Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched his nationwide cleanliness campaign, the 'Swachh Bharat Mission' or 'Clean India Campaign' from the Valmiki Basti in New Delhi on October 2nd. Addressing the nation at the launch, Modi asked India's 1.25 billion people to join the 'Swachh Bharat Mission' and promote it. Modi himself swept a pavement at Valmiki Basti - a colony of sanitation workers - before the formal launch of the 'Clean India' drive at Rajpath. While launching the mission at Mandir Marg, he also made a surprise visit to the local police station to check on its cleanliness.

Modi said, cleanliness is not only the responsibility of the 'safaai kaamgar', it is the responsibility of 125 crore Indians. “If Indians can reach Mars at a cheap cost, can we not clean our neighbourhoods?" he added. Mentioning that the response he receives on social media is heartening, Modi said, "There are thousands of organizations that have been doing the great work of cleanliness, and they should also brought into the picture." Modi asked people to take pictures of areas where they saw garbage, then clean the area and take pictures of the clean area. He asked people to upload these images on social media using MyGov, a mobile application. He also said, “I feel pained to see mothers and daughters to go in the open to relieve themselves. More than 60 percent people defecate in the open. Constructing more toilets is extremely important and we can at least do this to respect them.”