On 2 June 2026, reform-linked Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0 with four states — Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and Nagaland — and one Union Territory, Puducherry. The MoUs mandate a Gram Panchayat-led, community-centred model of rural water governance. For CDS and NDA aspirants, this links a flagship scheme to cooperative federalism, grassroots governance and the SDGs.
What happened
- Reform-linked MoUs were signed under JJM 2.0 with Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Nagaland and Puducherry.
- They mandate a service-based, community-centred model led by Gram Panchayats, with structural reforms for the sustainable operation and maintenance of rural water-supply systems.
- The emphasis is on Jan Bhagidari (people's participation) to ensure every rural household has access to adequate, quality drinking water on a regular basis.
What is the Jal Jeevan Mission?
The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) was launched in 2019 by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, with the goal "Har Ghar Jal" — providing a Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) delivering safe drinking water to every rural household. Key features:
- It is a centrally sponsored scheme, implemented in partnership with the states (with cost-sharing), making it a model of Centre–State cooperation.
- It targets not just building connections but regular supply of water in adequate quantity and of prescribed quality.
- It places Gram Panchayats and their sub-committees (Village Water and Sanitation Committees / Pani Samitis) at the centre of planning, implementation and maintenance.
JJM has dramatically increased rural tap-water coverage since 2019, from a small fraction of rural households to the large majority.
What is JJM 2.0?
JJM 2.0 marks the next phase of the mission. While the first phase focused heavily on building tap connections, the second phase shifts to ensuring long-term sustainability, service quality and accountability. The reform-linked MoUs tie continued central support to states adopting governance reforms — a community-led, service-based model for the operation and maintenance of water systems, so that connections keep delivering water reliably for years.
Cooperative federalism and Jan Bhagidari
Two concepts are central:
- Cooperative federalism — the principle that the Centre and the States work together as partners to achieve national goals, rather than in a top-down relationship. The reform-linked MoUs, where the Centre and states make mutual commitments, are a textbook example. (Institutions like NITI Aayog and the GST Council are other expressions of cooperative federalism.)
- Jan Bhagidari (people's participation) — involving local communities and Gram Panchayats in planning, running and maintaining their own water supply. This reflects the spirit of decentralisation under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, which empowered Panchayati Raj institutions for local self-government.
Links to the SDGs and water security
JJM directly advances Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and improves health (reducing water-borne disease), women's well-being (sparing them the burden of fetching water), and rural living standards. It complements other water initiatives like the Atal Bhujal Yojana (groundwater management), Namami Gange (river rejuvenation) and the Swachh Bharat Mission (sanitation).
Why it matters
- Drinking-water security: the focus shifts from coverage to sustainability and service quality.
- Federal cooperation: reform-linked MoUs align Centre and State incentives — cooperative federalism in action.
- Grassroots governance: empowers Gram Panchayats and communities (Jan Bhagidari), deepening local self-government.
Federalism in India — a quick recap
Because cooperative federalism is central here, a brief recap helps. India is a "Union of States" with a federal structure that has a strong unitary bias. Powers are divided through the Seventh Schedule into the Union List, State List and Concurrent List. Two broad models are tested:
- Cooperative federalism — Centre and States collaborate as partners to achieve common goals (e.g., JJM MoUs, the GST Council, NITI Aayog, centrally sponsored schemes).
- Competitive federalism — States compete with one another to attract investment and improve governance (encouraged through rankings and indices like Ease of Doing Business and the SDG India Index).
Reform-linked, MoU-based schemes like JJM 2.0 blend both: the Centre sets reform conditions, and States act on them, with performance increasingly visible and benchmarked.
Water as a subject and the challenge ahead
A key constitutional point: "water" is largely a State subject (Entry 17 of the State List), with the Union's role limited to inter-state rivers and certain regulation (Entry 56 of the Union List). This makes Centre–State cooperation essential for any national water programme — another reason JJM relies on MoUs and partnership rather than central diktat. The big challenges ahead are sustaining the water source (many areas face groundwater depletion, addressed via Atal Bhujal Yojana), water quality (treating contamination like arsenic and fluoride), and long-term operation and maintenance of village systems — exactly what JJM 2.0's reform agenda targets through community ownership and Jan Bhagidari.
Key facts for your exam
- What: JJM 2.0 reform-linked MoUs with 4 states + 1 UT; Date: 2 June 2026.
