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Q8 (IAS/2020) Environment & Ecology › Environment Laws, Policies & Institutions (India) › Environmental Regulatory Bodies Official Key

Consider the following statements : 1. 36% of India's districts are classified as "overexploited" or "critical" by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA). 2. CGWA was formed under the Environment (Protection) Act. 3. India has the largest area under groundwater irrigation in the world. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: B
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 2 (2 and 3 only) based on the following analysis:

  • Statement 1 is incorrect: According to the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) reports, approximately 14% to 17% of assessment units are classified as "over-exploited" and about 4% to 5% as "critical." Combined, this is roughly 20-22%, significantly lower than the 36% cited in the statement.
  • Statement 2 is correct: The Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) was constituted under Section 3(3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. It was established following a Supreme Court mandate to regulate and control groundwater development and management in the country.
  • Statement 3 is correct: India possesses the largest area under groundwater irrigation globally, accounting for about 25% of the world’s total groundwater extraction. It surpasses both China and the USA in the volume of groundwater used for agriculture.

Since statements 2 and 3 are factually accurate while statement 1 is an overestimation, Option 2 is the right choice.

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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. Consider the following statements : 1. 36% of India's districts are classified as "overexploited" or "critical" by the Central Ground Wa…
At a glance
Origin: Mixed / unclear origin Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 3.3/10 · 0/10
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This is a classic '2+1' question: two static facts (Stmt 2 & 3) combined with one specific data trap (Stmt 1). Stmt 2 is standard Environment/Polity material. Stmt 3 is a 'Superlative' often found in Economic Survey summaries. Stmt 1 is the eliminator—UPSC often tweaks specific percentages to make statements incorrect. Trust the static law and the macro-trend; doubt the random number.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
What percentage of India's districts are classified as "overexploited" or "critical" by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA)?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 11: Irrigation in India > 2020 > p. 372
Strength: 4/5
“• 1. Consider the following statements: • 1. 36 per cent of India's districts are classified as 'overexploited' or 'critical' by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA). • 2. CGWA was formed under the Environment (Protection) Act. • 3. India has the largest area under ground water irrigation in the world.”
Why relevant

This source lists the exact percentage (36%) as a selectable statement in a practice question, showing the figure is in circulation in textbooks/exam material.

How to extend

A student could treat this as a candidate figure to verify by comparing with official CGWA/Ministry data or by checking other authoritative textbooks/notes.

Understanding Economic Development. Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 1: DEVELOPMENT > Example 1: Groundwater in India > p. 13
Strength: 4/5
“"Recent evidence suggests that the groundwater is under serious threat of overuse in many parts of the country. About 300 districts have reported a water level decline of over 4 metres during the past 20 years. Nearly one-third of the country is overusing their groundwater reserves. In another 25 years, 60 per cent of the country would be doing the same if the present way of using this resource continues. Groundwater overuse is particularly found in the agriculturally prosperous regions of Punjab and Western U.P., hard rock plateau areas of central and south India, some coastal areas and the rapidly growing urban settlements." • (a) Why groundwater is overused?• (b) Can there be development without overuse?”
Why relevant

Says 'nearly one-third of the country is overusing their groundwater reserves', which is a general proportion (~33%) comparable to the 36% claim.

How to extend

Combine this approximate fraction with a known total number of districts to see if the implied district-count of stressed districts aligns with 36%.

INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Water Resources > Watershed Management > p. 47
Strength: 3/5
“Some of these are being implemented by nongovernmental organisations also. Haryali is a watershed development project sponsored by the Central Government which aims at enabling the rural population to conserve water for drinking, irrigation, fisheries and afforestation. The Project is being executed by Gram Panchayats with people's participation. Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal) is being implemented in 8220 water stressed Gram Panchayats of 229 administrative blocks/ talukas in 80 districts of seven states,viz. Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. The selected States account for about 37 per cent of the total number of water-stressed (over-exploited, critical and semi-critical) blocks in India.”
Why relevant

Notes that selected states account for about 37% of the total number of water-stressed (over-exploited, critical and semi-critical) blocks — provides a nearby percentage (37%) for a related administrative unit (blocks).

How to extend

A student could compare the ~37% figure for blocks with district-level figures to judge whether a ~36% district-level estimate is plausible.

NCERT. (2022). Contemporary India II: Textbook in Geography for Class X (Revised ed.). NCERT. > Chapter 3: The Making of a Global World > p. 55
Strength: 3/5
“Moreover, multiplying urban centres with large and dense populations and urban lifestyles have not only added to water and energy requirements but have further aggravated the problem. If you look into the housing societies or colonies in the cities, you would find that most of these have their own groundwater pumping devices to meet their water needs. Not surprisingly, we find that fragile water resources are being overexploited and have caused their depletion in several of these cities. Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal) is being implemented in 8220 water stressed Gram Panchayats of 229 administrative blocks/ talukas in 80 districts of seven states, viz.”
Why relevant

States Atal Bhujal Yojana targets 80 districts across seven states as water-stressed, giving a concrete district count identified under a national program.

How to extend

Using an external known total number of districts, a student can compute what percentage 80 districts represent and compare that to 36% to assess plausibility or scale differences.

Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science, Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 1: Natural Resources and Their Use > Overexploitation of groundwater: a caselet from Punjab > p. 14
Strength: 2/5
“Almost 80% of the area of Punjab has been classified as 'overexploited'; in other words, we have drawn water at a rate much greater than at which restoration and rejuvenation of groundwater is possible. We can see that food security was ensured for the short term, but the long-term consequences will take time and effort to heal.”
Why relevant

Gives a state-level extreme example: 'Almost 80% of the area of Punjab has been classified as overexploited', illustrating that district-level prevalence can be very high in some states and affect national aggregates.

How to extend

A student can use such state extremes plus knowledge of state sizes/district counts to reason whether a national ~35% figure is feasible given uneven spatial distribution.

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