RAS question
Article 262 deals with adjudication of disputes relating to:
Correct answer: (C) Inter-state water disputes.
Article 262 deals with the adjudication of disputes relating to the waters of inter-State rivers or river valleys.
Explanation
Article 262 is placed under the Constitution's provisions on disputes relating to waters. It empowers Parliament to make a law for adjudicating any dispute or complaint about the use, distribution or control of the waters of, or in, an inter-State river or river valley. This is why the answer is inter-state water disputes, not a general federal dispute category. The Article also permits Parliament to provide that neither the Supreme Court nor any other court will exercise jurisdiction over such disputes. The Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 was enacted under this constitutional authority.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Boundary disputes between states are not covered by Article 262, whose text is confined to waters of inter-State rivers or river valleys.
- (B) Election disputes are outside Article 262 because the Article concerns adjudication of disputes or complaints about water use, distribution or control.
- (D) Tax disputes between the Centre and States do not fall under Article 262, which is limited to inter-state river or river-valley water disputes.
Concept
This tests the Centre-State relations part of the Constitution, especially special mechanisms for inter-state disputes. It recurs in RAS because Rajasthan and neighbouring states often face questions around river waters and federal dispute resolution.