'Global air quality rankings are not official':Govt says WHO only gives advice; Environment minister tells India doesn’t make policies based on external reports

Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said these things while answering a question in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

The Government of India told Parliament that while many organisations around the world provide air quality rankings, these are not official. The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Air Quality Guidelines are advisory, and no country is obliged to follow them. Each nation must set its own standards based on its needs, geographical conditions, and circumstances.

Minister of State for Environment, Kirti Vardhan Singh, made these remarks on Thursday in the Rajya Sabha while responding to a question. He said the government does not make policies based on external reports or global indexes.

The Ministry of Environment was responding to concerns about India’s declini