India’s Water Governance

Why in News?

Despite receiving abundant rainfall, only a small portion is effectively captured and stored, exposing India’s weaknesses in governance and management.

What about India’s water governance’s key contradictions?

• Global Context – India supports nearly one-fifth (20%) of the world’s population, but has access to only about 4% of global freshwater resources.
• Rainfall vs. Usability – India receives nearly 4,000 billion cubic metres (bcm) of annual rainfall, but only about 1,100 bcm are considered usable, due to storage limits, uneven rainfall distribution & ecological constraints.
• NITI Aayog Composite Water Management Index – Around 600 million people face high to extreme water stress, and at the same time, India receives substantial precipitation each year.
• Decline in Per-Capita Water Availability – Per-capita water availability has dropped from 5,000 cubic metres per person annually (post-independence) to 1,400 cubic metres today.
• Groundwater Dependence – India is now the world’s largest groundwater user, accounting for roughly a quarter (25%) of global extraction.
• This dependence has enabled agricultural expansion and rural livelihoods, but it has also resulted in declining water tables across several regions.

What is India’s Institutional Framework on water governance?

• Multi-Level Institutional Structure – India’s water governance operates through a complex, multi-level institutional structure involving the Union government, State governments and local bodies.

National Level

• Ministry of Jal Shakti – Serves as the nodal authority responsible for water resources, drinking water supply and sanitation.
• Central Water Commission – Focuses primarily on surface water planning, river basin development and flood control.
• Central Groundwater Board – It assesses groundwater resources and provides scientific inputs for sustainable aquifer management.
• NITI Aayog – Evaluates water governance performance across States through indicators such as the Composite Water Management Index.
• This benchmarking mechanism has helped introduce accountability and evidence-based policymaking into the water sector.

Water is classified as a State Subject under Entry 17 of the State List; however, the Central Government maintains regulatory powers over inter-state rivers (Entry 56 of the Union List) and environmental pollution.

• Federal Design – India’s federal constitutional structure places most water-related responsibilities like irrigation, water supply and groundwater regulation, etc., with the States.
• State Level Coordination – As a result, State irrigation departments, urban water boards and local governments play a decisive role in implementing water policies.
• Institutional Challenge – India’s water crisis is as much institutional as it is hydrological.
• This multi-layered institutional system reflects India’s federal design but creates coordination challenges across Union–State–local levels.

What are the key legal & regulatory frameworks that govern water resources in India?

• Article 21 (Right to Life) – The Supreme Court of India has repeatedly interpreted this article to include the fundamental right to clean, safe, and sufficient drinking water.
• Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 – Primary legislation aiming to prevent and control water pollution, and restore the health of water resources.
• It established the Central and State Pollution Control Boards (CPCB/SPCB).
• Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977 – Provides for the levy and collection of a cess (tax) on water consumed by industries and local authorities to encourage conservation and generate funds for pollution control.
• Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 – A comprehensive law under which the central government can take actions to protect the environment, including water bodies.
• Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) – It regulates groundwater extraction by issuing 'No Objection Certificates' (NOC) for industries and infrastructure projects.
• River Boards Act, 1956 – Enables the central government to establish boards to advise state governments on the development and regulation of inter-state rivers.
• Indian Easements Act, 1882 – It contains provisions defining rights to water and land, generally recognising the state’s ownership over natural water resources.
• National Water Policy (2012) – Acts as a non-binding strategic guide for water management, which promotes integrated water management, water conservation, and treats water as an economic good.

What are the national missions that helps tackling the challenges?

