UPSC Key: Fiscal health of states, Form-7 of Election Commission, and Silt management

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies

General Studies-III: Government Budgeting

What’s the ongoing story: The public debt of all 28 states combined trebled in 10 years — from Rs 17.57 lakh crore in 2013-14 to Rs 59.60 lakh crore in 2022-23 — according to a first-of-its-kind report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) that provides a decadal analysis on fiscal health of states.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the role and function of the CAG?

— What do you understand about public debt?

— How is GSDP calculated?

— What are Ways and Means Advances (WMA)?

— What is the difference between capital expenditure and revenue expenditure?

— What is the purpose of NITI Aayog’s fiscal health index?

— What is the recommendation of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Review Committee Report on debt to GDP ratio?

Key Takeaways:

— The report was released Friday by CAG K Sanjay Murthy during the State Finance Secretaries Conference.

— According to the report, the total public debt (internal debt and loans and advances from the Centre) of the 28 states was Rs 59,60,428 crore at the end of FY 2022-23 — or 22.96 per cent of their combined Gross State Domestic Product of Rs 2,59,57,705 crore. GSDP is the value of all finished goods and services produced within a state’s geographical boundaries.

— According to the report, at the end of 2022-23, the highest debt-to-GSDP ratio of 40.35 per cent was recorded in Punjab, followed by Nagaland (37.15 per cent) and West Bengal (33.70 per cent) (see chart). The lowest ratio was recorded in Odisha (8.45 per cent), Maharashtra (14.64 per cent) and Gujarat (16.37 per cent).

— The states’ total debt in 2022-23 was 22.17 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which stood at Rs 2,68,90,473 crore, said the report.

— The Public Debt of states includes loans raised from open market through securities, treasury bills, bonds, etc.; loans from State Bank of India and other banks; Ways and Means Advances (WMA) from Reserve Bank of India, besides loans from financial institutions such as Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

— Observing that the “golden rule of borrowing” suggests that the government should borrow only to invest or capitalise and not to meet its operating cost/ current spending, the report highlighted that 11 states used borrowed money to finance their current expenditures.

— “This could be due to part of debt receipts meeting the revenue deficit. In the case of Andhra Pradesh and Punjab, capital expenditure was as low as 17 per cent and 26 per cent of the net borrowings and in the case of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, about 50 per cent,” the report said.

Do You Know:

— WMA  is a facility for both the Centre and states to borrow from the RBI. These borrowings are meant purely to help them to tide over temporary mismatches in cash flows of their receipts and expenditures. In that sense, they aren’t a source of finance per se.

— Section 17(5) of the RBI Act, 1934 authorises the central bank to lend to the Centre and state governments subject to their being repayable “not later than three months from the date of the making of the advance”.

— Covering 18 major states for the financial year 2022-23, the Fiscal Health index assigned a score to each state on the basis of five parameters – quality of expenditure, revenue mobilisation, fiscal prudence, debt index, and debt sustainability. Odisha led overall, followed by Chhattisgarh, Goa, Jharkhand, and Gujarat.

— Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand led NITI Aayog’s new Fiscal Health Index on the back of mining-linked premiums, whereas Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal emerged as major laggards across parameters including revenue mobilisation and fiscal prudence.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Ways and Means Advances: what is it, and how far will relaxation of limit help?

📍Competitive populism, climate change to increase fiscal pressure on states: NITI Aayog officials

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(1) Consider the following statements : (UPSC CSE 2018)

1. The Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Review Committee Report has recommended a debt to GDP ratio of 60% for the general (combined) government by 2023, comprising 40% for the Central Government and 20% for the State Governments.

2. The Central Government has domestic liabilities of 21% of GDP as compared to that of 49% of GDP of the State Governments.

