Bihar's ₹300 Crore Cleanliness Drive: A Step Towards Restoring Dignity in Public Schools

In a nation where government schools are barely able to provide the basics, Bihar's recent decision to spend ₹300 crore on a mass cleanliness drive is more than an upgrade to sanitation—it's a declaration of intent.

The move to hire professional agencies to provide housekeeping services to schools throughout the state is a sign that there is increasing awareness that cleanliness is not a luxury, but an educational necessity. Out of the total amount, ₹200 crore will be used to enhance hygiene in primary and middle schools, and ₹100 crore for high schools. These amounts will be used to maintain classrooms, toilets, furniture, and the overall school infrastructure—sectors that tend to be victims of chronic neglect.

What is different about this program is its structural strategy. Rather than loading overworked school employees or untrained assistants with the responsibility for cleanliness, the government of Bihar intends to employ trained sanitation experts. Agencies are supposed to provide cleaners with the right equipment and supplies, and headmasters are supposed to oversee daily operations so that maintenance tasks don't interfere with academic schedules.

More significantly, district education officers (DEOs) will be responsible for overseeing agency performance, an accountability measure that has often been lacking in previous efforts.

Fundamentally, this initiative is about dignity—providing students, many of whom are from underserved communities, with access to clean learning spaces. A well-cared-for school not only safeguards health but also influences perception. It informs children that their education is important, and they are important as well.

If done well, Bihar's initiative can serve as an example for other states. Clean schools are not merely about looks—they are about the state assuming responsibility for the spaces in which young minds are formed. In that sense, this ₹300 crore is not merely in mops and brooms, but in Bihar's children.