• To Address Institutional Fragmentation – The Union government has increasingly relied on national missions that align central funding with State-level implementation.
• Jal Jeevan Mission (2019) – To provide functional tap connections to rural homes; By recognising the scale of the task, the mission has been extended until 2028 to enable States to achieve universal coverage.
• Atal Bhujal Yojana – Promotes participatory aquifer management in water-stressed regions to address groundwater sustainability.
• By encouraging community-based groundwater budgeting and monitoring, the programme attempts to correct the long-standing gap in groundwater regulation.
• Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana – Promotes micro-irrigation technologies and improved water management practices.
• Given that agriculture consumes the majority of India’s freshwater resources, improving irrigation efficiency is essential.
• Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation – Aims to expand water supply networks, sewage treatment systems and wastewater reuse in cities.
• Namami Gange Programme – For river basin restoration, which combines pollution control, sewage treatment and ecological restoration in the Ganga basin.

What are some suggestions for ensuring water governance in India?

• Global Best Practices – Like circular water economy, agricultural reform,  science‑policy links underscore the value of wastewater reuse, efficient irrigation, and technological innovation.
• Expanding Recycling – Expanding wastewater recycling in Indian cities can ease pressure on freshwater resources.
• Agriculture – Adopting better crop choices and irrigation methods can improve agricultural water productivity.
• Policy Imperative – Strengthening the architecture of water governance will be central to sustaining economic growth and social well-being.

What lies ahead?

• India’s water governance is moving toward a more integrated, circular approach & its future will depend less on how much rain it receives and more on how well it is governed.
• By aligning governance with scientific knowledge, technological innovation, and participatory approaches, India can transform its water economy from a cycle of scarcity to a framework of sustainability.
• As India works toward the global commitments of the UN-SDG 6 (clean water & sanitation), and the national aspiration of becoming a developed economy by 2047.

References

1. The Hindu | How India is governing its water resources
2. India’s Water Portal | Water policies in India

India-IFAD Country Strategic Opportunities Programme (COSOP) 2026–2033

Why in News?

Recently, Union Government & International Fund & Agriculture Development (IFAD) have launched a new 8 year strategy, the country strategic opportunity Programme (COSOP) 2026 -2033.

• Objective - To bolster the rural economy & Enhance Climate resilience.

COSOP 2026–2033

• Vision Alignment - Programme is aligned with the Government’s Viksit Bharat @2047 vision, focusing on transforming India into a developed nation by its centenary of independence.

Strategic Priorities –

• Resilience Building - Enhancing the social, economic, and climate resilience of rural communities.
• Knowledge Sharing - Strengthening knowledge systems to scale successful development models within India and across the Global South (South-South and Triangular Cooperation).
• Institutional Focus - Emphasis on grassroots institutions such as:
• Self-Help Groups (SHGs)
• Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs)
• Cooperatives

Knowledge Leadership - Positioning India as a leader in rural development by sharing models of inclusive finance, digital agriculture, and climate-resilient value chains with countries in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.

IFAD-NABARD Strategic Partnership - On the sidelines of the launch, a strategic agreement was signed between IFAD and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

Objective - To strengthen rural finance systems and foster innovation in agricultural and allied sectors.

About IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development)

• Nature - A specialized agency of the United Nations and an International Financial Institution (IFI).
• Establishment - Set up in 1977 as an outcome of the 1974 World Food Conference.
• Mandate - To eradicate poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries.
• Headquarters - Rome, Italy.
• Membership - Open to any state that is a member of the UN. India is a founder member and a major contributor.
• Focus Areas-
  • Smallholder farmer productivity.
  • Climate change adaptation in agriculture.
  • Gender equality and women’s empowerment in rural landscapes.

Significance for India

• Longevity - The India-IFAD partnership spans nearly five decades, with 35 rural development projects implemented to date.
• Evolution - The partnership has shifted from basic poverty alleviation to building market-oriented rural livelihoods that can withstand climate and economic shocks.
• Impact - Major successes include large-scale financial inclusion for women and the integration of e-commerce for women-led enterprises.

PIB | IAS Parliament

Intellectual Property (IP) Catalyst Initiative and CIPIE Digital Platform

Why in News?

Union Ministry has launched the IP Catalyst initiative and the cipie.in platform to accelerate the commercialization of IP in the Electronics and IT sectors.

