- Why in news
- On 23 July 2026, the Environment Ministry told Rajya Sabha that 108 of the 130 NCAP cities cut annual PM10 levels in 2025-26 versus 2017-18, and 65 met the PM2.5 standard.
- What it is
- The National Clean Air Programme is a city-focused, time-bound programme to cut urban air pollution. It relies on city, state and national clean air action plans that target specific pollution sources. Cities that perform well on air quality get performance-based grants.
- Launch and coverage
- NCAP was launched in 2019 for 130 cities, including Pune, Surat, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi.
- Approach
- It is multi-sectoral, involving the Centre, States, Urban Local Bodies and other stakeholders, and it stresses source-specific mitigation.
- Funding
- Performance-based incentive grants of ₹16,423.56 crore were released to targeted cities from FY 2019-20 to 2025-26 as gap funding.
- PM2.5 standard
- The PM2.5 NAAQS limit is 40 µg/m³ annual average; 65 NCAP cities met it in 2025-26.
Don’t confuse with PM10 vs PM2.5 standards: PM10 annual standard is 60 µg/m³; PM2.5 is 40 µg/m³.
Don’t confuse with NCAP vs CAQM: NCAP is a city-level programme for 130 cities; CAQM is a statutory body for Delhi-NCR.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Gives cities a funded, target-linked route to cut air pollution, with source-specific action.
- Links grants to performance, encouraging outcomes over spending.
Problems
- Many cities still miss standards; Delhi's PM2.5 was 102 µg/m³ in 2025-26.
- Pollution sources cross city boundaries, so city-level action alone is limited.
Way forward
- Coordinate airshed-level action across neighbouring cities and States.
- Expand monitoring and tie funds to measured outcomes for sources like dust, biomass burning and waste burning.
Put in your answer
NCAP grants: ₹16,423.56 crore in performance-based grants released FY 2019-20 to 2025-26.
PM10 outcome: 108 of 130 cities cut PM10 in 2025-26 versus 2017-18; 72 cities by over 20% and 26 by over 40%.
- 2020Mains GS3 · Q17Key features of the National Clean Air Programme
- 2021Mains GS3 · Q7Revised WHO air quality guidelines and required NCAP changes
- 2015Mains GS1 · Q15Why Delhi has worse air pollution than Mumbai and Kolkata
- 2016Prelims Q86Which gases are used in calculating India's Air Quality Index?
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Statements
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements:
- 1.The National Clean Air Programme was launched in 2019 for 130 cities, and it involves the Centre, States and Urban Local Bodies.
- 2.The National Ambient Air Quality Standards notified by India cover 12 air pollutants, including PM10 and PM2.5.
- 3.The Air Quality Index was launched by the Government of India in 2019 along with the National Clean Air Programme.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
True or false?
1 of 5
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.NCAP was launched in 2019 to address urban air pollution in mission mode.
True. NCAP was launched in 2019.
2.NCAP grants are released to cities in equal shares irrespective of their air quality performance.
False. The grants are air quality performance-based incentive grants.
3.The National Ambient Air Quality Standards notified by India cover 12 air pollutants, including PM10 and PM2.5.
True. NAAQS cover 12 pollutants.
4.The Commission for Air Quality Management was established under a statute passed in 2021.
True. CAQM was set up under the CAQM in NCR and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021.
5.NCAP is implemented only through a national-level plan, without city or state action plans.
False. It uses city, state and national-level clean air action plans.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Source: PIB, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change., 23 Jul, 16:20 IST · Release 291754
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.