Why it is in the news
On 7 October 2026, Karnataka, replying in the Supreme Court to Tamil Nadu's application on a backlog in Cauvery releases, signalled that it may seek to reopen the allocation made by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) award as modified by the Court's 2018 judgment, on grounds of “inequitable allocation” and “changed circumstances” — the doctrine of rebus sic stantibus. Its 40-page reply, settled by senior advocate Mohan Katarki, argued that water allocations are normally revisited periodically, that even the Union of India is seeking to modify the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (now in abeyance) on changed circumstances, and that there is no scientific formula for sharing distress pro rata — in a year when Karnataka's southwest monsoon was the second-lowest in 70 years.
The exam angle
Issue: Can inter-State water awards be both final enough to end conflict and flexible enough to absorb climatic, demographic and economic change?