Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari Awards | UPSC CSE

Why in News: The President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, presented the Jal Sanchay–Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) Awards in New Delhi on 18 November 2025, recognising exemplary community-led water conservation initiatives.

About Jal Sanchay–Jan Bhagidari (JSJB)

• JSJB is an initiative under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA: CTR) campaign.
• It promotes community participation, convergence of government and local resources, and adoption of scalable, replicable models for artificial groundwater recharge.
• The initiative aims to empower local communities to play an active role in water conservation and sustainable water management.

About the JSJB Awards

• Launched in 2024, the awards honour outstanding community-driven efforts in:
  • groundwater recharge
  • rainwater harvesting
  • revival of traditional water bodies
  • watershed development
  • local-level water governance
• Recognises best practices that can be replicated across districts, villages, and states.

Best Performing State / Union Territory (2025 Awards)

• Rank 1 – Telangana
• Rank 2 – Chhattisgarh
• Rank 3 – Rajasthan

These rankings reflect strong community mobilisation, innovative recharge structures, and effective convergence of schemes such as MGNREGA, Jal Jeevan Mission, and local body initiatives.

Source: PIB

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