Swachh Bharat Mission and Swachhata Pakhwada 2026: The Role of Krishi Vigyan Kendras

Mahatma Gandhi commonly quoted as saying, “Sanitation is more important than independence.” Over a century later, the same philosophy was embedded as national policy when the Government of India rolled out the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) on 2nd October 2014, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. What started as a cleaning program has become a mass movement, a Jan Andolan, that has reached homes, schools, workplaces, farms and markets all over the country. The goal is to keep it running with continuous campaigns around major milestones. The most prominent campaign inside governmental agencies are Swachhata Pakhwada, a two-week period dedicated to hygiene. Pakhwada is a chance to link sanitation with agriculture for agricultural research and extension framework. District-based agricultural science centers, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) are crucial to this project as they directly engage farmers, agricultural women, rural youth and students.