On 11 November 2026, President Droupadi Murmu will present the Swachh Survekshan 2025-26 awards at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) announced this on 9 November. The ceremony is the climax of the tenth edition of what the Government calls the world's largest urban cleanliness survey. Union Minister Manohar Lal and Minister of State Tokhan Sahu will be present.
One caution before anything else. No result has been announced as yet. The winners will be made public at the ceremony, so this article covers the survey, its rules and its history, and leaves the rankings for the official PIB release of 11 November.
What the survey is, and what it is not
Swachh Survekshan is an annual ranking of cities on sanitation and waste management. It is carried out under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U), which is administered by MoHUA. Do not mix it up with its rural counterpart: Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen is run by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, and our article on the rural ODF Plus model covers that side.
It is not a one-off inspection. The ministry describes it as a management tool: it sets the indicators that define a clean city, and the ranking makes cities compete. The assessment is carried out by trained field assessors, supported by citizen feedback, and the Dec 2025 release says the entire process, "from evidence submission to verification", is digital.
In constitutional terms, sanitation and solid waste management are tasks of urban local bodies. Entry 6 of the Twelfth Schedule, added by the 74th Amendment, 1992, lists "public health, sanitation conservancy and solid waste management". Our notes on local governance cover how that works.
A decade in numbers
The survey began in 2016 with 73 urban local bodies. It has grown steadily since then. The figures below come from successive PIB releases, and the city counts are the ones the ministry quoted for each edition.
| Edition | Cities covered | Other details quoted |
|---|---|---|
| First (2016) | 73 | The first national cleanliness ranking |
| 2022 (7th) | 4,355 | Over 9 crore citizen feedback responses; 160+ awards |
| 2023 (8th) | 4,477 | Over 3,000 assessors; 110 awards; theme "Waste to Wealth" |
| 2024-25 (9th) | 4,500+ | 10 parameters, 54 indicators; 14 crore citizens reached; 78 awards in 4 categories |
| 2025-26 (10th) | Over 4,751 | 10 assessment areas, 43 indicators; more than 3,000 assessors |
The counts are not strictly like for like. A December 2025 release mentions 4,900 urban local bodies for 2024, while the July 2025 release says 4,500+ cities, so the ministry's own figures depend on how a city is counted. For an examination, quote the number attached to the specific edition in the release.
The 2025-26 survey carries the theme "Swachhata Ki Nayi Pehel – Badhayein Haath, Karein Safai Saath". The toolkit was released by Manohar Lal in Bhopal on 20 December 2025, and field assessments were expected between mid-February and March 2026.
The mission behind the survey
SBM-U Phase 1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the mission in his Independence Day speech on 15 August 2014, and it was formally launched on 2 October 2014. Its aims were to end open defecation in all statutory towns, to manage municipal solid waste scientifically everywhere, and to bring about behaviour change through a "Jan Andolan". Urban India was declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) in 2019, the year of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary. The Phase 1 outlay was about ₹62,009 crore.
SBM-U 2.0. Launched by the Prime Minister on 1 October 2021 and approved by the Cabinet on 12 October 2021 for the period up to 2025-26, it has a total outlay of about ₹1,41,600 crore, of which the central share is ₹36,465 crore. The Government described it as 2.5 times the outlay of the earlier phase. Its targets include:
- All statutory towns to be at least ODF+, and cities with a population under 1 lakh to be ODF++.
- All cities to achieve at least 3-star Garbage Free certification.
- Safe treatment of used water, so that no untreated wastewater pollutes water bodies.
- Remediation of legacy dumpsites, to free about 14,000 acres of land.
The Centre-State sharing pattern depends on city size: 25:75 for million-plus cities, 33:67 for cities of 1 to 10 lakh, and 50:50 for cities under 1 lakh. Union territories without a legislature are funded fully by the Centre (100:0), and those with a legislature at 80:20.
Pay attention to the date. The Cabinet approval ran up to 2025-26, which has now ended. The releases used for this article do not describe a formal extension, so the question of what follows is open.
The ladders of certification
Swachh Survekshan is a ranking. A separate set of certifications tells a city where it stands on fixed standards. Candidates confuse the two, and examiners use that.
| Certification | What it tests |
|---|---|
| ODF | Nobody defecates in the open; checked by third-party sampling |
| ODF+ | Community and public toilets are functional and well maintained |
| ODF++ | As above, plus mechanised cleaning of septic tanks and safe management of faecal sludge |
| Water+ | Used water and faecal sludge are collected, treated and reused; no untreated water enters the environment |
| Garbage Free Cities (GFC) stars | Solid waste management, rated 1, 3, 5 or 7 stars |
The Star Rating Protocol was revised in December 2021. It has 24 indicators, of which 16 are mandatory for one and three stars, and half the weight (50%) goes to door-to-door collection, source segregation, processing and dumpsite remediation. Central funds are released only to cities with at least one star, which is why every city has a reason to apply.
The results of 2022 show how demanding the top rung is. Indore became India's first 7-star city. Surat, Bhopal, Mysuru, Navi Mumbai, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati were 5-star. In all, 412 cities held a star rating (11 five-star, 182 three-star, 218 one-star, and Indore at seven), against 299 a year earlier.
