Swachh Survekshan 2025 - Purpose, Ranking List, Awards, UPSC Notes

Swachh Survekshan, India's annual nationwide cleanliness survey by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, aims to drive urban sanitation improvements, encourage citizen participation, and foster healthy competition among cities. The Swachh Survekshan 2025 edition, guided by its impactful theme focused on waste management and sustainability, has just unveiled its Key Findings. The highly anticipated Swachh Survekshan 2025 ranking list confirms Indore as the cleanest city in India for an unprecedented 8th consecutive time. 

In this article, we will learn about the Swachh Survekshan Awards, objectives, and facts in detail. This content is important for GS Paper 2  of the UPSC IAS EXAM. 

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What is Swachh Survekshan?

Swachh Survekshan (SS) is the world's largest urban sanitation and cleanliness survey. It is an annual assessment tool developed and conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India. Launched in 2016 as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan Urban (SBM-U), its primary aim is to evaluate the cleanliness, hygiene, and sanitation efforts of cities and towns across India.

Swachh Survekshan Purpose

The core purpose of Swachh Survekshan extends beyond mere ranking. It serves as a powerful catalyst for change, aiming to:

• Promote Urban Sanitation: Drive significant improvements in waste management, public hygiene, and sanitation infrastructure in urban areas.
• Foster Healthy Competition: Create a spirit of healthy competition among Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), motivating them to adopt best practices and innovate.
• Encourage Citizen Participation: Engage citizens actively in the cleanliness drive, making them stakeholders in their city's sanitation journey.
• Generate Awareness: Increase public awareness about the importance of cleanliness and its impact on public health and environment.
• Assess Progress: Evaluate the progress of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan Urban mission on various parameters.

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The Swachh Survekshan 2025 edition marks another crucial step in India's ongoing commitment to a cleaner urban landscape. This year's survey continued to expand its reach and refine its assessment parameters, aiming for even more comprehensive and accurate evaluation of urban cleanliness initiatives across the nation.

Swachh Survekshan 2025 Theme

The overarching Swachh Survekshan 2025 theme emphasizes a holistic approach to waste management and sustainable sanitation. Key aspects of this theme include:

• 'Waste to Wealth': Promoting the conversion of waste into valuable resources.
• 'Circular Economy in Waste Management': Encouraging practices that minimize waste and maximize resource utilization.
• 'Citizen Engagement': Highlighting the crucial role of public participation in maintaining cleanliness.
• 'Sustainability in Sanitation': Focusing on long-term, environmentally friendly sanitation solutions.

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Key Findings of the Swachh Survekshan 2025

The Swachh Survekshan 2025 results have brought forth several significant insights into the state of urban cleanliness in India.

• Indore's Historic Win: The most prominent Key Finding of the Swachh Survekshan 2025 is that Indore has once again been crowned the cleanest city in India for an astounding 8th consecutive time. This unparalleled achievement by Indore (often referred to as indore cleanest city 8th time or indore swachh survekshan 2025 champion) stands as a testament to its consistent efforts in waste management, citizen involvement, and robust municipal systems.
• Overall Progress: The survey indicates a general upward trend in cleanliness standards across many cities, reflecting the positive impact of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
• Categorical Excellence: Various cities and states demonstrated excellence in specific categories, highlighting diverse strengths in sanitation practices.

Read more about the Global Hunger Index here.

Swachh Survekshan 2025 Ranking List

The Swachh Survekshan 2025 ranking list provides a detailed overview of how cities and states performed. This list is crucial for understanding regional progress and identifying areas for improvement.

Cleanest Cities in India (Population > 1 Lakh) - Top Performers

According to the official Swachh Survekshan 2025 ranking PDF, these are the top 10 cities in each of the population categories:

Category: Less than 1 Lakh Population

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Swachh Survekshan Awards 2025

The Swachh Survekshan Awards 2025 celebrate excellence across a wide array of categories, acknowledging diverse efforts in urban sanitation. The Swachh Survekshan awards 2025 winners list recognizes cities and states for their exemplary performance.

Top Cleanest Cities Rankings (Population > 1 Lakh)

Presidential Awards - Top Performing Cities (Across Population Categories)

Ministerial Awards - Special Initiatives

Promising Swachh Shehar Awards - State/UT Wise (Sample Selection)

Learn more about Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav here!

The evaluation for Swachh Survekshan 2025 is based on a robust and multi-faceted methodology, ensuring a fair and transparent assessment. Key parameters include:

• Service Level Progress (SLP): This component assesses the efficiency and effectiveness of a city's waste management systems, including door-to-door waste collection, segregation at source, transportation, processing (composting, recycling, waste-to-energy), and safe disposal. It also covers the availability and maintenance of public and community toilets.
• Certifications: Cities earn points for achieving various certifications that signify higher levels of sanitation and waste management. These include:
  • ODF+ (Open Defecation Free Plus): Focuses on maintaining ODF status and ensuring proper functioning and maintenance of community and public toilets.
  • ODF++ (Open Defecation Free Double Plus): Goes beyond ODF+ to ensure proper management of fecal sludge and wastewater.
  • Water+: Certifies cities for comprehensive wastewater management, ensuring no untreated wastewater is discharged into the environment.
• Citizen Voice: A significant portion of the overall score is derived from direct feedback from citizens. This includes feedback collected through surveys, engagement on the Swachhata App, and other online platforms, reflecting the public's perception of cleanliness in their city.
• Direct Observation: Independent third-party assessors conduct on-ground visits to cities. They verify the actual cleanliness levels, infrastructure availability, and implementation of sanitation practices, ensuring objectivity in the assessment.

This comprehensive approach ensures a fair, transparent, and holistic evaluation of urban sanitation efforts across India.

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