Module 1 • Urban Governance & Environment2026-07-2014 min read
Swachh Survekshan & Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2024–25 / 2025: Cleanliness Ranks, Super Swachh League & NCAP Outcomes
Target Exam: UPSC & State PSCs National Current Affairs•Official Sources: India National State Gazettes, Budget & Official ReleasesUnion Budget, PIB, Economic Survey & National Official Releases
1. Swachh Survekshan 2024–25: Structural Innovations
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Announcement Date: Announced on 17 July 2025 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
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The Super Swachh League (Premier Tier): To separate perennial high-performers from the standard ranking hierarchy and avoid stagnation, MoHUA introduced the Super Swachh League.
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Indore: Ranked India's cleanest city for the eighth consecutive edition (2017 to 2024–25).
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Surat: Consolidated its position alongside Indore in the premier tier.
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Navi Mumbai: Promoted to the Super Swachh League on the back of pioneering wastewater recycling, zero-landfill operations, and 7-star GFC performance.
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India's 'New Clean Cities':
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Ahmedabad, Bhopal, and Lucknow were officially felicitated as India's New Clean Cities, reflecting rapid municipal waste transformation in large urban centers.
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Expanded Recognition Verticals:
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Super Swachh League: Premier league for sustained top performers.
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Promising Clean Cities: High-velocity emerging ULBs (e.g., Bundu, Chirkunda).
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Garbage Free City (GFC) Star Rating: Rigorous 3-Star, 5-Star, and 7-Star certifications.
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Water+ Certification: Sustained treatment and 100% safe reuse of black and grey wastewater.
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SafaiMitra Surakshit Shehar: Institutional mechanized cleaning and zero manual sewer entry.
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Swachh City Partnership (Governance Innovation): Established a structured peer-mentorship model where Super Swachh League cities mentor lagging Municipal Corporations, institutionalizing cooperative and competitive federalism in municipal capacity building.
2. Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2025: Air Quality Performance Under NCAP
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Evaluating Authority & Mandate: Conducted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) to evaluate 130 non-attainment cities across 8 targeted clean-air interventions: road dust control, C&D waste processing, vehicular emissions, industrial transition, biomass regulation, urban green buffers, and mechanical sweeping.
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Category 1: Population > 10 Lakh (National Leaders):
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1st Rank: Indore (Perfect score of 200/200, ₹1.5 crore grant) — massive urban afforestation (16+ lakh trees Guinness record) and 270+ EV/CNG bus fleet.
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2nd Rank: Jabalpur (Score 199/200, ₹1 crore grant).
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3rd Rank: Agra (Score 196/200, ₹50 lakh grant) — strict TTZ industrial transition and road dust paving.
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Category 2 & 3: Population < 10 Lakh:
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Dewas (MP) secured 1st rank nationally in the sub-3 lakh category (Score: 193/200, ₹37.5 lakh award), driven by industrial fuel shifts to piped natural gas.
3. NCAP Environmental Outcomes (Mains Empirical Metrics)
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Progress Snapshot (2024–25 vs 2017–18 Baseline):
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103 out of 130 NCAP cities registered demonstrable reductions in PM10 concentrations.
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64 cities achieved at least a 20% reduction compared to the 2017–18 baseline.
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25 cities surpassed a 40% reduction, meeting the revised national clean-air target ahead of schedule.
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Critical Policy Distinction (Mains Formulation): Cleanliness (Swachh Survekshan = solid waste, door-to-door segregation, ODF++) and Air-Quality (Swachh Vayu Survekshan = airshed management, PM10/PM2.5 mitigation, industrial fuel transition) represent distinct policy arenas requiring coordinated cross-departmental execution.
Key Examination Takeaways:
- Swachh Survekshan 2024–25 introduced the Super Swachh League comprising Indore (8th consecutive title), Surat, and Navi Mumbai.
- Ahmedabad, Bhopal, and Lucknow were recognized as India's 'New Clean Cities' for rapid municipal sanitation transformations.
- In Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2025 (cities >10L), Indore secured Rank 1 (200/200), followed by Jabalpur (2nd) and Agra (3rd); Dewas topped <3L cities.
- Under NCAP, 103 of 130 monitored cities improved PM10 levels, with 64 cities achieving at least a 20% reduction and 25 cities achieving >40% reduction.