Government asks ministries, officials to take cleanliness pledge on Gandhi Jayanti The Narendra Modi government has asked all ministries to go on an "intensive cleanliness campaign" from September 25 to October 2 in the week to Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary, culminating in a Swachta Shapath or cleanliness pledge to be taken by bureaucrats in Delhi on Gandhi Jayanthi. Cabinet secretary Ajit Seth asked secretaries to take the cleanliness drive in government offices and public buildings "to the next level so that there is visible and felt impact," in a September 20 note that ET has seen. The cleanliness pledge is to be taken by all government officials on October 2, with senior staff personally seeing to it that the week-long drive is pursued vigorously in their departments. Seth asked ministries for a comprehensive action plan to be sent to him by September 22 "so that Prime Minister Narendra Modi can be briefed". Modi has alr...