{"id":3521,"date":"2026-08-11T22:11:34","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T16:41:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/notes\/inter-state-disputes\/"},"modified":"2026-08-12T02:57:47","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T21:27:47","slug":"inter-state-disputes","status":"publish","type":"psir_note","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/notes\/inter-state-disputes\/","title":{"rendered":"Inter-state disputes"},"content":{"rendered":"
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PSIR Notes<\/a>\u203a<\/span>I-B Indian Government and Politics<\/a>\u203a<\/span>Inter-state disputes<\/span><\/div>\n
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Paper I \u00b7 Indian Government and Politics<\/div>\n

Inter-state disputes<\/h1>\n
Syllabus \u00b7 Paper I-B \u00b7 7<\/b> \u2014 Federalism : Constitutional provisions; changing nature of centre-state relations; integrationist tendencies and regional aspirations; inter-state disputes<\/span>.<\/div>\n<\/header>\n
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Mechanism for Settling Inter-State Disputes<\/h3>\n
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Route<\/th>\nScope<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Art 131<\/span><\/td>\nSupreme Court exclusive original jurisdiction in legal<\/span> disputes \u2014 Union v. State(s), State v. State; questions of law\/fact on existence\/extent of a legal right. Not purely political disputes.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Art 262<\/span><\/td>\nParliament may provide for adjudication of inter-State river-water disputes (use, distribution, control) & may exclude SC\/other courts. Laws: River Boards Act, 1956<\/span><\/span>; Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956<\/span><\/span> (tribunal, judge nominated by CJI, award binding on publication).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Art 263<\/span><\/td>\nInter-State Council \u2014 inquire, advise, discuss, recommend (advisory, unlike tribunal\/court).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Extra-judicial<\/span><\/td>\nZonal Councils \u00b7 CMs’ \/ Home Ministers’ meetings \u00b7 NITI Aayog \u00b7 direct negotiation \u00b7 Union mediation \u00b7 GST Council (tax disputes). Many federal disputes are political, not merely legal.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Tribunals & water disputes<\/h4>\n

Key disputes: Cauvery \u00b7 Ravi-Beas \u00b7 Sutlej-Yamuna Link \u00b7 Krishna \u00b7 Godavari \u00b7 Narmada \u00b7 Makedatu.<\/p>\n

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“Water is a national asset and no State can have a monopoly over it.”<\/p>\n

Supreme Court, Cauvery case<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Problems:<\/span> delay in constitution & award \u00b7 poor technical data \u00b7 weak multidisciplinary expertise \u00b7 weak enforcement \u00b7 political mobilisation \u00b7 Art 136 appeals despite Art 262 exclusion \u00b7 distress-sharing difficulty \u00b7 climate variability \u00b7 Centre’s delay in notification. Ramaswamy R. Iyer<\/span> \u2014 “the existing system\u2026 is unsatisfactory and needs an overhaul.” Fali Sam Nariman<\/span> \u2014 an innovative experiment that has failed in performance.<\/p>\n

Reform & way forward<\/h4>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n
2002 amendment (ISWD Act)<\/th>\nInter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
tribunal within one year \u00b7 award within three years (extension up to two) \u00b7 award to have force of a Supreme Court decree<\/td>\nDisputes Resolution Committee + experts \u00b7 amicable settlement \u00b7 permanent tribunal with multiple benches \u00b7 dissolve ad hoc tribunals \u00b7 data bank. Concerns: DRC neutrality, DRC\u2013tribunal relationship, politicisation, unresolved SC jurisdiction, weak enforcement.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Way forward:<\/span> basin-wide authority \u00b7 bring water into ISC \u00b7 water-efficiency incentives \u00b7 central water data repository \u00b7 unified water agency \u00b7 ecological-scientific approach \u00b7 distress-sharing formulas \u00b7 community participation. Scholars on reform: Ramaswamy Iyer, S. Rajagopal, E. Somanathan, Ramaseshan Ramachandran, Subash P. Kunji Kutty, K.J. Joy & Suhas Paranjape, Nilanjan Ghosh, Philippe Cullet, Srinivas Chokkakula, Mihir Shah.<\/em><\/p>\n

UPSC 2020 \u00b7 10m<\/span>Comment on the mechanism for settling inter-state disputes (150 words).<\/span>Answer<\/a><\/div>\n

Answer map (2020).<\/span> Federalism needs dispute settlement while preserving autonomy & Union strength \u2192 Art 131 (legal) \u2192 Art 262 + ISWD Act 1956<\/span> & River Boards Act 1956<\/span> \u2192 Art 263 ISC & Zonal Councils \u2192 GST Council for tax bargaining \u2192 mixed results (Cauvery, Ravi-Beas, Sutlej-Yamuna prolonged); political mobilisation & weak implementation \u2192 strengthen ISC, scientific data, mediation, tribunal reform.<\/p>\n

Inter-State Council & Zonal Councils<\/h3>\n

Basis. Art 263<\/span> \u2014 President may establish an Inter-State Council in the public interest to (i) inquire into & advise on disputes between States, (ii) investigate & discuss subjects of common interest, (iii) recommend better coordination. Established 1990<\/span> on Sarkaria Commission<\/span> recommendation.<\/p>\n

Composition<\/h4>\n

PM (Chairperson) \u00b7 CMs of all States \u00b7 CMs of UTs with Assembly \u00b7 Administrators of UTs without Assembly \u00b7 Governors of States under President’s Rule \u00b7 six Union Cabinet Ministers nominated by PM \u00b7 other Union Ministers invited when relevant. One of the few bodies where Union, States & UTs sit together.<\/p>\n

Working & limitations<\/h4>\n