- Why in news
- On 19–20 May 2026, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs held a two-day National Review of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, chaired by Manohar Lal. It reviewed progress and prepared for the new Solid Waste Management Rules in force from 1 April 2026.
- What it is
- Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 is the second phase of the urban sanitation mission, run by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. It aims at garbage-free cities, scientific waste processing, remediation of legacy dumpsites and safe used water management. It is a centrally sponsored scheme in which States and UTs share costs with the Centre.
- Door-to-door collection
- 97% of wards now have door-to-door waste collection.
- Waste processing
- Waste processing rose from 16% in 2014 to 81% in 2026.
- Legacy waste
- 65% of the 26 crore tonnes of legacy waste across 2,482 dumpsites has been remediated, reclaiming nearly 9,000 acres.
- Tracking
- States must update progress daily on the Swachhatam Portal so the Ministry can track it.
- New SWM Rules
- Rules in force from 1 April 2026 require four-stream source segregation: wet, dry, sanitary and domestic hazardous waste.
- Review link
- The meeting was part of a cascaded review before PRAGATI, the Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation review.
Don’t confuse with SBM-Urban vs SBM-Gramin: SBM-Urban is run by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for cities. SBM-Gramin is run by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation for rural areas.
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
- Better waste processing and dumpsite clearance improve urban health and free land in cities.
- Four-stream segregation and the polluters' pay principle shift responsibility to waste generators and local bodies.
Problems
- Delays in tendering and land allocation, and States struggling to match their funding shares, slow implementation.
- Weak institutional capacity in urban local bodies and the need for sustainable financial models.
Way forward
- Map key issues State-wise and track progress daily through digital portals and command centres.
- Promote regional, cluster-based waste management and strengthen behavioural change, including through school curricula.
Put in your answer
Waste processing progress: Processing rose from 16% in 2014 to 81% in 2026, showing mission impact.
Polluters' Pay in SWM Rules: New rules bring user charges and enforcement under the polluters' pay principle, plus bulk waste generator accountability.
- 2026Mains GS3 · Q17Challenges to solid waste management, policy framework, Delhi and Indore cases
- 2016Mains GS4 · Q4How social influence and persuasion can aid Swachh Bharat Abhiyan's success
- 2018Mains GS3 · Q6Impediments to disposing discarded solid wastes and removing toxic wastes safely
- 2019Prelims Q59Solid Waste Management Rules 2016: which statement about them is correct
- 2012Prelims Q5Impact of National Water Mission, including urban wastewater recycling
- 2019Prelims Q78Where extended producer responsibility was introduced in India's waste rules
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 scheme; schemes are 52 Prelims questions, but this is a review meeting whose progress figures are routine.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.