3. As per the Constitution of India, it is mandatory for a State to take the Central Government’s consent for raising any loan if the former owes any outstanding liabilities to the latter.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

📍Examine the evolving pattern of Centre-State financial relations in the context of planned development in India. How far have the recent reforms impacted the fiscal federalism in India? (UPSC CSE 2025)

US, UK, France put on hold Pakistan bid to designate Baloch group as terrorists

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate; Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests

What’s the ongoing story: The US, France and the UK have teamed up to put a “technical hold” on Pakistan’s bid to list the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its alias, Majeed Brigade, as terrorist groups at the UN Security Council’s 1267 sanctions committee.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the structure and functioning of the UNSC?

— Know about the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Majeed Brigade, and The Resistance Front (TRF)

— What is the 1267 Sanctions Committee?

— Is the Resistance Front (TRF) designated as a terrorist organization by the United Nations?

— What does it mean if an organisation is designated as the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the US?

— What are the global efforts to counter terrorism?

Key Takeaways:

— Pakistan, a non-permanent member at the UNSC, had China, a permanent member, backing the proposal, but three other permanent members of the Security Council said the BLA does not have links with Al Qaeda or ISIL.

— On September 17, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmed, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, had told a meeting of the UN Security Council: “Pakistan and China have jointly submitted to the 1267 Sanctions Committee a request to designate the BLA and Majeed Brigade. We hope the Council will act swiftly on this listing to curb their terrorist activities.”

— Unless Islamabad is able to furnish more information that links the BLA and Majeed Brigade to the two terror groups, the UNSC’s 1267 sanctions committee – it deals with terror groups with links to Al Qaeda and ISIS – won’t be able to list it, Pakistan and China have been told.

— On August 11, the US Department of State designated both the BLA and Majeed Brigade as Foreign Terrorist Organisations.

— The BLA was designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in 2019 following several attacks. Since 2019, the BLA has claimed responsibility for additional attacks, including by the Majeed Brigade.

— In 2024, the BLA claimed it had carried out suicide attacks near the airport in Karachi and the Gwadar Port Authority Complex.

— In March this year, the BLA claimed responsibility for the hijacking of the Jaffar Express, travelling from Quetta to Peshawar. Over 300 passengers were taken hostage and 31 people were killed.

— Pakistan was hoping that following the BLA’s designation by the US State Department, it would be able to get the grouping designated at the UNSC as well.

— This was after the US also designated the Resistance Front, a shadow outfit of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, as a terror outfit in July, following the Pahalgam terrorist attack.

— The TRF, which had claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack, had found a mention in the UNSC report monitoring sanctions on terror outfits.

Do You Know:

— The United Nations (UN) came into existence on 24 October 1945, after being ratified by 51 nations, which included five permanent members or P5 (France, the Republic of China, the Soviet Union, the UK and the US) and 46 other signatories.

— The BLA are a Baloch ethnonationalist group who emerged in the early 2000s with the aim of achieving independence for Balochistan. Pakistan banned the organisation in 2006, and the United States designated it as a global terrorist organisation in 2019.

— The Majeed Brigade has been active since 2011, and has been involved in other strikes, including on a complex near Balochistan’s Gwadar port in March 2024, which resulted in the deaths of several security personnel and militants.

— Balochistan is the largest but least populated of Pakistan’s four provinces – Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It has substantial reserves of oil and gas, alongside gold and copper deposits, but has lagged in economic growth compared to other regions in the country.

— Leaders of the ethnic Baloch minority have long blamed the central government for the region’s economic backwardness, as well as the stranglehold of Punjab over the country’s resources.

— After Partition, Balochistan remained independent until March 1948 as part of a friendship treaty with the new state of Pakistan. The Khan of Kalat, the main tribal leader whose writ ran over much of the region, was keen to remain independent, but came under tremendous pressure to join Pakistan, including from his feudatories, the rulers of Makran, Las Bela, and Kharan.

— He signed the instrument of accession, but the sentiment in favour of Baloch independence remained alive.

