MAINS Current Affairs includes Shifting World Order: Five Principles that Should Guide India’s Diplomacy & India’s Water Crisis & Water Resources Governance

International

1. Shifting World Order: Five Principles that Should Guide India’s Diplomacy

Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently visited the United Arab Emirates amid tensions involving the United States and Iran.

• The visit highlighted an important principle of diplomacy: maintaining trusted partnerships during periods of geopolitical uncertainty.

Changing Global Order

• The international system is witnessing:
  • Intensifying geopolitical rivalries
  • Economic uncertainty
  • Technological disruption
  • Reconfiguration of global alliances
• In this evolving environment, India’s foreign policy increasingly follows a pragmatic and multidimensional approach.

Five Principles that Should Guide India’s Diplomacy

1. Reciprocity

• Reciprocity means standing by strategic partners during difficult times, just as they support India’s interests.

Example: UAE

• The UAE has consistently supported India on issues such as:
  • Cross-border terrorism
  • Kashmir-related concerns
• PM Modi’s visit to Abu Dhabi reflected India’s willingness to support trusted partners amid regional instability.

2. Diversification

• India is expanding diplomatic and economic engagement beyond traditional partners.

India–Europe Relations

• During the Cold War, India’s approach toward Europe was heavily shaped by ties with the Soviet Union.
• Today, Europe has become important for:
  • Export markets
  • Advanced technology
  • Capital investment
  • Green energy cooperation

Trade Agreements

• Agreements with the European Union and the European Free Trade Association reflect India’s growing strategic engagement with Europe.

3. Strategic Flexibility

• India must navigate a world increasingly shaped by great-power competition involving:
  • The United States
  • Europe
  • Russia
  • China

India’s Approach

• Protect national interests
• Minimise geopolitical risks
• Seize emerging strategic opportunities
• This reflects India’s policy of strategic autonomy and pragmatic diplomacy.

4. Strategic Expansion

• India is broadening engagement with emerging regions, particularly Africa.

Importance of Africa

• Young population
• Expanding consumer markets
• Rich reserves of critical minerals
• Africa is becoming increasingly important in:
  • Global trade
  • Supply chains
  • Geopolitical competition

Areas for Cooperation

• Trade and investment
• Connectivity
• Maritime security
• Development partnerships

5. Domestic Renewal

• Strong diplomacy must be supported by internal economic and institutional reforms.

Key Challenges

• Bureaucratic resistance
• Slow pace of structural reforms
• Technological disruptions
• Global trade restructuring

Need

• Faster economic transformation
• Institutional modernisation
• Greater innovation and competitiveness

Broader Significance for India

Strategic Autonomy

• India seeks to maintain independent decision-making without aligning rigidly with any single bloc.

Multi-Alignment

• Simultaneously engaging with:
  • Western countries
  • Russia
  • Gulf nations
  • ASEAN
  • Africa

Economic Diplomacy

• Trade, technology, energy security, and supply chains are becoming central components of foreign policy.

Indo-Pacific Importance

• India is positioning itself as a major stakeholder in maintaining a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region.

Challenges Before Indian Diplomacy

Geopolitical Uncertainty

• Rising tensions among major powers may create difficult balancing choices.

Economic Vulnerabilities

• Dependence on external energy and technology supply chains remains a concern.

Regional Security Concerns

• Instability in West Asia, Indo-Pacific tensions, and border challenges continue to affect India’s strategic environment.

Way Forward

Strengthen Trusted Partnerships

• Deepen relations with long-term strategic partners while expanding new partnerships.

Enhance Economic Competitiveness

• Domestic reforms should complement diplomatic outreach.

Promote Strategic Flexibility

• Continue balancing multiple partnerships through issue-based cooperation.

Invest in Technology & Innovation

• Build capabilities in semiconductors, AI, green energy, and critical technologies.

Conclusion

• In an era of geopolitical turbulence and shifting global alignments, India’s diplomacy must remain pragmatic, flexible, and interest-driven.
• The principles of reciprocity, diversification, strategic flexibility, strategic expansion, and domestic renewal can help India navigate the evolving world order effectively.
• Ultimately, India’s global influence will depend not only on external partnerships but also on its internal economic and institutional transformation.

GOVERNANCE

2. India’s Water Crisis & Water Resources Governance

Context: As India works towards achieving SDG-6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and its vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047, strengthening water governance has become essential for economic growth, food security, and social stability.

