Context: Kerala launched the ‘Vruthi’ campaign in October 2024 to combat the rising waste crisis through mass public participation and decentralized solutions.
- The recent ‘Clean Kerala Conclave 2025’ showcased innovative practices and collective achievements in waste management.
About Vruthi Campaign:
- What is Vruthi?
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- ‘Vruthi’ means cleanliness of body and mind.
- It is a statewide behavioural change campaign for garbage-free Kerala.
- Part of the ‘Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam’ mission.
- Key Features:
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- Involves all societal levels — from the Chief Minister to sanitation workers.
- Mobilises Haritha Karmasena, youth, schools, artists, and local bodies.
- Focuses on technology-neutral and context-specific solutions like composting, local segregation, etc.
- Encourages competition among local bodies for achieving 100% garbage-free status.
- Significance:
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- Shifted Kerala’s waste collection coverage from 40% to 75% of households in just one year.
- Tackles the post-liberalisation waste boom driven by urbanisation and plastic use.
- Demonstrates the power of decentralised governance and people’s participation in environmental solutions.
Relevance in UPSC Exam Syllabus:
- General Studies (GS) Paper II:
- Governance: Decentralized waste management, role of local bodies (Panchayati Raj Institutions), and people’s participation.
- Government Policies & Interventions: ‘Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam’ mission and its impact.
- GS Paper III:
- Environment & Ecology: Waste management, plastic pollution, and sustainable urbanisation.
- Disaster Management: Tackling waste crisis as an environmental challenge.
- Essay & Ethics (GS Paper IV):
- Behavioural Change: Public participation, community-driven initiatives, and Swachh Bharat linkages.
- Case Study: Kerala’s model of decentralized governance in waste management.