— Tens of thousands of Baloch nationalists and civilians have been killed in the insurgency over the past decades. Pakistan has accused India of aiding the Baloch insurgent groups – an allegation that India has strongly denied.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Pakistan secures key roles in UNSC committees: Should India worry?

📍The Baloch insurgents behind the Pakistan train hijacking

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(2) With reference to the United Nations General Assembly, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2022)

1. The UN General Assembly can grant observer status to the non-member States.

2. Inter-governmental organisations can seek observer status in the UN General Assembly.

3. Permanent Observers in the UN General Assembly can maintain missions at the UN headquarters.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

📍Discuss the impediments India is facing in its pursuit of a permanent seat in the UN Security Council (UPSC CSE 2015)

 

GOVT & POLITICS

AI-based audit detected fraudulent cases in states’ beneficiary schemes, says CAG

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues

Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.

What’s the ongoing story: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has discovered, with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), a large number of fraudulent cases in many states while auditing their beneficiary schemes, CAG K Sanjay Murthy said on Friday.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the purpose of conducting an audit by the CAG?

— Is CAG a constitutional body?

— What is the significance of using AI and ML in conducting audits?

— What are the different types of audit conducted by the CAG?

— How are state governments making progress in adopting technology and bringing about greater efficiency in the public financial management framework?

— Know about the Integrated Financial Management Information System, Works and Accounts Management Information System, Government e-Procurement Platforms, e-voucher Systems, Digital India Land Record Modernisation Programme, and Inspector General of Registration portals

Key Takeaways:

— “Digitisation of our auditing processes is currently our topmost priority to ensure (a) remote audits with less hassles to executive; (b) timely audits and to provide greater assurance to stakeholders and, (c) greater coverage, for example, 100 % in GST/IT audits of databases etc,” he said.

— Murthy also announced that CAG plans to roll out remote audits in all government departments across the country wherever departments have digitised their data/records.

— Observing that state governments are making progress in adopting technology and bringing about greater efficiency in the public financial management framework, Murthy said, “The roll out of critical public finance IT infrastructure will not only strengthen the digital footprint in states but also bring in greater transparency and accountability, thereby aiding the governance.”

Do You Know:

— Often referred to as the ‘watchdog of the public purse’, the CAG oversees the public finance of both the Union and state governments. Parliamentary control over public money is exercised through the scrutiny of audit reports submitted by the CAG.

— The CAG is neither an officer of Parliament nor a functionary of government, rather it is an independent Constitutional body. As one of the key pillars of financial administration in the country, the CAG is governed by the provisions of the Constitution and the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (Duties, Powers, and Conditions of Service) Act, 1971.

— Articles 148 to 151 in part V of the Constitution are on the appointment, duties, and audit reports of the auditor general.

— Article 149 – The article states that the CAG is an auditor of both the Union and state governments, and it can perform duties in relation to the accounts of any authority prescribed under any law made by Parliament.

— Later, the duties and powers of the CAG were further elaborated in the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (Duties, Powers and Conditions of Service) Act, 1971.

— Moreover, there are three types of audits conducted by the CAG, i.e. compliance audit, performance audit, and financial audit. The Indian Audit and Accounts Department is the technical agency that enables the CAG to perform these duties.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍CAG in the spotlight: What are the issues?

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(3) In India, other than ensuring that public funds are used efficiently and for intended purpose, what is the importance of the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)? (UPSC CSE 2012)

1. CAG exercises exchequer control on behalf of the Parliament when the President of India declares national emergency/financial emergency.

2. CAG reports on the execution of projects or programmes by the ministries are discussed by the Public Accounts Committee.

3. Information from CAG reports can be used by investigating agencies to press charges against those who have violated the law while managing public finances.

