India says WHO air quality rules are just advice—here's what's changing

India Dec 11, 2025

India's government made it clear this week that the World Health Organization's air quality guidelines are just suggestions, not strict rules for the country.
Instead, India follows its own standards tailored to local needs—even if those limits for pollutants like PM2.5 and PM10 are less strict than what WHO recommends.

Delhi-NCR air is getting better (and fires are down)

There's some good news for folks in Delhi-NCR: the number of "good air" days has nearly doubled since 2016, and this year's average Air Quality Index is lower than in 2018.
Plus, thanks to coordinated efforts, farm fire incidents in Punjab and Haryana dropped by 90% compared to 2022—helping everyone breathe a bit easier.