- Why in news
- On 15 May 2026, CAQM's 28th Full Commission meeting approved Draft Directions 99, 100 and 101 on paddy stubble, electric 3-wheelers and fuel only against a valid PUCC, and reviewed GRAP orders and monitoring stations.
- What it is
- The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) is a statutory body set up under the CAQM Act, 2021. It coordinates, researches and tackles air pollution in Delhi-NCR and adjoining areas, and issues binding directions. It also oversees the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), a set of staged emergency steps tied to air quality.
- Direction 99 (stubble)
- CAQM approved a draft direction under Section 12 of the CAQM Act, 2021 on the 2026 paddy stubble burning action plan. The target is complete elimination of paddy stubble burning in NCR States.
- Direction 100 (EV 3-wheelers)
- Only electric L5 category 3-wheelers will be registered. The dates are phased: 2027 in Delhi, 2028 in the high vehicle density districts, 2029 in the rest of NCR.
- Sub-Committee
- The Commission ratified reconstitution of the Sub-Committee on 'Monitoring and Identification' under Section 11(2) of the CAQM Act, 2021.
- Who decided
- The CAQM Sub-Committee on GRAP unanimously decided to revoke Stage-I across the entire NCR.
- Forecast inputs
- Decisions rely on IMD and IITM forecasts along with the AQI, and the Sub-Committee will keep reviewing.
- Legal basis of CAQM
- CAQM is a statutory body set up under the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021.
Don’t confuse with CAQM vs CPCB: CAQM is a statutory commission under the CAQM Act, 2021, with power to issue binding directions in NCR. CPCB is the national pollution board under the Water and Air Acts.
Don’t confuse with PUCC vs BS standards: PUCC certifies that a vehicle's tailpipe emissions are within limits. BS norms set emission standards for new vehicles.
Don’t confuse with GRAP vs long-term policy: GRAP is a short-term emergency response triggered by AQI levels. The Commission's comprehensive policy sets longer-term actions and timelines, such as dust mitigation.
Environment: Prelims tests bodies, programmes and the law behind them; Mains asks why plans fall short.
Why it matters
- Binding directions on transport and stubble address major PM2.5 sources across several states.
- A single commission can coordinate Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, which state-wise bodies could not.
- Staged, trigger-based action allows a proportionate response to air quality without keeping restrictions on needlessly.
- A single commission covering NCR helps coordinate Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh on a shared airshed.
Problems
- Enforcement depends on state governments and agencies; wheat stubble burning incidents rose in Punjab and Haryana over 2025.
- Costs of the EV transition for 3-wheeler operators and the pace of charging infrastructure.
- GRAP is reactive and acts after pollution rises, while the sources of pollution stay.
- Enforcement depends on many State agencies and pollution boards across the NCR.
Way forward
- Strengthen monitoring and the digital MIS portal to track state action plans.
- Pair mandates with incentives and support for crop residue management and EV adoption.
- Stress year-round source control, especially dust, vehicles, industry and biomass burning, over emergency measures.
- Use forecasts to act early and keep agencies' timelines under regular review.
Put in your answer
Biomass co-firing penalties: Environmental Compensation of over Rs 61.85 crore was imposed on six thermal power plants under the 2023 crop residue rules.
CAQM Act, 2021: CAQM is the statutory body that coordinates air-quality management in NCR and adjoining areas and issues binding directions.
Stage-I revocation, May 2026: AQI dropped from 175 to 88 within a day due to rain and weather, showing how strongly meteorology drives Delhi's air quality.
- 2021Mains GS3 · Q7Revised WHO air quality guidelines, changes from 2005, and NCAP changes needed
- 2020Mains GS3 · Q17Key features of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)
- 2015Mains GS1 · Q15Why Delhi's air pollution is more serious than Mumbai, Kolkata
- 2015Mains GS2 · Q7Whether the right to clean environment justifies legal regulation of Diwali crackers
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: CAQM directions on stubble burning and electric three-wheelers. The issue is already on file, so this is an update to that card.
Source: PIB, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change., 15 May, 16:55 IST · Release 288892
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.