Description

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Picture Courtesy: PIB

Context:

The President of India presented the Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 Awards at a national ceremony organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).

What is Swachh Survekshan?

It is an annual survey of cleanliness, hygiene, and sanitation across India.
It is the world's largest urban sanitation and cleanliness survey.
It was launched in 2016, with 73 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), and has expanded to cover over 4,500 ULBs in the 2024–25
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) started it as a key component of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban).

What is Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban)?

It was launched on October 2, 2014, to honor Mahatma Gandhi's vision of a clean India.
It aims to free India from open defecation, and 100% scientific management of solid waste across the country.
This mission has two main parts: Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) for rural areas, administered by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, and Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) for cities and towns, managed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).

It evaluates cities based on three main pillars:

Cities performance in open defecation-free status, proper waste collection (segregated), waste processing, and sustainable sanitation. Field visits and citizen interactions validate the progress claimed by cities.
Assessment based on direct feedback and engagement with citizens.
Performance under MoHUA's certification protocols, such as Star Rating for Garbage Free Cities (GFC) and ODF/ODF+/ODF++/Water+ certifications.

What are the Key Highlights of Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 Awards?

The Awards ceremony theme was “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”. A total of 78 awards across four categories were presented this year.

Super Swachh League (SSL) Cities => To ensure fair competition and acknowledge cities that consistently perform well (like Indore, which ranked 1 for seven consecutive years).

These cities were excluded from the regular rankings to give other emerging cities a better chance to achieve top positions.

Top 3 clean cities in 5 population categories => For the first time, the survey classified cities into five population-based categories, for fairer comparisons among similar-sized urban areas:

Very Small Cities: < 20,000 population
Small Cities: 20,000 – 50,000 population
Medium Cities: 50,000 – 3 Lakh population
Big Cities: 3 – 10 Lakh population
Million-Plus Cities: > 10 Lakh population

Special Category

Prayagraj received an award for its excellent waste management during the Mahakumbh 2025.
Cleanest Ganga Town: Prayagraj
Safaimitra Surakshit Shehar: Visakhapatnam, Jabalpur, and Gorakhpur.
Cantonment Board: Secunderabad Cantonment

State Level Awards – 35 cities across 33 States/UTs were recognized.

FAQ

Q. What major format changes were introduced in the Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 awards?

The awards introduced a 'Super Swachh League' for consistent top performers and a new classification system based on city population for fairer comparisons.

Q. Which cities were recognized for ensuring the safety of sanitation workers?

Visakhapatnam, Jabalpur, and Gorakhpur received the 'Safaimitra Surakshit Shehar Awards' for their initiatives in promoting sanitation worker safety and dignity.

Q: What special award did Prayagraj receive in the 2024-25 awards?

Prayagraj was honored for its special waste management initiative during Swachh Mahakumbh 2025 and also recognized as the 'Cleanest Ganga Town'.

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Source: PIB

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. Which of the following cities received the 'Safaimitra Surakshit Shehar Awards' in Swachh Survekshan 2024-25?

1. Indore

2. Visakhapatnam

3. Jabalpur

4. Gorakhpur

5. Prayagraj

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

A) 1, 2 and 3 only

B) 2, 3 and 4 only

C) 1, 3 and 5 only

D) 2, 4 and 5 only

Answer: B

Explanation:

The 'Safaimitra Surakshit Shehar Awards' recognized Visakhapatnam, Jabalpur, and Gorakhpur for their initiatives in promoting sanitation worker safety and dignity.