Launched by - Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)

Highlights of IP Catalyst

The IP Catalyst is a strategic initiative designed to bridge the gap between research and market-ready products.

• Implementing Agency - Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) Pune, with the support of MeitY.
• Core Objective - To support the entire innovation lifecycle from research and IP creation to technology transfer and market deployment.
• The "Patent to Profit" Shift - The initiative aims to shift the focus from merely filing patents to a "Patent Product Profit" approach, ensuring that IP generates economic and technological value.

Features and Support Services

The initiative offers a suite of services to strengthen the IP ecosystem:

• Financial Assistance - Support for IP filing for MeitY organizations and international patent filing support specifically for startups and MSMEs.
• Technical Advisory - Services include prior-art searches, IP valuation, and Technology Readiness Level (TRL) assessments.
• Commercialization Support - Facilitating technology transfer, licensing, and prototype-to-product development.
• Collaboration - Creating a bridge between industry, academia, and startups to adopt indigenous technologies.

The CIPIE Platform (cipie.in)

The Collaborative IP and Innovation Ecosystem (CIPIE) serves as the digital backbone of the initiative.

• National Repository -It acts as a digital inventory of all technologies developed through MeitY-supported R&D.
• Unified Gateway - A one-stop online portal for accessing IP services and identifying deployable indigenous technologies.

Status of Patents in India (2024-2026)

The launch highlighted significant milestones in India's IP journey:

• FY 2024–25 - India crossed 1, 10,375 patent applications, with Electronics & IT contributing 44%.
• FY 2025–26 - Total filings rose to 1,43,729, with the Electronics & IT sector seeing a 52% growth in filings.

Significance

• Viksit Bharat - Aligns with the vision of a developed India by 2047 through indigenous innovation.
• Lab-to-Market - Accelerates the transition of technologies from research laboratories to commercial industry use.
• Strategic Domains - Focuses on critical areas like Semiconductors, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Electronics Manufacturing.

For Reference: PIB | IAS Parliament

Five States Felicitated for Digi Locker Integration Initiatives

Why in News?

National e-Governance Division (NeGD) recently felicitated 5 states for their exceptional contribution toward large-scale DigiLocker integration and adoption across state government services.

• Recognition during - National Consultative Workshop on Strengthening Cybersecurity Frameworks for State Data.

States Recognized & their achievements

• Gujarat – On boarded 65% of services; Innovative Digital Disability Certificates for free bus transport. Over 1.92 Crore citizens covered.
• Karnataka – On boarded 73% of e-services; Digitized 3 Crore electricity bill records across all 5 Discoms. Highest number of accounts (2.7 Crore).
• Keralam - Completed on-boarding of 117+ services in less than 7 days.1.15 Crore registered users.
• Nagaland - Nominated as ‘Digital Rising State’; Integrated 32 services in 1 month using both Issuer & Requestor models. Excellence in rapid digital transformation.
• Rajasthan - Integrated the Jan Aadhaar (Family Register) with DigiLocker. Catered to 7.5+ Crore citizens.

About Digi Locker

• Definition - A flagship initiative under the Digital India programme, DigiLocker is a secure cloud-based platform for storage, sharing, and verification of documents and certificates.
• Nodal Ministry - Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• Implementing Agency - National e-Governance Division (NeGD).

Core Concepts:

• Issuer - An entity (e.g., CBSE, Registrar Office, RTO) that issues certificates to individuals in electronic format.
• Requestor - An entity (e.g., Employers, Banks, Universities) that requests access to the digital documents for verification.
• Resident - An individual who uses the Digi Locker service based on their Aadhaar number.

Significance of Digi Locker Integration

• Ease of Living - Reduces the need for physical documents and physical verification.
• Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) - Strengthens India’s DPI by making government services interoperable and paperless.
• Efficiency - Enables "anytime, anywhere" access to authentic documents, reducing administrative overheads.
• Security - Provides a trusted and secure ecosystem for data exchange between government departments and citizens.

For Reference: IAS | Parliament