Jamia Administers Cleanliness Oath on Gandhi Jayanti

[Following is an official Jamia press release dated Oct. 2, 2014]

Jamia Millia Islamia has given an innovative thrust to the Clean India Drive by administering Cleanliness Oath (Swachhta Shapath) to the University’s faculty members, students and staff to sustain cleanliness drive on the campus and create a habit and culture of cleanliness to make India litter-free.

Addressing a gathering of academic officials, students and staff, Prof. Talat Ahmad, Vice-Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia emphasized the imperativeness of cleanliness and how it contributed to conservation of environment. Exhorting students, faculty members and staff to remain continuously motivated to keep the campus, neighbourhood and the country litter-free he stressed the need to create a habit and culture of cleanliness.  He went on to applaud the visionary initiative of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi for having conceived the campaign Swachh Bharat Mission for this country as it was the need of the hour. Drawing inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi, he underlined the relationship between cleanliness and good health. Cleanliness and good health, he observed, contributed to the general well-being of the nation. He observed that Gandhiji gave equal significance to freedom and cleanliness. Echoing the sentiments of Hon’ble Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, the Vice-Chancellor remarked that the nation would achieve complete cleanliness and create toilet facilities for all within next five years. Underlining the importance of the educational institutions in India to generate awareness in respect of cleanliness, he stated that children in schools and universities should get trained as ambassadors of cleanliness and hygiene so that the future generations can imbibe those values from them and a healthy tradition and cleanliness-culture could become part of our system.

Later, interacting with the media-persons, he appreciated the formal arrangements put in place by the Government of India that would go a long way to reinforce the traditional cleaning that people carry out on the occasion of various festivals.

Earlier, Dr. Ikramul Haq, Principal, Sr. Abid Husain Sr. Secondary School, Jamia Millia Islamia administered the Oath of Cleanliness to Jamia’s students, faculty and staff to keep homes, streets, neighbourhood, villages, city and the country clean by devoting 100 hours per year and 2 hours per week to this task. A pledge was also made to assume responsibility for administering this very oath to hundred other persons to keep the nation litter-free.

The Deans of various faculties addressed the audience and shared their experiences of “Swachh Bharat Mission” and motivated youngsters to remain committed to cleanliness.

Jamia has already been applauded by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) for its cleanliness initiatives under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

Students from Nursery School, Middle School and Sr. Secondary School made cultural presentations linked to cleanliness.

The programme ended with National Anthem.