India says global air-quality rankings aren’t official- so what do those viral pollution lists really mean? As the Centre insists on its own standards and highlights a sharp improvement in Delhi’s AQI, the debate over how clean India’s air truly is heats up.
Centre says no official global air quality rankings
New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday informed the Rajya Sabha that global air pollution rankings frequently circulated in the media are not issued by any official international authority.
Responding to a question by CPI(M) MP V Sivadasan, the government stated that indices such as the IQAir World Air Quality Report, WHO Global Air Quality Database, Environmental Performance Index (EPI) and Global Burden of Disease (GBD) metrics are independently compiled and not recognised as official global rankings.
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Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh clarified in a written reply that the World Health Organisation’s air quality guidelines are advisory in nature. “Countries formulate their own air quality standards based on geography, environmental factors, background levels, socio-economic realities and national circumstances,” he said.
India notified its National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in 2009 for 12 key pollutants. These benchmarks, the government said, remain tailored to India’s environmental conditions and public health needs.
Addressing the query on India’s ranking since 2020, the environment ministry emphasised that such comparative lists have no official standing. The government, therefore, does not track India’s “position” in these international indices, many of which rely on varied methodologies, data sources and assumptions.
In a separate reply, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav highlighted significant improvement in Delhi’s air quality over recent years, crediting policy interventions and coordinated action across states.
‘Good to Moderate’ air-quality days increased from 110 in 2016 to 200 days in 2025 (till November).
Average AQI dropped from 213 in 2018 to 187 in 2025.
Zero ‘Severe Plus’ days (AQI > 450) recorded in 2025 so far.
Farm fires in Punjab and Haryana decreased by about 90% in the 2025 harvesting season compared to 2022.
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The government also underscored its annual Swachh Vayu Survekshan, which ranks 130 cities based on air-quality improvement efforts under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). Top-performing cities are recognised each year on National Swachh Vayu Diwas (7 September).
While the WHO tightened its PM2.5 guidelines in 2021 (15 µg/m³ for 24 hours; 5 µg/m³ annual), India continues to follow the NAAQS limits of 60 µg/m³ and 40 µg/m³ respectively. The Centre maintains that these standards are appropriate to India’s current conditions and developmental context.
