President Murmu to Honor India's Cleanest Cities at Swachh Survekshan 2025-26 Awards
President Droupadi Murmu will honor India's cleanest cities at the 10th Swachh Survekshan awards ceremony on November 11 in New Delhi.
In a grand celebration of urban cleanliness and civic discipline, President Droupadi Murmu is set to confer the Swachh Survekshan 2025-26 awards on November 11. The prestigious ceremony will take place at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, recognizing the cities that have demonstrated exceptional commitment to the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban.
The event will be held in the presence of Manohar Lal, the Union Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and Power, along with Tokhan Sahu, the Minister of State for MoHUA. This 10th edition of the survey carries the inspiring theme: ‘Swachhata Ki Nayi Pehel- Badhayein Haath, Karein Safai Saath’.
A Decade of Transformation: From 73 to 4,751 Cities
The Swachh Survekshan has evolved from a modest assessment into a massive national movement. What started in 2016 with only 73 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) has expanded exponentially, with the latest edition covering over 4,751 cities across the country. The awards not only celebrate the cleanest cities but also mark a decade of collective effort by States and urban bodies to sustain ground-level cleanliness.
What Made the 2025-26 Assessment Different?
The 10th edition introduced several rigorous enhancements to ensure the rankings reflect true on-ground reality. Key focus areas included:
- Expanded Reach: Increased coverage of coastlines, water bodies, and urban river fronts.
- Public Participation: A stronger emphasis on citizen feedback and grievance redressal.
- Targeted Indicators: Focused monitoring of open urination and defecation prevention.
- Special Zones: Strict cleanliness checks at heritage sites and tourist hotspots.
- Education: Integration of behavior change initiatives within schools.
The Rigorous Evaluation Process
To maintain transparency, the Ministry employed a fully digital process. More than 3,000 trained assessors conducted field visits, supported by real-time GPS-enabled monitoring. Cities were judged on 43 different indicators across 10 key areas, including:
- Waste segregation, collection, and transportation.
- Solid waste and used water management.
- Mechanization of desludging services.
- Welfare of sanitation workers.
- Visible cleanliness and access to sanitation.
The Power of Peer Learning: 'Swachh Shehar Jodi'
One of the standout features of this edition is the recognition of the ‘Swachh Shehar Jodi’ initiative. Launched on September 27, 2025, by Union Minister Manohar Lal, this first-of-its-kind mentorship program paired 70 mentor cities with 191 mentee cities across 33 States and Union Territories.
The results of this peer-learning model have been striking, with mentee cities showing significant leaps in performance between 2024 and 2025:
- Visible Cleanliness: Jumped from 48% to 70%.
- Door-to-Door Collection: Increased from 52% to 74%.
- Source Segregation: Rose from 16% to 30%.
- Access to Sanitation: Improved from 11% to 38%.
- Used Water Management: Climbed from 32% to 53%.
- Advocacy for Swachhata: Increased from 48% to 66%.
As the countdown to November 11 begins, cities across India are eagerly awaiting the announcement to see who will be crowned the cleanest in the nation.