4. While dealing with the audit and accounting of government companies, CAG has certain judicial powers for prosecuting those who violate the law.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1, 3 and 4 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

📍“The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has a very vital role to play.” Explain how this is reflected in the method and terms of his appointment as well as the range of powers he can exercise. (UPSC CSE 2018)

EXPLAINED

Why India shouldn’t be worried by Saudi-Pak deal

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues

Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.

What’s the ongoing story: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) during Pak Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s and Army Chief Asim Munir’s visit to Riyadh.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What are the kye highlights of SMDA?

— Know about the historical background to the relationship between Saudi- Arabia and Pakistan

— What do you understand by this statement- “The Saudi-Pakistan defense equation has been defined by Saudi economic support and Pakistani military assistance.”

— Israel’s strikes in Doha acted as a stronger catalyst for the Saudi-Pakistan SMDA. Why is that?

— What are the areas of cooperation between India and Saudi-Arabia?

— What is the Gulf Cooperation Council?

Key Takeaways:

— Inked eight days after Israel’s unprecedented airstrikes in Qatar, the details of the deal are not public. However, according to a joint statement issued after the meeting, “the agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both”.

— Responding to a question by Reuters on whether Pakistan would extend its nuclear umbrella to the Kingdom, a senior Saudi official asserted that the agreement “encompasses all military means”.

— Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have differing motivations for the SMDA.

— The Saudi interest, arguably also representing contemporary Gulf Arab interests, is driven by a strong desire to drive down conflicts in the Middle East.

— Historically, the Saudi-Pakistan defense equation, underpinned by religious commonality, has been defined by Saudi economic support and Pakistani military assistance. Even in the last decade, Pakistan has featured strongly in Saudi led military efforts.

— For instance, since 2015, former Pak Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif has commanded the Islamic Military Counter-Terrorism Coalition. By 2018, Pakistan also broke its three-year long neutrality to station troops in Saudi Arabia to help with the Kingdom’s fight in Yemen.

— With this existing template of partnership, Pakistan serves as a convenient port of call when the current Arab effort is to prevent Israel from establishing itself as a state that can unilaterally reshape the region.

— The fact that Israel’s strikes in Doha acted as a stronger catalyst for the Saudi-Pakistan SMDA, than even the Houthi strikes on Arab refineries in 2019, indicates the degree to which the good faith between Israel and the Arab world has been breached.

— The Pakistani interest is more straightforward. Islamabad seeks to leverage the Arab need for a better bargaining posture against Israel, to service its deterrence needs against India and reinforce Pakistan’s security capabilities that have long been in place in the Arab world.

— In its motivations, the Saudi-Pakistan SMDA is centered around Middle Eastern security concerns. In effect, for Pakistan, the agreement theoretically and potentially allows Islamabad to draw diplomatic (if not material) support from Saudi Arabia in a future conflict with New Delhi in South Asia.

— India’s defence partnership with Saudi Arabia is nascent when compared to Pakistan’s. This relative nascence was evident most recently in the 7th meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia Joint Committee on Defence Cooperation in August 2025, in which “India offered to provide training to the Saudi Armed Forces”, something that Pakistan has been doing for decades.

— Objectively, the India-Saudi partnership has featured sufficient investment in recent months, with new defense exercises between Indian and Saudi forces and new institutional avenues of cooperation such as the Ministerial Committee on Defence Cooperation established in April, 2025.

— Saudi pragmatism during India-Pakistan crises has actively contributed to the growth of this strategic partnership. It is unlikely then that the Pakistan-Saudi SMDA as it presently stands, significantly affects the South Asian conflict landscape.

Do You Know:

— C. Raja Mohan writes: Despite historical, civilisational, and religious links between Arabia and the Indian subcontinent, India’s policy toward the region was long shaped by ideological posturing, apprehensions about Pakistan, and hesitancy to invest political capital.

— Even as India’s stakes in the Gulf grew — from the oil price shocks of the 1970s and 1980s to the surge in expatriate labour (now about 10 million people) — political engagement, especially with Saudi Arabia, lagged.