How the rankings have changed
- 2017 to 2022. Indore was named the cleanest city for six years in a row.
- 2023 (announced 11 January 2024). Indore and Surat shared the top honour, with Sasvad, Patan and Lonavala the top three small cities.
- 2024-25 (the 9th edition; awards on 17 July 2025). The ministry introduced the Super Swachh League, a separate league for cities that had finished in the top three often enough. Twelve cities entered it in the toolkit stage: Panchgani, Patan, Vita, Sasvad, Ambikapur, Tirupati, New Delhi Municipal Council, Noida, Chandigarh, Navi Mumbai, Indore and Surat. Cities were placed in five population categories, from very small (below 20,000) to million-plus (above 10 lakh), so that small towns no longer compete directly with metros. At the ceremony, Ahmedabad, Bhopal and Lucknow were named the new top cities, and 34 Promising Swachh Shehars were chosen on a "one city, one award" basis.
Two other awards from that ceremony explain the survey's breadth: Prayagraj was named Best Ganga Town, and a special recognition went to the Mahakumbh waste management. Secunderabad Cantonment was the best cantonment board. The survey is not only about big cities.
What is new in 2025-26
The ministry's 9 November note and the December 2025 toolkit release name several changes:
- More weight to citizens. The toolkit increased the citizen validation weightage considerably, and feedback can now be given round the year through the Vote For My City app, the MyGov app, the Swachhata App and QR codes.
- Wider geography. Ganga towns were already assessed. The survey now covers river towns across the country, urban river fronts, coastlines and water bodies, and has a separate matrix for coastal areas.
- New indicators. Focus areas are the prevention of open defecation and open urination, the cleanliness of tourist and heritage hotspots, and behaviour change in schools.
- Assessment design. ULBs were scored on 43 indicators in 10 areas, including segregation and collection of waste, visible cleanliness, access to sanitation, mechanised desludging, used water management, welfare of sanitation workers, and citizen feedback. More than 3,000 assessors were supported by GPS tracking, and the toolkit introduced a state-level single point of contact for the first time.
- A new award for pairs. Cities are now recognised as Swachh Shehar Jodis, based on the average score of a mentor and a mentee city.
Swachh Shehar Jodi: cities teaching cities
The Swachh Shehar Jodi initiative was launched by Manohar Lal on 27 September 2025, as what the ministry calls the first urban waste management mentorship and peer-learning programme. Top performers each adopt a lagging city. The 9 November release says it links 70 mentor cities with 191 mentee cities across 33 States and UTs. (The December 2025 release spoke of 72 mentors and 200 mentees, so the pairing seems to have been adjusted.)
The ministry reports how the mentee cities improved between Swachh Survekshan 2024 and the latest edition.
| Parameter | SS 2024 | SS 2025-26 | Gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visible cleanliness | 48% | 70% | 22 points |
| Door-to-door collection | 52% | 74% | 22 points |
| Source segregation | 16% | 30% | 14 points |
| Access to sanitation | 11% | 38% | 27 points |
| Used water management | 32% | 53% | 21 points |
| Advocacy for swachhata | 48% | 66% | 18 points |
The gains are biggest in sanitation access and visible cleanliness, which are the easiest to see, and smallest in segregation, which needs households to change habits. These are the ministry's own figures, and they compare one survey cycle with another.
What to watch on 11 November
- The headline ranking. Which cities lead the million-plus category, and whether the Super Swachh League grows.
- Star ratings. How many cities hold 3, 5 and 7 stars, since SBM-U 2.0 aims at 3 stars everywhere.
- Mentor and mentee outcomes. Whether the Jodi awards confirm the improvement the ministry has reported.
- Dumpsites. The ministry launched the Dumpsite Remediation Accelerator Programme in November 2025 with the aim of "Lakshya: Zero Dumpsites" by October 2026. In January 2026 about 2,479 dumpsites holding about 25 crore tonnes of waste had been identified, and 1,138 had been fully remediated. Look for an update.
- Workers. The survey scores the welfare of sanitation workers, a theme taken up in our notes on the NAMASTE scheme.
🔑 Revision block
The event. The President confers the Swachh Survekshan 2025-26 awards on 11 November 2026, Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi; the 10th edition; theme "Swachhata Ki Nayi Pehel – Badhayein Haath, Karein Safai Saath". Results not yet announced on 9 November.
Survey facts. Began 2016 with 73 ULBs; over 4,751 cities now; 43 indicators in 10 areas; 3,000+ assessors; GPS-tracked; fully digital; round-the-year citizen feedback (Vote For My City, MyGov, Swachhata App, QR codes). New: river towns, coastlines, water bodies; open urination; tourist and heritage hotspots; schools.
Mission. SBM-U announced 15 August 2014, launched 2 October 2014; urban India ODF in 2019; SBM-U 2.0 launched 1 October 2021, outlay about ₹1.41 lakh crore, till 2025-26. SBM-U is under MoHUA; SBM-G under Jal Shakti.
