Which of the following institutions conducted a PM2.5 air quality assessment in Indian cities in October 2025 and found that all ten most polluted cities were located within the National Capital Region (NCR)?

Correct option is D

The correct answer is (d) Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air

Explanation:
• The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) released a report in October 2025 analyzing PM2.5 levels across India.
• The assessment revealed a concerning trend where all ten of the most polluted cities in India were situated within the National Capital Region (NCR).
• Cities like Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Noida topped the list due to stagnant atmospheric conditions and local pollution sources.
• The report highlighted that stubble burning and vehicular emissions remain the primary drivers of toxic air during the onset of winter.
• CREA is an independent research organization focused on identifying trends in air pollution and suggesting policy interventions.

Information Booster:
• PM2.5 refers to atmospheric particulate matter that has a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers, which can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream.
• The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) is India's flagship initiative to reduce particulate matter concentration by 20–30% in 131 cities.

Additional Knowledge:
Centre for Sustainable Urban Climate Research (Option a)
• This is a generic or academic entity focused on climate resilience rather than specific real-time air quality tracking reports.
National Institute for Atmospheric Studies and Policy (Option b)
• This is not the primary agency recognized for the October 2025 NCR pollution ranking report.
Indian Council for Environmental Data and Analysis (Option c)
• Often handles broad data sets, but the specific widely-cited 2025 report regarding the 'Top 10 most polluted' was credited to CREA.

So the correct answer is (d)