Union Minister of State for Surroundings, Forest and Local weather Change Kirti Vardhan Singh. , Picture Credit score: Siva Saravanan S.
The federal government on Thursday (December 11, 2025) informed the Parliament that world air high quality rankings cited by numerous organizations should not performed by any official authority and that the World Well being Group’s (WHO) air high quality pointers serve solely as advisory values, not binding requirements.
Responding to a query within the Rajya Sabha on India’s place in world indices resembling IQAir’s World Air High quality Rating, the WHO World Air High quality Database, the Environmental Efficiency Index (EPI) and the World Burden of Illness (GBD) metrics, the Surroundings Ministry mentioned no official country-wise air pollution rating is carried out worldwide.
Minister of State for Surroundings Kirti Vardhan Singh mentioned the WHO’s pointers are supposed to assist nations set their very own requirements, taking into consideration geography, environmental situations, background ranges and nationwide circumstances.
He mentioned India has already notified its Nationwide Ambient Air High quality Requirements (NAAQS) for 12 pollution to guard public well being and environmental high quality.
The Minister additionally clarified that whereas no world authority ranks nations formally, it conducts its personal annual Swachh Vayu Survekshan to evaluate and rank 130 cities coated below the Nationwide Clear Air Program (NCAP) on the premise of air high quality enchancment measures.
Higher-performing cities are felicitated yearly on Nationwide Swachh Vayu Diwas on September 7.
Printed – December 12, 2025 07:32 am IST