Water Resources (Resources).
Syllabus: UPSC Pre GS1: Indian & World Geography; Mains GS1
Jal Jeevan Mission for UPSC: aims, FHTC norms, funding, Paani Samitis, water quality testing, progress to 15.7 crore taps, challenges and way…
Indus Waters Treaty for UPSC: Indus system, eastern and western rivers, India's rights, Indus Commission, Kishenganga and Ratle, and the 2025 abeyance.
On 20 August 2026 the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation issued a Policy on Data Sharing, Interoperability and Stakeholder Access under the Sujalam Bharat Digital Public Infrastructure. It sets a secure, federated framework to share rural drinking water data among the Centre, States, Gram Panchayats and approved stakeholders, with a tiered access model that protects privacy and infrastructure.
UPSC angle: Prelims: JJM; DPI.
20 Aug 2026
Tap water now reaches about 15.89 crore of India's 19.36 crore rural households, or 82.09 per cent, up from 16.71 per cent when the Jal Jeevan Mission began in August 2019, the Jal Shakti Ministry told Rajya Sabha on 27 July 2026. In March 2026 the Cabinet extended JJM to December 2028, raising its outlay to ₹8.69 lakh crore.
UPSC angle: Prelims: JJM norms.
27 Jul 2026
Following the Prime Minister's 28 June 2026 Mann Ki Baat call, a nationwide Catch the Rain campaign ran from 4 July to 4 August 2026. Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari 2.0, launched 1 June 2026, integrates with Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain. Against a target of 1 crore recharge structures by 31 May 2026, more than 1.5 crore were reported.
UPSC angle: Prelims: JSA.
19 Jul 2026
JJM 2.0 moves from building taps to running services; MoUs tie money to reforms.
UPSC angle: Prelims: none.
17 Mar 2026
Dam safety needs CWC, NDMA, IMD and States at one table; that is what this committee does.
UPSC angle: Prelims: NCDS, NDSA.
20 Jan 2026
A tap is not water. The shift from counting connections to checking actual supply is the right one, and putting panchayats in charge brings accountability.
UPSC angle: Prelims: JJM. · Mains: service delivery.
30 Dec 2025