Cooperative Federalism Current Affairs for UPSC

Nagaland has asked the Union government to withdraw the Protected Area Permit requirement ahead of the Hornbill Festival. The dispute brings together foreign entry rules, border security, tourism and the state’s separate Inner Line Permit system.

Gross GST revenue in October 2026 rose by nearly 23% to around Rs 2.31 lakh crore, with faster import-linked growth than domestic revenue. The news highlights how GST works, fiscal federalism, revenue interpretation and taxpayer-friendly enforcement reforms.

India has created 11 crore Farmer IDs under the Digital Agriculture Mission ahead of its March 2027 target. AgriStack links farmer identity with land and crop records to simplify agricultural services. Its impact depends on accurate records, inclusion of actual cultivators and effective data safeguards.

Bihar and Jharkhand have signed a long-awaited agreement to divide the Sone River water share that had belonged to undivided Bihar under the 1973 Bansagar Agreement. The settlement allocates 5.75 million acre-feet (MAF) to Bihar and 2 MAF to Jharkhand, resolving a dispute that persisted for about 25 years after Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar. Beyond irrigation and drinking water, the agreement is important for understanding inter-State river governance, the Bihar Reorganisation Act, the proposed Indrapuri Reservoir, the constitutional division of legislative powers over water and the role of negotiated cooperative federalism in resolving water disputes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 11th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog on 11 June 2026, where states were urged to strengthen district-level growth assessment, attract investments, focus on ODOP-led exports, affordable energy, skilling, women-led development and Viksit Bharat 2047. The meeting is important for UPSC because it connects cooperative federalism, decentralised economic planning, energy security and district-level data systems.