On 12 July 2026, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh chaired a high-level meeting of the Science Ministries to prepare for the nationwide 'Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar' (Clean Coast, Safe Sea) coastal-cleanliness campaign, to run 10–19 September 2026. He urged that scientific institutions combine technology, public participation and inter-departmental collaboration to turn the drive into a genuine people's movement. For a CDS/OTA aspirant, this is a timely environment topic that opens up marine litter, coastal ecosystems and the blue economy — a cluster the General Knowledge paper increasingly tests.
The news in one frame
The essentials:
- What: preparations for the 'Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar' nationwide coastal-cleanliness campaign.
- When: 10–19 September 2026.
- Who: the Science Ministries (Earth Sciences, DST, DBT, CSIR), coordinated by Dr Jitendra Singh.
- Aim: clean India's coasts of marine litter, through a people's-movement (Jan Bhagidari) approach backed by science.
What is 'Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar'?
Start with the campaign. 'Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar' (Clean Coast, Safe Sea) is India's flagship coastal-cleanup campaign, run under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, first launched in 2022 — noted then as one of the longest-running coastal-cleanliness drives in the world (a 75-day run to mark the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav). It mobilises citizens, students, coastal communities and volunteers to remove litter from beaches and coasts, especially plastic waste, while spreading awareness about ocean health. The 2026 edition (10–19 September) times itself around International Coastal Cleanup Day (observed in September). This blend of science and mass participation is exactly the governance-and-environment crossover developed in the CDS/OTA notes.
The problem: marine litter and plastic pollution
The examinable core is marine litter — the solid waste (mostly plastic) that ends up in seas and along coasts. Why it matters:
- Plastic dominates: the bulk of marine litter is single-use plastic that does not biodegrade; it breaks into microplastics that enter the food chain (and thus our food).
- It harms marine life: turtles, fish, seabirds and mammals ingest or get entangled in plastic waste.
- It hits economies: litter damages fisheries, tourism and coastal livelihoods.
- Rivers carry it to sea: much ocean plastic arrives via rivers, linking inland waste management to ocean health.
So a coastal cleanup is not merely cosmetic — it protects biodiversity, food safety and the blue economy. These environmental linkages are tracked on the CDS/OTA daily current affairs.
Coastal ecosystems worth protecting
Round out the topic with the coastal ecosystems the campaign ultimately safeguards, which recur in questions:
- Mangroves — salt-tolerant coastal forests that act as nurseries for fish and a natural shield against cyclones and erosion.
- Coral reefs — biodiversity hotspots (e.g., in the Gulf of Mannar, Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep) highly sensitive to pollution and warming.
- Seagrasses and estuaries — vital habitats and blue-carbon sinks.
- Wetlands — many are protected as Ramsar sites.
Protecting these underpins India's blue economy — the sustainable use of ocean resources for growth and jobs. The revision hook: Swachh Sagar Surakshit Sagar = coastal cleanup (Ministry of Earth Sciences, since 2022) against marine/plastic litter, protecting coastal ecosystems and the blue economy.
India's coast — the geography that raises the stakes
The scale of what the campaign protects is itself examinable geography:
- India has a coastline of about 11,098 km (the recently revised figure), touching nine coastal states and several union territories.
- The mainland coast runs along the west coast (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala) and the east coast (Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal), plus the island UTs of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep.
- The coasts host major ports, fishing communities, tourism and biodiversity hotspots — so litter here hits livelihoods and ecology together.
- The campaign is timed around International Coastal Cleanup Day (third Saturday of September), a global observance.
This "long coastline, high stakes" framing turns a cleanup drive into a serious coastal-management story.
India's wider anti-plastic and ocean drive
Place the campaign among related efforts, a strong comparative point:
- The ban on identified single-use plastics (from 2022) tackles the litter at source.
- Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) makes producers responsible for plastic waste.
- Global frameworks like the UN's push for a Global Plastics Treaty and India's LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) mission target behaviour change.
Together, cleanup (Swachh Sagar), regulation (plastic ban/EPR) and behaviour (LiFE) form a multi-pronged ocean-protection strategy.
Exam relevance in one paragraph
For CDS/OTA GK, retain: 'Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar' (Clean Coast, Safe Sea) is a coastal-cleanup campaign under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (since 2022); it targets marine litter, largely single-use plastic and microplastics; it protects coastal ecosystems (mangroves, corals) and the blue economy; the 2026 edition runs 10–19 September. For the essay/interview, present it as science + mass participation protecting ocean health.
🎯 Practice MCQs
Q1. 'Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar' is a campaign primarily for: (a) river interlinking (b) coastal/beach cleanliness (c) afforestation (d) solar power → (b) — coastal and beach cleanliness.
