The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) today launched the 10th edition of Swachh Survekshan (SS 2025–26) with the release of its comprehensive toolkit by Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Marking a decade since its inception, Swachh Survekshan—recognized as the world’s largest urban cleanliness survey—enters a new phase with stronger citizen participation, expanded coverage and new award categories.
A Decade of Driving Urban Cleanliness
Since its launch, Swachh Survekshan has evolved from an annual ranking exercise into a powerful management and transformation tool under Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban (SBM-U). From assessing 73 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in 2016 to 4,900 ULBs in 2024, the survey has catalysed healthy competition, standardized assessment benchmarks, and delivered visible on-ground improvements—making cleanliness a way of life, truly reflecting Swabhav Swachhata, Sanskaar Swachhata.
Theme 2025–26: Collective Action for Clean Cities
The theme for SS 2025–26—“Swacchata Ki Nayi Pehel – Badhayein Haath, Karein Safai Saath”—underscores collective responsibility and participatory governance. All States and ULBs, including Municipal Commissioners and State representatives, joined the launch virtually, signalling nationwide commitment to the next phase of urban cleanliness.
Citizen Voice Goes Round-the-Year
Citizen engagement—long a cornerstone of Swachh Survekshan—has been significantly strengthened in the 2025–26 toolkit. For the first time, residents can submit round-the-year feedback via multiple platforms, including:
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Vote For My City App & Portal
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MyGov App
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Swachhata App
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QR-code enabled touchpoints
The weightage for citizen validation has been increased, ensuring public perception and experience play a decisive role in assessments.
Expanded Scope: River Towns, Coastal Areas
Building on its assessment of Ganga towns, Swachh Survekshan will now include river towns nationwide, widening the cleanliness framework. Additionally, a separate assessment matrix for coastal areas has been introduced, bringing shoreline sanitation and waste management firmly within the SS ambit.
New Awards & Mentorship: Swachh Shehar Jodi
To deepen peer learning and replication of best practices, MoHUA highlighted the Swachh Shehar Jodi (SSJ) mentorship programme—launched in September 2025—under which 72 mentor cities and 200 mentee cities have signed MoUs. For SS 2025–26, a new award category will recognize Swachh Shehar Jodis, based on average scores across population categories, incentivising collaborative excellence.
Robust, Transparent Assessment Architecture
SS 2025–26 introduces a protocol-driven, tightly monitored assessment framework:
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National oversight team with a dedicated single-point-of-contact for each State/UT
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3,000+ trained field assessors conducting a 45-day on-ground survey
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Real-time, GPS-enabled monitoring
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End-to-end digital process—from evidence submission to verification—with rigorous quality checks
This architecture strengthens quality assurance, transparency, and grievance redressal.
Timelines
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Field assessments: Mid-February to March 2026
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GFC & ODF certifications: From mid-February 2026
Conclusion: MoHUA
As Swachh Survekshan completes ten years, SS 2025–26 signals a decisive shift toward continuous citizen engagement, expanded ecological coverage, and collaborative excellence. With enhanced feedback mechanisms, new awards, and a rigorous assessment backbone, Swachh Survekshan continues to power India’s largest Jan Andolan, transforming cleanliness into a shared national aspiration and a source of collective pride.
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Source: PIB
