On September 9, 2025, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), conferred best-performing cities under ‘Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2025’, a Clean Air Survey, was conducted in 130 cities under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). Indore (Madhya Pradesh, MP) is ranked as the best-performing city with a score of 200 in Category 1.
- The awards were conferred at the Sawchh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards & Wetland Cities Recognition Ceremony 2025, organized by MoEF&CC in New Delhi, Delhi.
- The awards were received by Mayors, District Collectors and Municipal commissioners of respective cities.
Exam Hints:
- What? Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards 2025
- Awarded by: Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, MoEF&CC
- Event: Sawchh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards & Wetland Cities Recognition Ceremony 2025
- Where? In New Delhi, Delhi
- Organizer: MoEF&CC
- Top Performers: Indore (MP) (Category 1), Amaravati (AP) (Category 2), and Dewas (MP) (Category 3)
- First Award: Alwar (Rajasthan)
- Releases: Ward-Level Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Guidelines & Compendium of Best Practices under NCAP
- Wetland Recognition: Indore & Udaipur
Highlights of the Event:
Releases: During the event, the Ward-Level Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Guidelines and a Compendium of Best Practices under NCAP were released.
Wetland Recognition: During the event, Indore and Udaipur were recognised as Wetland Cities under the Ramsar Convention. Certificates from the Ramsar Secretariat were presented to the Mayors and District Collectors of these cities.
About Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan:
Background: Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan is an annual survey and ranking of cities under the NCAP. It was launched in 2020 by the MoEF&CC to promote healthy competition among cities to take swift actions to improve air quality.
Categorization: The cities were categorized into three based on the population such as cities with population over 10 lakhs under Category 1, population between 3 and 10 lakhs (Category 2), and population under 3 lakhs (Category 3).
Evaluation: The cities have been evaluated based on the implementation of air pollution mitigation measures under NCAP across various sectors, including road dust, waste management, vehicular pollution, Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste management, and industrial pollution. They are ranked based on scores out of 200.
Recognition: Selected cities were awarded a cash prize, trophy, and certificate with the title “National Clean Air City” under the National Mission for Clean Air, on the occasion of the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies (7th September).
Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards 2025:
Recognition: The awards recognized 11 best-performing cities out of the 130 NCAP cities for exhibiting their commitment and innovation in advancing the mission of clean air.
Rankings: In the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards 2025, Indore, Amravati(Andhra Pradesh, AP), and Dewas(Madhya Pradesh, MP) secured 1st rank in their respective categories of cities with populations over 10 lakh, 3–10 lakh, and below 3 lakh.
- Out of the 11 cities, 3 cities are from MP, Uttar Pradesh (UP) (3), Himachal Pradesh (HP) (1), Gujarat (1), Rajasthan (1), Odisha (1), and Andhra Pradesh (AP) (1).
- Moradabad (UP) and Agra (UP) were awarded for the third time, Indore, Surat (Gujarat), Jhansi (UP), Dewas (MP), Parwanoo (HP), and Angul (Odisha) won for the second time. Alwar (Rajasthan) won for the first time.
Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards 2025 Winners:
| Category | Rank | Cities (State) | Score | Cash Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category 1 (Population over 10 lakhs) | 1st | Indore (Madhya Pradesh, MP) | 200 | Rs.1.5 Crores |
| 2nd | Jabalpur (MP) | 199 | Rs. 1 Crore | |
| 3rd | Agra (Uttar Pradesh, UP) | 196 | Rs.25 lakhs each | |
| Surat (Gujarat) | ||||
| Category 2 (Population between 3 and 10 lakhs) | 1st | Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh, AP) | 200 | Rs.75 lakhs |
| 2nd | Jhansi (UP) | 198.5 | Rs.25 lakhs each | |
| Moradabad (UP) | ||||
| 3rd | Alwar (Rajasthan) | 197.6 | Rs.25 lakhs | |
| Category 3 (Population under 3 lakhs) | 1st | Dewas (MP) | 193 | Rs.37.50 lakhs |
| 2nd | Parwanoo (Himachal Pradesh, HP) | 191.5 | Rs.25 lakhs | |
| 3rd | Angul (Odisha) | 191 | Rs.12.50 lakhs |
National Clean Air Programme:
Five-Year Plan: It is a flagship initiative by the Government of India (GoI) to reduce air pollution across cities in a structured and measurable manner. It is a five-year action plan launched in 2019 by the MoEF&CC.
- It aims to achieve a reduction in Particulate Matter (PM) 10 levels up to 40% by 2025-26 from the levels of 2019-20.
Measures by GoI: Under NCAP, GoI has allocated Rs.20,130 Crores to 130 cities. An Air Quality Performance-linked grant of Rs.13,237 crores to help implement pollution control measures during 2019-20 to present.
- The government schemes contributed Rs.73,350 Crores and state governments and local bodies funded Rs.82,000 crores, encompassing Rs.1.55 lakhs in 130 cities.
Progress: Under the NCAP, 103 out of 130 cities showed improvement in PM10 levels. 64 cities achieved a 20% reduction, while 25 cities reached a 40% reduction in PM10 levels in 2024‑25 compared to 2017‑18.
About Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC):
Union Minister – Bhupender Yadav (Constituency- Alwar, Rajasthan)
Minister of State (MoS) – Kirti Vardhan Singh(Constituency – (Gonda, Uttar Pradesh,UP)