Q2. The campaign is run principally under which ministry? (a) Ministry of Earth Sciences (b) Ministry of Home Affairs (c) Ministry of Defence (d) Ministry of Railways → (a) — the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Q3. The bulk of marine litter is made up of: (a) glass (b) single-use plastic (c) metal (d) paper → (b) — single-use plastic.
Q4. Tiny plastic fragments that enter the food chain are called: (a) microplastics (b) bioplastics (c) nanotubes (d) aerosols → (a) — microplastics.
Q5. Which coastal ecosystem acts as a natural shield against cyclones and a fish nursery? (a) coral reefs (b) mangroves (c) sand dunes only (d) deserts → (b) — mangroves.
Q6. Coral reefs in India are found in the Gulf of Mannar, Lakshadweep and: (a) Andaman & Nicobar Islands (b) the Thar Desert (c) the Gangetic plain (d) the Deccan Plateau → (a) — the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Q7. Much of the plastic reaching the oceans is carried there by: (a) rivers (b) aircraft (c) glaciers (d) volcanoes → (a) — rivers.
Q8. "Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)" makes ___ responsible for plastic waste. (a) consumers only (b) producers (c) the RBI (d) municipalities only → (b) — producers/manufacturers.
Q9. India's mission promoting sustainable individual behaviour is called: (a) LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) (b) MUDRA (c) SAGAR (d) UDAN → (a) — LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment).
Q10. The "blue economy" refers to: (a) the IT sector (b) sustainable use of ocean resources (c) desert farming (d) space industry → (b) — the sustainable use of ocean/marine resources.
Q11. Coastal wetlands of international importance are protected under which convention? (a) Ramsar Convention (b) CITES (c) Vienna Convention (d) Basel Convention → (a) — the Ramsar Convention.
Q12. The 2026 Swachh Sagar campaign is scheduled for: (a) 10–19 September (b) 2 October (c) 26 January (d) 5 June → (a) — 10–19 September 2026 (around International Coastal Cleanup Day).
Q13. India's coastline is approximately how long? (a) 5,600 km (b) 7,500 km (c) 11,098 km (d) 15,000 km → (c) — about 11,098 km (revised figure).
Q14. How many coastal states does mainland India have? (a) five (b) seven (c) nine (d) twelve → (c) — nine coastal states (plus island UTs).
Q15. The Deep Ocean Mission, which studies India's ocean resources, is run by the: (a) Ministry of Earth Sciences (b) ISRO (c) DRDO (d) Ministry of Coal → (a) — the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Q16. Which agency provides ocean-state forecasts and tsunami warnings in India? (a) INCOIS (b) NPCI (c) SEBI (d) FSSAI → (a) — INCOIS (Hyderabad), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Q17. "Blue carbon" refers to carbon captured by: (a) coastal ecosystems like mangroves and seagrasses (b) coal plants (c) glaciers (d) deserts → (a) — coastal/marine ecosystems such as mangroves and seagrasses.
Q18. India's largest mangrove forest, a UNESCO site, is the: (a) Sundarbans (b) Gulf of Kutch (c) Chilika (d) Pulicat → (a) — the Sundarbans (West Bengal).
Q19. The Ministry of Earth Sciences is also the parent of which forecasting body? (a) India Meteorological Department (IMD) (b) SEBI (c) NHAI (d) UGC → (a) — the IMD (India Meteorological Department).
📋 How this gets asked (PYQ pattern)
Ocean-and-environment topics are a rising CDS/OTA set. The dependable framings are the campaign's ministry (Earth Sciences), marine litter/microplastics, coastal ecosystems (mangroves, corals) and their locations, and EPR/single-use-plastic rules. A common trap swaps mangroves with coral reefs, or misattributes the ministry. The fresh 2026 hook is the Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar campaign — ideal for "which campaign / which ministry / which ecosystem" items. We reference the pattern, not any exact past question.
Preparing for CDS or OTA? Marine litter, coastal ecosystems and the blue economy are high-yield environment GK and a fresh essay theme. Follow our daily CDS/OTA current affairs and train with serving-officer faculty in the upcoming Cavalier courses in Delhi.
✍️ Written by Aditya Tiwari — Economy & current-affairs faculty at The Cavalier. Reviewed by the Cavalier Faculty Desk. The Cavalier, founded by ex-Army officers, has trained NDA/CDS/SSB aspirants since 2001 (Facebook · YouTube).
Source: PIB / Ministry of Earth Sciences release, 12 July 2026. Facts cross-verified with independent sources.