— This began to change in the 21st century. External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh’s visit to Riyadh in 2000 and King Abdullah’s historic 2006 visit to India — the first by a Saudi monarch in 50 years — were key turning points.

— Under Modi, Delhi’s engagement with the Arab Gulf, particularly Saudi Arabia, has become one of the most significant strategic advances in Indian foreign policy over the past decade.

— Frequent high-level visits and sustained diplomatic outreach have deepened ties across the energy, technology, economic, security, and connectivity domains. Many new initiatives in these areas are expected during Modi’s visit.

— In foreign policy, the kingdom under MbS has moved from a reactive posture to an assertive, proactive stance. Saudi Arabia has intervened militarily in Yemen, led a blockade against Qatar, and taken a firm line on Iran.

— However, MbS has also demonstrated flexibility — mending ties with Qatar, restoring relations with Turkey, and increasing outreach to Iran. He has also signalled a willingness to normalise ties with Israel, contingent on Tel Aviv’s progress toward a two-state solution with Palestine.

— Saudi Arabia is also diversifying its global partnerships, moving beyond traditional dependence on the US. Its multi-alignment strategy includes deepening ties with China, Russia, and emerging powers.

— Its decision to join the expanded BRICS grouping and extend outreach to Africa and Latin America reflects a push to expand its influence in a multipolar world.

— The Cooperation Council for the Arab Gulf States, often called the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), is one of the most important regional organisations in the Gulf and the wider Middle East region.

— The six member states of the GCC, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, came together in 1981 to form the regional grouping in the light of the tumultuous politics at the time to develop collective mechanisms to deal with political, security and economic challenges facing the member states.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍When Modi meets MbS: A Gulf of opportunities

📍The importance of Saudi Arabia to India

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

(4) Which of the following is not a member of ‘Gulf Cooperation Council’? (UPSC CSE 2016)

(a) Iran

(b) Saudi Arabia

(c) Oman

(d) Kuwait

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

📍The question of India’s Energy Security constitutes the most important part of India’s economic progress. Analyse India’s energy policy cooperation with West Asian countries. (UPSC CSE 2017)

Aland voter deletion: How names can be removed from rolls

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies; Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.

What’s the ongoing story: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday alleged that there were attempts to delete the names of 6,018 voters from the electoral rolls in Karnataka’s Aland constituency in 2023 by filling out deletion forms online on behalf of locals without their knowledge.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What are the silent features of the Representation of the People (RP) Act, 1950?

— Who has the responsibility to make an electoral roll?

— What is the process of deleting a name from the electoral roll?

— What is the purpose of the electoral roll?

— Know about the role and function of EROs and BLOs

Key Takeaways:

— Electoral registration officers (EROs) of Parliamentary constituencies are empowered by Section 22 of the Representation of the People (RP) Act, 1950, to make corrections and deletions to the electoral roll either on their own or acting on applications made to them.

— In each case, they must conduct an inquiry, give the elector concerned time to respond and then pass an order.

— The ERO can delete an entry from the electoral roll in case the person has died, or is no longer ordinarily resident in that constituency, or has been found ineligible — meaning, they are not a citizen or are under the age of 18 years.

— Under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, the forms for new applications, corrections and deletions from electoral rolls have been prescribed.

— Form 7 is the one for making “objection for proposed inclusion/deletion of name in existing roll”. Electors can file a Form 7 if they want to delete their own name or if they want to object to any other elector in their constituency.

— The form can be downloaded from the ECI’s voter portal (voters.eci.gov.in) and handed to the booth level officer (BLO) concerned or submitted online. The ECINet app can also be used to submit forms online.

— Form 7 requires the applicant to provide their own name, EPIC number and phone number, as well as the name, EPIC number (if available) and address of the person against whom they are objecting.

— The form does not require any evidence. However, the applicant has to sign a declaration.

