Education Ministry takes e-waste awareness drive to schools

A discarded mobile phone, a broken toy with a blinking light, an old charger lying in a drawer or a television that no longer works. These objects are often put aside until someone decides to throw them away. Yet, once discarded, they become part of a growing waste problem that India can no longer afford to overlook.

The Department of School Education and Literacy under the Union Ministry of Education has taken up this concern through a nationwide campaign to make students aware of the need to manage electronic waste, commonly known as e-waste, in a responsible manner.

The initiative, undertaken under Special Campaign 6 and the Eco Clubs for Mission LiFE, seeks to bring the subject into schools and encourage children to carry the message beyond their



classrooms.

The campaign has moved beyond lectures and awareness material.

Schools have organised collection drives, quizzes, workshops and exhibitions, while students have been encouraged to identify discarded electronic items and ensure that they reach authorised recyclers or refurbishers.

A video shared by the Ministry on X also brought the subject into a school setting, with two students discussing the proper handling of e-waste.

The scale of the exercise is worth noting.

According to the Ministry, more than 2.02 crore students and teachers across 2.85 lakh schools collected 58.79 lakh e-waste items during the preparatory and implementation phases of Special Campaign 6, held between September 16 and October 31, 2026.