Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, on Saturday chaired a high-level review meeting to assess preparations for the forthcoming ‘Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar’ (SSSS) 2026 campaign and the upcoming India International Science Festival, scheduled to be held in Pune in the third week of December.
The meeting, held at Prithvi Bhawan, focused on ensuring seamless coordination among institutions and encouraging wider public participation for the successful execution of both national initiatives.
During the review, the Minister discussed the roadmap for the 2026 edition of the nationwide coastal cleanup campaign, which will be conducted from September 12 to 19, culminating on International Coastal Cleanup Day.
Senior officials and scientists from the Ministry of Earth Sciences and its institutes attended the meeting along with representatives from the Indian Coast Guard, Seema Jagran Manch, Paryavaran Sanrakshan Gatividhi and VIBHA. Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Rajesh S. Gokhale, MoES Joint Secretary D. Senthil Pandiyan and Scientist G Jagvir Singh were also present.
The Minister said the 2026 campaign would be conducted as a week-long nationwide movement across India’s 11,098-km coastline with active participation from Central and State Ministries, academic and research institutions, district administrations, youth organisations and local communities.
He said the initiative reflects the country’s growing commitment towards coastal conservation and marine ecological security.
A presentation during the meeting reviewed the progress of the 2025 campaign coordinated by the National Centre for Coastal Research. The review highlighted the contribution of the Sagar App, a citizen-science platform that has facilitated documentation of more than 150 tonnes of marine litter from coastal regions.
Dr Singh said the campaign, conducted under the PRITHVI scheme, combines scientific monitoring with public participation and supports long-term efforts related to seawater quality assessment, marine litter management and mitigation of coastal hazards such as shoreline erosion.
He also called for greater involvement of NCC, NSS, educational institutions, volunteer groups and civil society organisations to expand the outreach of the campaign.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a sustainable Blue Economy, the Minister said India’s coastal initiatives are emerging as a model of community-driven environmental stewardship backed by scientific institutions and technology-enabled participation.
The ‘Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar’ campaign was launched in 2022 as a 75-day inter-ministerial initiative aimed at cleaning and reducing marine litter across coastal areas of the country. Since then, it has been conducted annually during the week of International Coastal Cleanup Day with participation from government institutions, volunteers, NGOs, students and community organisations.
The Minister also reviewed preparations for the India International Science Festival and discussed measures to enhance participation of scientific institutions, innovators, students and young researchers to strengthen public engagement with science, technology and innovation.