— Since 2018, the ECI has had a centralised portal for EROs across the country, known as ERONet. Before that, states had their own applications for processing forms.

— The ERONet portal standardised the process. However, each form is processed at the level of the ERO concerned and not centrally.

— For each form, the ERO is required to issue a notice to the elector against whom an objection has been filed, give seven days for response, hold a hearing and pass an order. BLOs are required to conduct field visits to verify as well.

— The portal itself does not require any proof at the time of filing a form for deletion. There is also no verification of whether applicants’ EPICs and phone numbers actually belong to them.

— It is possible to link someone else’s EPIC number with another person’s phone number and then file a Form 7. This is what appears to have happened in Karnataka’s Aland constituency. In fact, the ECI has also admitted the same.

— However, ECI officials said the attempts to delete the names were caught when the ERO conducted an inquiry.

— They also claim that safeguards are built into the system through the provisions of the RP Act and Registration of Electors Rules. While the form may be filed online, the deletion can only be carried out after a detailed inquiry by the ERO and the BLO on the ground.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Decode Politics: Disqualification of convicts from contesting polls — what the rules say

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(5) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2020)

1. According to the Constitution of India, a person who is eligible to vote can be made a minister in a State for six months even if he/she is not a member of the Legislature of that State.

2. According to the Representation of People Act, 1951, a person convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to imprisonment for five years is permanently disqualified from contesting an election even after his release from prison.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

📍Discuss the procedures to decide the disputes arising out of the election of a Member of the Parliament or State Legislature under The Representation of the People Act, 1951. What are the grounds on which the election of any returned candidate may be declared void? What remedy is available to the aggrieved party against the decision? Refer to the case laws. (UPSC CSE 2022)

 

EDITORIAL

A document past its time

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies-I: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclones. etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes

General Studies-III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

What’s the ongoing story: Uttam Kumar Sinha writes: Sixty-five years ago, India and Pakistan signed the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). Brokered by the World Bank, it divided a collection of rivers into two “national” halves. The western rivers flowing from J&K — Chenab, Jhelum, and the Indus — were for Pakistan’s use, while the eastern rivers in Punjab — Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi — were assigned for India’s exclusive utilisation.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT)?

— Know about the Indus Water river system

— Why did India suspend the IWT?

— How climate change is impacting the increase in frequency of natural disasters?

— Rivers need a coherent national strategy on silt management. Elaborate.

— The need of the hour is transboundary hydrological data and timely flood information. What do you understand from this statement?

— What are the other transboundary water sharing agreements signed by India?

Key Takeaways:

— The divided Indus Basin was to be governed by provisions, restrictions and arbitration mechanisms. In the post-colonial imagination, the Indus and its tributaries were claimed as instruments of nation-building, valued in terms of sovereignty.

— The IWT enabled the most complete utilisation of the waters through dams, barrages and canals. Without it, Pakistan would have been constrained to build grand hydraulic works to transfer water from the western rivers to meet its irrigation needs and become independent of the eastern rivers.

— Likewise, without exclusive access to the eastern rivers, India would have struggled to make the Bhakra and Nangal dams operational and to irrigate 15 million hectares of farmland in Punjab. Projects like the Rajasthan Canal would have faltered, and the Ravi–Beas link canal might never have taken off.

— History carries weight, but it cannot be undone. The real test is not whether the treaty was right or wrong in 1960, but whether it still matters today. Terror attacks and political hostility have reduced the notion of shared resource management to a hollow idea. After the Pahalgam attack, India put the IWT in abeyance, suspending its participation in its mechanisms.

— The rivers continue to flow — indifferent to politics. But the challenges confronting the Indus Basin today are unlike any before, rendering the IWT a document of the past.

— Climate change is accelerating glacier melt in the Hindu Kush–Himalaya, directly affecting water availability. In the Upper Indus Basin, glaciers are shrinking, and runoff is projected to rise, bringing major shifts in river flows.

