CURRENT AFFAIRS | 23 APRIL 2026
Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil announced on 22 April 2026 the 9th edition of the India International Water Week (IIWW) under the theme “Climate Resilient Water Management” — scheduled for September 22-26, 2026 at New Delhi. About 150 countries have been invited and 11 partner countries are expected, with 49 sessions spanning Ministerial Plenary, Global Water Leaders’ Forum, Practitioners’ Forum, Country Forum, Thematic Forum, Youth Forum, and Start-up Forum.
IIWW matters for CLAT because it bundles together water governance, federalism, scheme architecture, and constitutional water-disputes law — a high-yield cluster for Current Affairs passages.
Constitutional & Federal Framework
- Article 262 — Parliament may adjudicate inter-state river water disputes; bars SC/HC jurisdiction if so provided.
- Entry 17, State List (Seventh Schedule) — “Water, water supplies, irrigation, canals, drainage, embankments, water storage, water power.”
- Entry 56, Union List — “Regulation and development of inter-State rivers and river valleys” to the extent Parliament declares by law.
- Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 — Tribunal-based mechanism (Cauvery, Krishna, Narmada, Ravi-Beas, Mahadayi).
- River Boards Act, 1956 — Largely unused; reflects Centre-State caution.
CLAT Angle: Scheme + Federalism Crossover
Expect multiple-choice on: (a) the exact theme of IIWW 2026, (b) who announced it, (c) which Article bars SC jurisdiction on water disputes, (d) which Entry / List covers water, (e) Jal Jeevan Mission’s tagline (“Har Ghar Jal”). Legal Reasoning may test Principle: “Water under State List, but inter-state rivers are Union subject”.
Key Schemes & Cases
| Item | Key Detail |
|---|---|
| Jal Jeevan Mission (2019) | “Har Ghar Jal” — piped tap water to every rural household (~75% target achieved) |
| PMKSY | “Har Khet Ko Pani” — micro-irrigation expansion |
| Atal Bhujal Yojana | Groundwater sustainability in 7 states |
| Namami Gange | National Mission for Clean Ganga under NGT + CPCB oversight |
| Networking of Rivers In re (2012, 2022) | SC directive for Inter-Linking of Rivers |
| State of Karnataka v State of TN (Cauvery) | SC Feb 2018 final award; Tribunal + SC both competent |
Mnemonic: “JAPAN” — India’s Water Scheme Stack
Jal Jeevan Mission · Atal Bhujal Yojana · PMKSY · Amrit Sarovar · Namami Gange
IIWW date-cue: 9-22 — 9th edition, Sept 22 start. Theme: Climate + Resilience + Water.
Practice Quiz — Test Your Mastery
Practice Quiz — 10 CLAT-Style Questions
Click an option to reveal the answer and explanation.
