Jal Jeevan Mission Faces 60% Budget Cut This Year
Centre plans to cut Jal Jeevan Mission outlay by 60% this year.
Key Facts
Outlay cut: 60%
Budget 2025-26: ₹67,000 crore
Revised estimate: ₹17,000 crore
UPSC Exam Angles
GS Paper II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors
GS Paper III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment
Potential for questions on scheme objectives, implementation challenges, and impact on rural development
Visual Insights
More Information
Background
The roots of providing safe drinking water to all citizens can be traced back to India's Five-Year Plans, particularly the emphasis on rural development and public health infrastructure. The Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP), launched in 1972-73, marked a significant early effort. Over the decades, various schemes like the National Drinking Water Mission (NDWM), later renamed the Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission, aimed to address water scarcity and quality issues.
These programs faced challenges such as inadequate funding, implementation gaps, and sustainability concerns. The Jal Jeevan Mission builds upon these past experiences, incorporating lessons learned and aiming for a more comprehensive and sustainable approach to providing potable water to every rural household.
Latest Developments
In recent years, there has been increased focus on water conservation and management due to growing water stress across India. Initiatives like the Atal Bhujal Yojana, aimed at improving groundwater management through community participation, complement the JJM. Furthermore, the government has been emphasizing the use of technology, such as IoT-based sensors for monitoring water supply and quality, to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the mission.
The future outlook involves greater convergence with other rural development programs, promoting water-use efficiency in agriculture, and ensuring long-term sustainability of water sources. The emphasis is shifting towards community ownership and management of water supply systems to ensure their continued functionality and prevent slippage back to pre-JJM conditions.
Practice Questions (MCQs)
1. Consider the following statements regarding the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM): 1. JJM aims to provide safe and adequate drinking water to all rural households through individual household tap connections (IHTCs) by 2024. 2. The fund sharing pattern between the Centre and States is uniform across all states. 3. JJM focuses solely on creating new water sources and does not address the issue of water conservation. 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
Show Answer
Answer: A
Statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is incorrect as the fund sharing pattern varies between Himalayan and North-Eastern States (90:10), other States (50:50), and UTs (100% by Centre). Statement 3 is incorrect as JJM also emphasizes water conservation and source sustainability.
2. Which of the following statements accurately reflects the historical context of rural water supply programs in India? A) The Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP) was initiated after the launch of the Jal Jeevan Mission. B) The Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission primarily focused on urban water supply. C) Early rural water supply programs faced challenges related to funding, implementation, and sustainability. D) The National Drinking Water Mission was launched in the 1950s as part of the First Five Year Plan.
- A.A
- B.B
- C.C
- D.D
Show Answer
Answer: C
Option C is correct. Early programs like ARWSP faced challenges. Option A is incorrect as ARWSP predates JJM. Option B is incorrect as the Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission focused on rural areas. Option D is incorrect as the National Drinking Water Mission was launched later.
3. Assertion (A): A significant budget cut for the Jal Jeevan Mission could potentially slow down the progress of providing tap water connections to rural households. Reason (R): Reduced funding may lead to delays in project implementation, infrastructure development, and procurement of necessary materials. In the context of the above statements, which of the following is correct?
- A.Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
- B.Both A and R are true, but R is NOT the correct explanation of A
- C.A is true, but R is false
- D.A is false, but R is true
Show Answer
Answer: A
Both the assertion and reason are true, and the reason correctly explains why a budget cut would slow down the mission's progress.