UPSC Mains 2020 GS Paper 2 Q3: model answer
How far do you think cooperation, competition and confrontation have shaped the nature of federation in India? Cite some recent examples, to validate your answer.
What the question wants
Judge how far cooperation, competition and confrontation have shaped Indian federalism, with recent examples.
How to structure it
How far ... Cite examples: one block per 'C', two examples each, then a verdict.
- Cooperation
- Competition
- Confrontation
- Verdict
How to think it through
Three Cs, 150 words: about 45 words each. Pick examples a reader recognises instantly. Think of a cricket team: partners in the field, rivals for the captaincy, and occasionally arguing with the umpire.
Model answer
In 2020 the Centre and States locked down together within days, then fought for months over GST compensation. Indian federalism moves between all three modes, often in the same year.
Cooperation
- GST Council: nearly all decisions by consensus since 2017.
- Joint vaccination drive (CoWIN) and the NITI Aayog Governing Council.
Competition
- NITI's SDG India Index, Export Preparedness Index and the Business Reform Action Plan rank States.
- States compete for semiconductor and EV plants (Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh).
Confrontation
- Governors holding Bills: the Tamil Nadu Governor case (2025) and the Presidential Reference opinion (November 2025).
- States withdrawing general consent to the CBI; suits under Article 131 (Kerala on borrowing limits, 2024).
Verdict
Cooperation sets the frame, competition drives growth, confrontation tests the limits. A healthy federation needs the first two to outweigh the third. Confrontation is not always bad: the Governor cases made the rules clearer for everyone. The danger is when it becomes the default, and forums like the Inter-State Council stay silent while courts settle what politics should.
Draw: A triangle with the three Cs at its corners and two examples beside each.
Keywords, cases and data to drop in
cooperative, competitive, confrontational federalism, GST Council, NITI indices, BRAP, Article 131, Governor's assent, Presidential Reference 2025.
Where most answers lose marks
- Leaving out examples. The question says 'cite recent examples'; examiners count them.
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Fresh examples from current affairs
Cauvery panel tells Karnataka to release 3,000 cusecs to Tamil Nadu: Article 262 and the inter-State water dispute
The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee has told Karnataka to ensure 3,000 cusecs of water a day at Biligundlu for 15 days, and the Cauvery Water Management Authority has endorsed it. Tamil Nadu wanted almost five times more, including a claimed backlog. Karnataka says a weak monsoon has left its four Cauvery reservoirs 55% short and most of its taluks in drought. For you, this is a live case study of Article 262, water tribunals and how a dry year turns sharing into a crisis.
UPSC angle: Prelims: Cauvery source and tributaries, Article 262, ISWD Act 1956, CWMA. · Mains GS-II: inter-State water disputes; cooperative federalism.
25 Oct 2026
Cooperative federalism and law reform: Law Commission proposes a ‘citizen friction test’
On 22 October 2026, the 23rd Law Commission of India held a national conference on ‘Co-operative Federalism and Law Reforms’ at Vigyan Bhawan, inaugurated by Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan. He urged State Law Commissions to find and repeal outdated laws. Law Commission Chairperson Justice (retd.) Dinesh Maheshwari proposed a ‘citizen friction test’ to check whether a law reduces the time, cost and paperwork it imposes on citizens.
UPSC angle: Prelims: Law Commission, Articles 1, 252, 254, 263. · Mains GS-II: cooperative federalism; law reform.
22 Oct 2026
21st Maritime State Development Council: first MSDC under the Indian Ports Act, 2025
The 21st Maritime State Development Council met in Mumbai on 13 October 2026. It was the first MSDC after the Indian Ports Act, 2025 (notified 15 May 2026) made the Council a statutory body. Members adopted Vision 2030 and 2047 targets and set March 2027 deadlines for One Nation One Port Process and Maritime Single Window integration.
UPSC angle: Prelims: Ports Act 2025 date, MSDC, ONOP, Sagar Setu, SbPCP/BCSPS. · Mains GS-III: ports and shipbuilding; GS-II: cooperative federalism.
13 Oct 2026
57th GST Council: arrest provisions to go, prosecution threshold raised to ₹5 crore
The 57th GST Council meeting on 8 October 2026 focused on process reform rather than rates. It recommended removing arrest powers under GST, raising the prosecution threshold from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore, cutting the general penalty from ₹25,000 to ₹10,000, no notices below ₹10,000 tax, wider input tax credit and refunds, and limits on interception of goods in transit.
UPSC angle: Prelims: GST Council structure, Article 279A. · Mains GS-III: indirect tax reform; GS-II: fiscal federalism.
8 Oct 2026Learn the concept
Question text as printed in the official UPSC Civil Services (Main) question paper. The model answer is original Battle IAS work; use it to learn structure, not to memorise.
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