The Union Budget 2026-27, presented on February 1, 2026, drew criticism from environmental watchdog Down to Earth for reducing the allocation to the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) by approximately 10%. The CAQM budget was cut from ₹38.98 crore (2025-26 revised estimate) to ₹35.26 crore for 2026-27.
CAQM was established under the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021. It is the statutory body coordinating anti-pollution measures across Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. It issues binding directions on stubble burning, industrial emissions, vehicular pollution, and construction dust.
The broader pollution control budget also fell 2%, while the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) received an overall 10% budget increase. Critics argue this creates an internal contradiction — expanding the ministry's mandate while shrinking enforcement arms. CAQM's operational effectiveness — field inspections, data systems, and coordination with state pollution control boards — depends directly on its annual funding.
Down to Earth highlighted that Delhi's AQI regularly crosses the severe threshold during October–January, making the pre-winter enforcement window critical. Reduced funding could slow capacity-building, limit sub-committee operations, and delay real-time monitoring infrastructure upgrades.
Rajasthan falls directly under CAQM's jurisdiction. Industrial clusters in Bhiwadi-Alwar and brick kilns in eastern Rajasthan are under CAQM oversight, making this budget decision directly relevant for RAS aspirants studying environment-governance intersections.