Bhagidari and pulling citizens into the work of keeping the country clean. Its argument is that cleanliness cannot be left to institutions alone: it is a promise the whole society makes, and it needs people to keep taking part at the level of their own neighbourhood.
Cleanliness and public health
The Ministry repeated its pledge to the aims of Swachh Bharat and pointed to the tight link between clean surroundings, public health and healthy living. Three things matter, it said, if public places are to become cleaner, healthier and easier to sustain: awareness that does not fade, waste handled with care, and citizens who take part of their own accord.
Important facts at a glance
| Campaign | Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 |
| Theme | Ek Din, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath |
| Led by | Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary (Department of Health Research) and DG, ICMR |
| Venue | Near Gate No. 3, Kartavya Bhavan-1, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Marg, New Delhi |
| Ministry | Health and Family Welfare |
Important Facts
| Campaign | Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 |
|---|---|
| Theme | Ek Din, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath (one day, one hour, together) |
| Activity | Shramdaan (voluntary cleanliness drive) |
| Led by | Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research and Director General, ICMR |
| Venue | Near Gate No. 3, Kartavya Bhavan-1, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Marg, New Delhi |
| Ministry | Ministry of Health and Family Welfare |
| NHM Mission Director | Smt. Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary |
| NACO Director General | Dr. Rakesh Gupta, Additional Secretary |
| DGHS | Dr. Loveneesh G. Krishna, Director General of Health Services |
| Parent mission | Swachh Bharat |
Exam Point of View
Remember the campaign (Swachhata Hi Seva 2026), its theme ('Ek Din, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath'), who led the shramdaan (Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary of the Department of Health Research and DG of ICMR) and the venue (Kartavya Bhavan-1, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Marg, New Delhi). The offices named are frequently asked: Mission Director of NHM, DG of NACO and DGHS. Keep the full forms of ICMR, NACO, NHM and DGHS ready, along with the parent scheme, Swachh Bharat.
Practice Questions
What is the theme of the Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 campaign?
- A.'Swachhata Se Samriddhi'
- B.'Ek Din, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath'
- C.'Mera Shahar, Meri Zimmedari'
- D.'Ek Bharat, Swachh Bharat'
Show answer
Correct answer: B. 'Ek Din, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath'
Explanation
The correct answer is 'Ek Din, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath', which translates as one day, one hour, together. This is the theme under which the Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 campaign is being run across the country, and the spirit of joint action it stands for was what the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare echoed when its officers and staff joined a shramdaan in New Delhi on 1 October 2026. The theme puts a simple demand before every citizen: set aside one hour on a single day and work alongside others on cleanliness.
Option A, 'Swachhata Se Samriddhi', is not the theme of this campaign. Option C, 'Mera Shahar, Meri Zimmedari', is a plausible-sounding civic slogan but does not belong to Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 either. Option D, 'Ek Bharat, Swachh Bharat', mixes up the name of the wider Swachh Bharat effort, whose objectives the Ministry reaffirmed on the occasion, with the campaign theme, and so it is wrong as well.
Who led the shramdaan organised by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in New Delhi on 1 October 2026?
- A.Dr. Rakesh Gupta
- B.Smt. Aradhana Patnaik
- C.Dr. Rajiv Bahl
- D.Dr. Loveneesh G. Krishna
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Dr. Rajiv Bahl
Explanation
The correct answer is Dr. Rajiv Bahl. He is Secretary of the Department of Health Research and also holds charge as Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research, and he led the voluntary cleanliness drive held near Gate No. 3 of Kartavya Bhavan-1 on Dr. Rajendra Prasad Marg in New Delhi. Speaking to the media there, he said cleanliness must become a sustained collective effort and asked officials and citizens alike to contribute.
Option A, Dr. Rakesh Gupta, is Additional Secretary and Director General of the National AIDS Control Organisation; he took part in the drive but did not lead it. Option B, Smt. Aradhana Patnaik, is Additional Secretary and Mission Director of the National Health Mission, and she spoke on Jan Bhagidari and individual responsibility, again as a participant. Option D, Dr. Loveneesh G. Krishna, is the Director General of Health Services and was also among the participants.
Dr. Rakesh Gupta, who took part in the drive, is Additional Secretary and Director General of which organisation?
- A.National Health Mission
- B.Indian Council of Medical Research
- C.National AIDS Control Organisation
- D.Directorate General of Health Services
Show answer
Correct answer: C. National AIDS Control Organisation
Explanation
The correct answer is the National AIDS Control Organisation, abbreviated NACO. Dr. Rakesh Gupta serves as Additional Secretary in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and as Director General of NACO, and in that capacity he was among the senior officers who joined the shramdaan in New Delhi.
Option A is wrong because the National Health Mission is headed, as Mission Director, by Smt. Aradhana Patnaik, who is also an Additional Secretary and who spoke at the event on the importance of people taking part. Option B is wrong because the Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research is Dr. Rajiv Bahl, who is Secretary of the Department of Health Research as well and who led the drive. Option D is wrong because Dr. Loveneesh G. Krishna is the Director General of Health Services. All four officials attended, but only one of them heads NACO.
Where did the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare hold its Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 shramdaan?
- A.Nirman Bhavan, New Delhi
- B.Kartavya Bhavan-1, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Marg, New Delhi
- C.Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi
- D.Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Kartavya Bhavan-1, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Marg, New Delhi
Explanation
The correct answer is Kartavya Bhavan-1 on Dr. Rajendra Prasad Marg in New Delhi, and more precisely the area near its Gate No. 3, where the voluntary cleanliness drive was carried out. The Ministry chose a working government precinct rather than a ceremonial venue, which fits the point it was making: that clean surroundings are the everyday responsibility of the people who use a place.
Option A, Nirman Bhavan, is a familiar seat of central ministries in the capital and therefore a tempting answer, but it was not the site of this drive. Option C, Vigyan Bhavan, is a conference venue in New Delhi and was not involved. Option D, Bharat Mandapam, hosts large national and international events in the capital and had no part in this shramdaan. Only Kartavya Bhavan-1 matches.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the theme of the Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 campaign?
The theme is 'Ek Din, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath', meaning one day, one hour, together. It asks every citizen to give one hour on one day to cleanliness work, collectively.
Who led the shramdaan organised by the Union Health Ministry on 1 October 2026?
Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary of the Department of Health Research and Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), led the drive in New Delhi.
What does Jan Bhagidari mean in the context of this campaign?
Jan Bhagidari means people's participation. The campaign holds that cleanliness is not the duty of institutions alone but a shared commitment of society that needs citizens to take part at the community level.
Which senior health officials took part in the cleanliness drive?
Smt. Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary and Mission Director of the National Health Mission; Dr. Rakesh Gupta, Additional Secretary and Director General of the National AIDS Control Organisation; and Dr. Loveneesh G. Krishna, Director General of Health Services.
Sources
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