What happened
Alongside PRAGATI-50, Minister Manohar Lal launched the Swachh Bharat Test Bed and Innovation Centre at Durgapur in collaboration with the Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) and the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry. Under Swachhata Hi Seva 2026, he also inaugurated a Reduce, Reuse and Recycle (RRR) Centre at Sankalp Bhawan, New Delhi, to promote sustainable consumption, reuse, resource recovery and circularity in government workplaces.
These launches sit inside the wider cleanliness push that also named 50 role-model cities. Innovation infrastructure is meant to help cities trial waste and sanitation technologies before city-wide rollout.
Background
CMERI (Durgapur) is a CSIR laboratory focused on mechanical engineering and industrial research. Innovation test beds help scale waste-processing and sanitation technologies for cities under Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban). RRR Centres operationalise the 3R hierarchy inside public institutions during the annual Swachhata Hi Seva campaign, which mobilises citizens and government offices for cleanliness drives every year.
Why it matters for exams
- CSIR-CMERI location and mandate are static GK staples
- 3R / circular economy themes appear in environment papers
- Swachhata Hi Seva is an annual mass mobilisation under SBM
Key facts for exams
- Test Bed: Swachh Bharat Test Bed & Innovation Centre, Durgapur
- Partners: MoHUA + CSIR-CMERI
- RRR Centre: Sankalp Bhawan, New Delhi
- Campaign: Swachhata Hi Seva 2026
- Aim: Sustainable consumption, reuse, resource recovery, circularity
Practice MCQs
Q1. The Swachh Bharat Test Bed and Innovation Centre was launched at which place?
- Nagpur
- Durgapur
- Indore
- Puri
Answer: B. At Durgapur with CSIR-CMERI.
Q2. RRR in the Sankalp Bhawan centre stands for:
- Reduce Reuse Recycle
- Repair Refurbish Resell
- Recover Reclaim Return
- Reduce Recover Recycle
Answer: A. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
Q3. CMERI is a laboratory under which organisation?
- DRDO
- ISRO
- CSIR
- BARC
Answer: C. Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute is a CSIR lab.
Source: News on AIR / Akashvani (29 Sep 2026).