The Government of India has informed Parliament that global air quality rankings do not have any official status and are not used when the country creates its pollution control policies. In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, the Environment Ministry explained that several popular international lists, including world air quality rankings and global pollution reports, are prepared by private organisations or research groups. These rankings use their own methods and data sources, and no international body releases an official, universally accepted ranking for countries based on air pollution. Because of this, India does not treat these rankings as official measures.

The government also clarified that theWorld Health Organization’s air quality guidelines are advisory in nature. These guidelines help countries understand global health recommendations, but they are not compulsory rules. Each nation is free to design its own air quality standards according to its local conditions. India considers many factors, such as climate, geography, types of pollution sources, background pollution levels, and national social and economic needs, before deciding its pollution limits.

India already follows its own National Ambient Air Quality Standards, which set limits for twelve major pollutants. These standards aim to safeguard public health and protect the environment by reflecting the country’s real conditions and challenges. The government said that these national standards are more suitable for India than universal benchmarks created for different regions across the world.

To regularly check the progress of pollution control, the government runs the National Clean Air Programme. Under this programme, an annual assessment called the Swachh Vayu Survekshan is conducted. It studies the work done by around one hundred and thirty cities to reduce air pollution. Cities are ranked based on how actively they take action to improve air quality. The best performing cities are honoured every year on National Swachh Vayu Diwas, which is observed on September seven.