The President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, will present the prestigious Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 Awards at a national ceremony organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) on 17th July 2025 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The event will also be graced by Union Minister Shri Manohar Lal and Minister of State Shri Tokhan Sahu.
This marks the 9th edition of the Swachh Survekshan (SS), the world’s largest urban cleanliness survey, conducted under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U). Since its inception in 2016 with just 73 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), the initiative has grown exponentially, covering over 4,500 cities in its latest edition. The awards aim to honour and celebrate the outstanding efforts of cities that are spearheading urban cleanliness and sustainable sanitation practices across India.
The Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 Awards will be presented across four major categories:
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Super Swachh League (SSL) Cities – featuring top-performing cities that have consistently ranked among the cleanest over the past three years.
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Top 3 Clean Cities in 5 Population Categories – ensuring fair recognition for cities of all sizes.
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Special Categories – acknowledging efforts in Ganga Towns, Cantonment Boards, SafaiMitra Suraksha, and Mahakumbh areas.
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State-Level Awards – identifying the most promising clean city in each State or Union Territory.
This year, a total of 78 awards will be conferred, reflecting an inclusive and diversified approach to recognizing excellence.
The 2024-25 edition has emphasized the theme of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, reinforcing sustainable waste management and eco-friendly urban practices. Over 3,000 trained assessors undertook rigorous on-ground inspections, covering every ward of the participating cities across a span of 45 days. The assessment included interactions with more than 11 lakh households, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the urban cleanliness landscape.
One of the highlights of this edition is the unprecedented public participation, with over 14 crore citizens engaged through face-to-face interactions, the Swachhata App, MyGov portal, and social media. This engagement marks a milestone in civic awareness, making citizens active partners in the cleanliness journey.
A notable innovation this year is the introduction of population-based classification for cities, ensuring that smaller urban areas have an equal platform to compete. The five categories are:
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Very Small Cities (<20,000 population),
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Small Cities (20,000–50,000),
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Medium Cities (50,000–3 lakh),
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Big Cities (3–10 lakh), and
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Million-Plus Cities (>10 lakh).
Each group was evaluated using tailored indicators and parameters, allowing a level playing field and fair assessment across diverse urban settings.
Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 follows a structured framework based on 10 core parameters and 54 performance indicators, offering a 360-degree view of sanitation, waste management, service delivery, and citizen feedback.
By rewarding innovation, public involvement, and commitment to cleanliness, the Swachh Survekshan Awards continue to inspire cities to not only maintain but elevate their standards—reinforcing India’s collective journey toward a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable urban future.
