HRD confers 'Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar' to 52 schools

Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday presented 'Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar' to 52 schools for maintaining cleanliness and hygiene on campus.

Out of the 52 winners of the award, as many as 47 were government schools while the remaining seven were private.

Over six schools from 33 states and Union Territories had nominated themselves for the award instituted by the HRD ministry in 2016-17.

No school from Karnataka could make it to the list of the finalists.

A total of 45000 private schools joined the race for this year's award for the first time on a call from the ministry.

Addressing the event organised to present the awards, HRD Minister said, “Swachhta (cleanliness) campaign has become a mass movement which is changing our mindsets and inculcating the habit of cleanliness everywhere in the country.”

He described the school students as “Swachhta ambassadors,” hoping that they will lead “Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of clean India” through awareness and sensitization programs.

Swachhta activities in schools will bring out “a positive behavioural” change in the society, he added.