Certifications. ODF (no open defecation) → ODF+ (functional toilets) → ODF++ (faecal sludge and septic tanks managed) → Water+ (used water treated and reused). GFC stars: 1, 3, 5, 7; Indore the first 7-star (2022).
Ranking history. Indore cleanest six years running to 2022; Indore and Surat jointly in the 2023 awards; 2024-25: Super Swachh League (12 cities at the toolkit stage), five population categories, Ahmedabad, Bhopal and Lucknow new top cities.
Swachh Shehar Jodi. Launched 27 September 2025; 70 mentors, 191 mentees, 33 States/UTs; mentee gains: visible cleanliness 48% to 70%, collection 52% to 74%, segregation 16% to 30%, sanitation access 11% to 38%.
Dumpsites. Accelerator programme from November 2025; target Zero Dumpsites by October 2026.
🎯 Practice MCQs
Q1. Swachh Survekshan 2025-26, whose awards are due on 11 November 2026, is which edition of the survey?
(a) 8th
(b) 9th
(c) 10th
(d) 11th
→ (c)
The 2023 survey was the 8th and 2024-25 the 9th. The 2025-26 edition is the 10th, launched in December 2025.
Q2. Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban, under which the Swachh Survekshan is conducted, is administered by the:
(a) Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
(b) Ministry of Jal Shakti
(c) Ministry of Rural Development
(d) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
→ (a)
MoHUA runs SBM-U. The rural mission, SBM-Grameen, sits with the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Q3. Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 was launched on:
(a) 2 October 2014
(b) 2 October 2019
(c) 15 August 2021
(d) 1 October 2021
→ (d)
The Prime Minister launched SBM-U 2.0 and AMRUT 2.0 on 1 October 2021. The first phase began on 2 October 2014.
Q4. The highest rating in the Star Rating Protocol for Garbage Free Cities is:
(a) 5-star
(b) 7-star
(c) 9-star
(d) 10-star
→ (b)
The protocol rates cities at 1, 3, 5 and 7 stars. Indore was the first to be certified 7-star, in 2022.
Q5. Which certification stresses mechanised cleaning of septic tanks and safe management of faecal sludge?
(a) ODF++
(b) ODF
(c) ODF+
(d) Water+
→ (a)
ODF++ adds sludge management to the functional-toilet test of ODF+. Water+ goes further, to treatment and reuse of used water.
Q6. In Swachh Survekshan 2025-26, urban local bodies were evaluated across 10 assessment areas covering how many indicators?
(a) 10
(b) 24
(c) 36
(d) 43
→ (d)
The 9 November release gives 43 indicators in 10 areas. The previous edition used 54 indicators in 10 parameters, and the Garbage Free Cities protocol has 24 indicators.
Q7. Consider the following statements about the Swachh Survekshan:
1. It is conducted by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
2. It began in 2016 with 73 urban local bodies.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
→ (b)
It is run by MoHUA, so statement 1 is wrong. Statement 2 is correct: 73 ULBs in 2016 grew to over 4,700 cities.
Q8. Which city became India's first 7-star Garbage Free city in 2022?
(a) Surat
(b) Bhopal
(c) Indore
(d) Navi Mumbai
→ (c)
Indore earned the first 7-star rating. Surat, Bhopal, Mysuru, Navi Mumbai, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati were 5-star.
📋 How this gets asked (PYQ pattern)
Sanitation and urban governance questions come in three forms.
The first is ministry versus mission: which ministry runs the urban and rural missions, and which survey belongs to which. Q2 and Q7 above use the trap, since "Swachh" suggests a single body.
The second is ladder vocabulary: ODF, ODF+, ODF++ and Water+, and the 1-3-5-7 star scale. The examiner usually gives four near-identical definitions and asks which one belongs to which label.
The third is ranking facts: which city topped, how many editions, and what is new this time. For this cycle, the fresh hooks are the 10th edition, the 43 indicators, river towns and coastlines, Swachh Shehar Jodi and, once the results are out, the winners named by PIB on 11 November.
Preparing for CDS? Keep a one-line definition for each of ODF, ODF+, ODF++ and Water+, and know the year and ministry for each mission. Revise the institutions in our notes on local governance and the wider CDS study material. Follow the daily CDS current affairs, and learn with experienced faculty in the upcoming Cavalier courses in Delhi.
Source: PIB / Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, "President of India to Confer 10th Edition Swachh Survekshan Awards 2025-26" (9 November 2026); "MoHUA launches 10th Swachh Survekshan" (20 December 2025); "President Confers Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 Awards" (17 July 2025) and the related 15 July 2025 and 17 January 2025 releases; "Swachh Survekshan Awards 2023 conferred" (11 January 2024); "President of India Announces Results of Swachh Survekshan 2022" (1 October 2022); Cabinet approval of SBM-U 2.0 (12 October 2021); Garbage Free Cities protocol (24 December 2021); revised certification protocols (25 June 2022); PIB Backgrounder on dumpsite remediation (31 January 2026). Gains calculated by The Cavalier from the published percentages.
✍️ Written by Hitendra Deswal — Polity & current-affairs faculty at The Cavalier. Reviewed by the Cavalier Faculty Desk.