The 9th edition of the world’s largest urban cleanliness survey was released by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). The assessment covered over 4,500 cities and engaged 14.6 crore citizens.
1. The “Super Swachh League” (SSL)
This new category recognises cities with sustained excellence (top 3 rankings in previous years). These cities were evaluated separately to allow others a chance at the top spot.
| Rank | Million-Plus Population | 3–10 Lakh Population |
| 1 | Indore (MP) | Noida (UP) |
| 2 | Surat (Gujarat) | Chandigarh |
| 3 | Navi Mumbai (MH) | Mysuru (Karnataka) |
| 4 | Vijayawada (AP) | Ujjain (MP) |
- Indore Milestone: Named India’s cleanest city for the 8th consecutive year.
2. Presidential Awardees: Swachh Shehar
These awards recognise the top-performing cities in the general category for 2024–25.
| Population Category | 1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place |
| >10 Lakh | Ahmedabad (GJ) | Bhopal (MP) | Lucknow (UP) |
| 3–10 Lakh | Mira-Bhayandar (MH) | Bilaspur (CG) | Jamshedpur (JH) |
| 50k–3 Lakh | Dewas (MP) | Karhad (MH) | Karnal (Haryana) |
| 20k–50k | Panaji (Goa) | Aska (Odisha) | Kumhari (CG) |
| <20,000 | Bilha (CG) | Chikiti (Odisha) | Shahganj (MP) |
3. Special Category & State Awards
- Cleanest State: Uttar Pradesh (also cited: Maharashtra/Madhya Pradesh in specific ULB counts).
- Best Ganga Town: Prayagraj (UP).
- Best Cantonment Board: Secunderabad Cantonment (Telangana).
- SafaiMitra Surakshit Shehar: Visakhapatnam, Jabalpur, and Gorakhpur.
- Maha Kumbh 2025 Award: Prayagraj (for managing waste of 66 crore people).
- Promising Swachh Shehars: 34 cities (including Bathinda and Bhubaneswar) were recognised for significant improvement.
4. Theme & Survey Framework
- Theme: “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (3R)” (Building on Waste to Wealth).
- Marks: Total 12,500 marks across 10 parameters (Service Level Progress, Certification, and Citizen Voice).
- Innovation: The Swachh City Partnership was launched, where the 78 awardees will each mentor one underperforming city.
- Mission: A one-year Accelerated Dumpsite Remediation program starts August 15, 2025, to clear legacy waste.