UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 2: Questions on good governance in rural India and interstate river water disputes in India (Week 125)

QUESTION 1

Discuss how the implementation of the SVAMITVA scheme contributes to good governance and rural economic empowerment.

QUESTION 2

Discuss the constitutional and legal structures governing interstate river water disputes in India.

General points on the structure of the answers for UPSC Mains

Introduction

— The introduction of the answer is essential and should be restricted to 3-5 lines. Remember, a one-liner is not a standard introduction.

— It may consist of basic information by giving some definitions from the trusted source and authentic facts.

Body

— It is the central part of the answer and one should understand the demand of the question to provide rich content.

— The answer must be preferably written as a mix of points and short paragraphs rather than using long paragraphs or just points.

— Using facts from authentic government sources makes your answer more comprehensive. Analysis is important based on the demand of the question, but do not over analyse.

QUESTION 1: Discuss how the implementation of the SVAMITVA scheme contributes to good governance and rural economic empowerment.

Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— The abbreviation SVAMITVA stands for Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas. It intends to provide a ‘record of rights’ to persons who own houses in villages, as well as a property card.

— The Prime Minister was speaking at a video conferencing event to distribute over 65 lakh property cards to property owners in more than 50,000 communities. He stated that 2.25 crore individuals in villages have already received legal documentation for their homes under the plan.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:

— According to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, the scheme benefits rural residents in many ways. It enables rural households to use their property as a financial asset for taking loans and other financial benefits.

— The system also enables the production of precise land records for rural planning. All property records and maps are available at the Gramme Panchayat level, which aids in village taxation, development permits, encroachment removal, and other activities.

Implementation process

— The framework for implementing the SVAMITVA plan outlines a multi-stage process for generating a property card, beginning with the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the Survey of India (SoI) and the different state governments. The SoI is in charge of creating the National Topographic Database on all scales, using technology for topographical mapping at various scales such as airborne photography drones, satellite imagery, and Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV) or drone platforms.

— A Continuously Operated Reference System (CORS) is established. It is a network of reference stations that serve as a virtual base station, allowing access to long-range, high-accuracy Network RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) corrections. “The CORS network helps to construct ground control points, which is a key activity for precise georeferencing, ground truthing, and demarcation of lands.”

— The next phase is to identify the communities that will be surveyed and to inform people about the property mapping process.

— These pictures are used to create a 1:500 scale GIS database and village maps known as Gram Manchitra. Following the production of maps, drone survey crews do ground verification, after which any necessary changes are made. At this point, the inquiry/objection procedure – conflict/dispute resolution – is complete.

Conclusion:

— The plan was established as a pilot project in around 1 lakh villages throughout nine states: Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh.

— According to the ministry, 67,000 square kilometres of rural Abadi land have been surveyed, valued at Rs.132 lakh crore, highlighting the initiative’s economic significance.

(Source: What is the SVAMITVA scheme to issue property cards in villages, who benefits from it and how by Harikishan Sharma)

Points to Ponder

When this scheme was launched?

What are the problems that can be encountered during the implementation of the scheme?

Related Previous Year Question

The Gati-Shakti Yojana needs meticulous co-ordination between the government and the private sector to achieve the goal of connectivity. Discuss. (2022)

QUESTION 2: Discuss the constitutional and legal structures governing interstate river water disputes in India.

(Representational Image)

Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— Article 262(1) of the Constitution states that “Parliament may by law provide for the adjudication of any dispute or complaint with respect to the use, distribution, or control of the waters of, or in, any inter-State river, or river valley”.

— Parliament passed the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act of 1956. It allows for the referral of such a disagreement to Tribunals upon receipt of an application from a State if the Union Government is persuaded that the dispute “cannot be settled by negotiations”.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:

Constitutional provisions governing interstate river water disputes in India

— The Constitution contains specific provisions regarding resolution of water disputes. Under Article 262(1), “Parliament may by law provide for the adjudication of any dispute or complaint with respect to the use, distribution or control of the waters of, or in, any inter-State river or river valley”.

— Under Article 262 (2): “Notwithstanding anything in the Constitution, Parliament may by law provide that neither the Supreme Court nor any other court shall exercise jurisdiction in respect of any such dispute or complaint as is referred to in clause (1)” .

— The Constitution does not establish a mechanism for resolving water-related conflicts. It leaves it to Parliament, by legislation, to create such arrangements as it sees suitable for the resolution of such disputes and complaints.

— The Constitution also permits Parliament to decide and legislate whether court jurisdiction should be barred.

— The River Boards Act, 1956, was established by Parliament under Entry 56 of List I to promote the integrated and optimal development of interstate rivers and river valleys.

Conclusion:

— The Inter-State River Water Disputes Act of 1956 governs major disputes such as the Cauvery (Karnataka and Tamil Nadu), Krishna (Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana), and Ravi-Beas (Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan).

— These conflicts are fuelled by causes like water shortages, demand for irrigation and power, and unequal distribution, prompting the formation of tribunals to address them.

(Source: Water sharing dispute between Punjab and Haryana: what happened, why)

Points to Ponder

Read about interlinking of rivers

Read about important dams across rivers in India

Related Previous Year Questions

What changes has the Union Government recently introduced in the domain of Centre-State relations? Suggest measures to be adopted to build the trust between the Centre and the States and for strengthening federalism. (2024)

“While the national political parties in India favour centralisation, the regional parties are in favour of State autonomy.” Comment. (2020)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 124)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 123)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 124)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 123)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 123)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 122)

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.