- JJM: launched 2019, Ministry of Jal Shakti, goal "Har Ghar Jal" (FHTC to every rural home).
- Model: Gram Panchayat-led, community-centred, Jan Bhagidari.
- Themes: cooperative federalism; SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).
- Grassroots basis: the 73rd Amendment spirit of local self-government.
India's water schemes — the bigger picture
JJM is part of a cluster of water-and-sanitation initiatives under the Ministry of Jal Shakti (formed in 2019 by merging water-related ministries):
- Swachh Bharat Mission — sanitation and toilets (India was declared open-defecation-free in rural areas).
- Atal Bhujal Yojana — community-led groundwater management in water-stressed areas.
- Namami Gange — cleaning and rejuvenating the River Ganga.
- Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain — rainwater harvesting and water conservation.
- Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) — irrigation ("Per Drop More Crop").
Together these address the full water cycle — drinking water, sanitation, groundwater, rivers and irrigation.
Quick revision recap
- JJM (2019), Ministry of Jal Shakti: goal "Har Ghar Jal" — a Functional Household Tap Connection to every rural home.
- JJM 2.0: shift from coverage to sustainability, service quality and accountability via reform-linked MoUs.
- Model: Gram Panchayat-led, community-centred, Jan Bhagidari.
- Themes: cooperative federalism; SDG 6; water is largely a State subject.
- Companion schemes: Atal Bhujal Yojana, Namami Gange, Swachh Bharat, PMKSY.
Previous-year & expected exam questions
Q1. The goal "Har Ghar Jal" is associated with which mission? Answer: The Jal Jeevan Mission (2019), under the Ministry of Jal Shakti — a tap-water connection to every rural household.
Q2. Jal Jeevan Mission's emphasis on Gram Panchayat-led management reflects which constitutional idea? Answer: Decentralisation / local self-government (the spirit of the 73rd Amendment) and cooperative federalism.
Q3. JJM directly advances which Sustainable Development Goal? Answer: SDG 6 — Clean Water and Sanitation.
Q4. Under which List of the Seventh Schedule does "water" primarily fall? Answer: The State List (Entry 17), with inter-state rivers under the Union List (Entry 56).
Q5. Which scheme focuses on community-led groundwater management? Answer: The Atal Bhujal Yojana.
Q6. The Ministry of Jal Shakti was formed in which year? Answer: 2019, by merging water-related ministries.
Exam takeaway
Lock in the essentials: JJM (2019, Ministry of Jal Shakti) → "Har Ghar Jal" → Functional Household Tap Connections → JJM 2.0 shifts to sustainability via reform-linked, Gram-Panchayat-led MoUs (Jan Bhagidari). The two big themes to attach are cooperative federalism (Centre–State MoUs) and SDG 6, remembering that water is largely a State subject.
Water security as a development goal
Access to safe drinking water is foundational to health, dignity and development. Water-borne diseases (diarrhoea, cholera) and the daily burden of fetching water — which falls disproportionately on women and girls — hold back communities. By delivering tap water to every rural home and ensuring it keeps flowing, JJM advances public health, gender equity, education (children, especially girls, can attend school instead of fetching water) and economic productivity. Its reform-linked, community-driven model under JJM 2.0 is designed so that these gains are sustainable, not one-off — a model of how a national mission, cooperative federalism and grassroots participation can together solve a basic-needs challenge at scale.
Q7. The village-level committee that manages water supply under JJM is often called the — Answer: Village Water and Sanitation Committee (Pani Samiti), a sub-committee of the Gram Panchayat.
Q8. The Swachh Bharat Mission is associated with which sector? Answer: Sanitation (toilets and an open-defecation-free India).
FAQ
Q1. What is new in JJM 2.0 compared to JJM? The first phase focused on building tap connections; 2.0 focuses on sustainability, service quality and accountability, with reform-linked Centre–State MoUs.
Q2. What does "reform-linked MoU" mean? Central support is tied to states adopting governance reforms — a community-led, service-based model for the operation and maintenance of water systems.
Q3. What is Jan Bhagidari? People's participation — involving local communities and Gram Panchayats in planning, running and maintaining their own water supply.
Q4. How is this an example of cooperative federalism? The Centre and States make mutual commitments through MoUs to deliver a shared goal (rural water security), working as partners — the essence of cooperative federalism.