Consider the following statements: 1) 36% of India’s districts are classified as “overexploited” or “critical” by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA). 2) 2. CGWA was formed under the Environment (Protection) Act. 3) India has the largest area under groundwater irrigation in the world. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The correct answer is B (2 and 3 only).

• Statement 1 is wrong. The overexploited or critical share from CGWB's assessments is measured in assessment units (blocks, taluks, mandals), not districts. In the 2017 assessment about 19% of units were overexploited, and the 36% figure does not match the official data.
• Statement 2 is correct. CGWA was constituted in 1970 and brought under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, which gives it regulatory powers over groundwater extraction in notified areas.
• Statement 3 is correct. India is the world's largest user of groundwater, and groundwater irrigates a very large share of its net irrigated area. Check this claim against current FAO or CGWB data if you need precise figures.

  The core concept is groundwater governance. Mains asks about over-extraction, the regulation of tubewells, and the 2019 Model Groundwater Bill, so link the CGWA and the Act to that.

  Trap: aspirants accept percentages that sound plausible and forget that CGWB assessments are unit-based, not district-based.