India’s Water Paradox: Abundance Amid Scarcity

• India supports nearly 18% of the world’s population but possesses only about 4% of global freshwater resources.

Key Findings

According to the NITI Aayog Composite Water Management Index (2018):

• Around 600 million people face high to extreme water stress
• Nearly 21 major cities are at risk of groundwater depletion
• Water demand may exceed supply by 2030

Why Water Scarcity Persists Despite High Rainfall

• India receives nearly 4,000 BCM of rainfall annually.
• However, only about 1,100 BCM is utilisable because of:
  • Inadequate storage infrastructure
  • Uneven geographical distribution
  • Seasonal concentration of monsoon rainfall
  • Ecological constraints
• Thus, the crisis is more about inefficient management than absolute scarcity.

Declining Per Capita Water Availability

Trend

• Per capita water availability has declined from:
  • Over 5,000 cubic metres (1951)
  • To nearly 1,400 cubic metres today

Reasons

• Population growth
• Urbanisation
• Industrialisation
• Climate variability
• India is approaching the threshold of water stress (1,700 cubic metres) and may soon enter the category of water scarcity (below 1,000 cubic metres).

Groundwater Crisis

• India is the world’s largest user of groundwater, accounting for nearly 25% of global extraction.

Importance of Groundwater

• Enabled Green Revolution agriculture
• Supports rural drinking water supply
• Provides livelihood security

Consequences of Over-Extraction

• Falling water tables
• Drying wells
• Land subsidence
• Water quality deterioration

Worst-Affected Regions

• Punjab
• Haryana
• Rajasthan
• Parts of Karnataka
• This highlights that India’s water crisis is fundamentally a governance and institutional challenge.

Major Government Initiatives

Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)

• Launched in 2019 to provide Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) in rural areas.
• Extended till 2028.

Benefits

• Improved sanitation and public health
• Reduced burden on women
• Strengthened decentralised water management

Atal Bhujal Yojana

• Focuses on sustainable groundwater management in water-stressed regions.

Features

• Water budgeting
• Aquifer mapping
• Community participation
• Behavioural change

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)

• Motto: “Per Drop More Crop”

Focus Areas

• Micro-irrigation
• Drip and sprinkler systems
• Water-efficient agriculture
• Agriculture consumes nearly 80% of India’s freshwater resources.

Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)

• Improves urban water supply, sewage treatment, and wastewater reuse.

Namami Gange Programme

• Integrated river conservation programme focusing on:
  • Pollution control
  • Sewage treatment
  • Biodiversity conservation
  • Riverfront development

Challenges in Water Governance

Institutional Fragmentation

• Multiple agencies handle irrigation, drinking water, sanitation, and groundwater separately.
• Leads to coordination failures and weak accountability.

Inter-State Water Disputes

Major disputes include:

• Cauvery dispute
• Krishna water dispute
• Ravi-Beas conflict
• These reflect challenges in cooperative federalism.

Climate Change

• Increasing frequency of:
  • Floods
  • Droughts
  • Extreme rainfall events
• Requires climate-resilient water governance systems.

Pollution & Water Quality

• Rivers are heavily polluted by untreated sewage and industrial discharge.
• Groundwater contamination by arsenic and fluoride affects many states.

Way Forward: Towards a Circular Water Economy

Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM)

• Shift from a linear “use-and-discard” model toward a circular water economy.

Key Measures

Wastewater Recycling

• Reuse treated wastewater in industry and agriculture.

Efficient Irrigation

• Promote crop diversification and precision agriculture.

Rainwater Harvesting

• Encourage rooftop harvesting and revival of traditional water bodies.

Technological Innovation

• Use:
  • Smart metering
  • GIS mapping
  • IoT-based monitoring
  • Aquifer mapping

Community Participation

• Panchayat-led water governance
• Local water budgeting
• Participatory groundwater management

Conclusion

• India’s water crisis is fundamentally a challenge of governance, sustainability, and efficient resource management.
• Strengthening river basin institutions, improving Centre–State coordination, promoting water-efficient practices, and integrating climate adaptation into planning will be essential.
• A sustainable and equitable water governance framework is critical for achieving SDG-6, ensuring food security, protecting public health, and supporting long-term economic resilience.

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