- Why in news
- On 7 September 2026, the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, PIB reported that 108 of the 130 NCAP cities recorded lower PM10 levels in FY 2025–26 than in 2017–18.
- What it is
- The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) is a city-focused, time-bound programme to cut urban air pollution in mission mode. It rests on city-specific Clean Air Action Plans and performance-linked grants. It is run by the Centre with States and urban local bodies.
- Launch and coverage
- NCAP was launched in 2019 for 130 cities and works through city, state and national clean air action plans.
- PM10 results
- In FY 2025–26, 108 cities cut PM10 against 2017–18; 72 cities cut it by over 20%, 26 by over 40%, and 14 met NAAQS.
- PRANA portal
- PRANA tracks the physical and financial progress of city action plans under NCAP.
- CAQM
- CAQM is a statutory body set up under a 2021 Act to manage air pollution across the NCR airshed and coordinate GRAP.
Don’t confuse with PM10 vs PM2.5: PM10 is particles of 10 micrometres or less; PM2.5 is the finer set of 2.5 micrometres or less, which goes deeper into the lungs.
Don’t confuse with CPCB vs CAQM: CPCB is the national statutory pollution regulator under the Water Act, 1974. CAQM is a body for the NCR and adjoining areas, created by a 2021 Act.
Environment: Prelims tests bodies, programmes and the law behind them; Mains asks why plans fall short.
Why it matters
- Targets urban particulate pollution, a major public-health and economic burden, through city-specific plans.
- Performance-linked grants and public tracking tools add accountability.
Problems
- Only 70.5% of funds have been reported as used, and only 14 cities meet NAAQS.
- Targets focus on PM10, and diverse sources such as dust, burning and vehicles need coordination across agencies.
Way forward
- Use real-time data, forecasting and source apportionment to target hotspots and sources.
- Improve fund use, public transport, dust and waste management, and industrial controls.
Put in your answer
Dust as a source: Source apportionment studies under NCAP show construction and road dust gives around 40–50% of PM10 in most cities.
Stubble burning decline: Paddy stubble burning instances fell 93% in Punjab and 91% in Haryana in 2025 against 2021.
- 2020Mains GS3 · Q17Key features of the National Clean Air Programme launched by Government of India
- 2021Mains GS3 · Q7Revised WHO air quality guidelines and changes needed in NCAP
- 2015Mains GS1 · Q15Why Delhi's air pollution is more serious than Mumbai and Kolkata
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: Lasting programme with city-level PM10 results; air pollution is a recurring theme, but no new decision today.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.