— The devastating floods in Punjab this year were not mere natural disasters; they were warnings of a new hydrological reality.

— Across the border, in Pakistan’s Punjab province, over two million people had to be evacuated as the waters rose. The Indus Basin is under extraordinary strain, far beyond the reach of any treaty clause.

— Alongside climate extremes lies a silent crisis — siltation. Reservoirs are choking, storage capacity shrinks each year, canals carry less water, and rising riverbeds make floods fiercer. These are not distant problems; they are unfolding in real time.

— What the rivers need is not piecemeal dredging after each flood or ad-hoc desiltation when reservoirs clog, but a coherent national strategy on silt management.

— In Punjab, the problem has taken on urgent proportions. Floods this year left large tracts of farmland buried under silt, crippling farmers who had already lost their crops. The broader lesson, however, is clear:

— Siltation is not just a by-product of floods — it is a growing national crisis, one that demands a long-term, coordinated response. Silt must be seen not as waste but as a resource. It can enrich soil, support construction, and aid land reclamation. A national effort to manage silt could reduce floods, expand storage, and make water use far more efficient.

— The IWT was forged in an era when water was about canals and hydropower. At the time, the priority was irrigation projects, dams, and the mechanics of resource division.

— But today, water has taken on a very different meaning. It is no longer only about engineering rivers; it is about resilience in the face of climate extremes, preparedness for disasters, and the sustainability of fragile ecosystems.

— What truly matters today is not the fine print of a 1960 agreement, but the sharing of transboundary hydrological data and timely flood information. A detailed, rigid treaty is unnecessary; what is needed is a lean, functional framework, even something as simple as a Memorandum of Understanding.

— India already has such an MoU with China on hydrological data from the Brahmaputra, which has proved effective during monsoon floods.

— The 65th anniversary of the Indus Waters Treaty calls for clear-eyed scrutiny. A treaty cannot endure without dialogue, nor can a framework from 1960 withstand the shocks of the 21st century.

— Equally, India cannot afford to ignore choking rivers in the absence of a national siltation policy. To dwell on blame while neglecting preparation for the crises ahead is futile.

Do You Know:

— India and Pakistan signed the Indus Water Treaty on September 19, 1960 to ensure the distribution of waters of the Indus and its tributaries. It was signed in Karachi by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and then Pakistan President Ayub Khan.

— In the context of the treaty, Pakistan became the lower riparian state – a place where the river ends – and India the upper riparian state – where the river originates.

— According to this treaty, India got exclusive rights over the three eastern rivers – Ravi, Sutlej and Beas – amounting to around 33 million acre-feet (MAF), or approximately 20% of the total water of the Indus river system.

— Pakistan got control over the three western rivers – Indus, Jhelum and Chenab – receiving around 135 MAF, or 80% of the total water.

— A river, along with its tributaries, is called a river system. The Indus River system comprises six rivers: Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej.

— The Indus and Sutlej are antecedent rivers, meaning they existed even before the formation of the Himalayas and cut deep gorges after originating in the Tibet region. The other four rivers – Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Beas – originate in India.

— The Indus River originates from the trans-Himalayan range of Kailash (in Tibet) near Mansarovar Lake, where it is known as ‘Singi Khamban’ or the Lion’s Mouth. Flowing westward, it enters India at Demchok in Ladakh.

— The main right bank tributaries of the Indus River are the Shyok (originates from Rimo Glacier), the Shigar, and the Gilgit, while Zaskar, and Hanle are its left bank tributaries.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Indus River system and the debate on Indus Water Treaty

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(6) With reference to the Indus river system, of the following four rivers, three of them pour into one of them which joins the Indus direct. Among the following, which one is such river that joins the Indus direct?

(a) Chenab

(b) Jhelum

(c) Ravi

(d) Sutlej

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PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

1. (c)    2. (d)     3. (c)     4. (a)     5. (d)     6. (d)

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