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The government has finalised a Rs 637-crore National Clean Air Programme to improve the air quality in India. The 20-point programme shifts the onus of fighting air pollution to the state governments, emphasises on collection of authentic data on pollution sources, introduces monitoring of rural air pollution and a new institutional framework at the central and state levels to monitor air quality and take preventive steps. The programme, India’s first attempt at working out a coordinated system to curb air pollution, requires all the states to frame their own Clean Air Programmes. While the national programme lays down the time frame for measures such as setting up of additional centres to monitor air quality across 100 cities, it does not have any directives to the states on their action plan. The national plan proposes setting up of an apex committee under environment minister, a steering committee under the secretary (environment) and a monitoring committee under a joint secretary. There would be project monitoring committees at the state level with scientists and trained personnel.