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In which year was the Indus Waters Treaty signed between India and Pakistan?

  1. A.1950
  2. B.1955
  3. C.1960
  4. D.1972

Correct answer

C. 1960

Explanation

The correct answer is C, 1960. The Indus Waters Treaty was signed at Karachi on 19 September 1960 by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of India and President Mohammad Ayub Khan of Pakistan, after nine years of negotiation begun in 1952 through the good offices of the World Bank, which signed the treaty as a third party. Option A is wrong because 1950 saw the Constitution of India come into force and no agreement on the Indus waters; the canal water dispute of 1948 was being settled by temporary arrangements at that time. Option B is wrong because 1955 falls in the middle of the negotiations, when the Bank's proposals for dividing the rivers were still being discussed. Option D is wrong because 1972 is the year of the Simla Agreement, which followed the war of 1971 and dealt with the line of control, not with river waters.

Read the full article: Indus Waters Treaty: Rivers, Clauses and Disputes

Practice Questions

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Q1.GeographyEasy

Under the Indus Waters Treaty, which group of rivers was allotted to India for unrestricted use?

  1. A.Indus, Jhelum and Chenab
  2. B.Ravi, Beas and Sutlej
  3. C.Ganga, Yamuna and Gomti
  4. D.Chenab, Ravi and Beas
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Ravi, Beas and Sutlej

These are the three eastern rivers of the Indus system, and the treaty gives their waters to India for unrestricted use, which is why the Bhakra dam on the Sutlej, the Pong dam on the Beas and the Ranjit Sagar dam on the Ravi could be built.

Q2.GeographyMedium

Which international institution acted as the broker of the Indus Waters Treaty and is a signatory to it?

  1. A.The United Nations
  2. B.The World Bank
  3. C.The International Court of Justice
  4. D.The Asian Development Bank
Show answer
Correct answer: B. The World Bank

The Bank brought India and Pakistan to the table in 1952, proposed the division of the rivers into eastern and western groups, helped to arrange the finance for Pakistan's replacement canals, and signed the treaty for the limited purposes in which it has a role, such as helping to appoint…

Q3.GeographyHard

The Baglihar hydroelectric project dispute on the Chenab was decided by which authority under the treaty?

  1. A.The Permanent Indus Commission
  2. B.A Neutral Expert
  3. C.A Court of Arbitration
  4. D.The United Nations Security Council
Show answer
Correct answer: B. A Neutral Expert

When the Permanent Indus Commission could not settle Pakistan's objections to the design of the Baglihar dam, the matter was referred to a Neutral Expert, the Swiss engineer Raymond Lafitte, appointed with the help of the World Bank, who gave his determination in 2007 and allowed the project with changes…

Q4.GeographyHard

The Kishanganga project, on which a Court of Arbitration gave its award in 2013, lies on a tributary of which river?

  1. A.The Indus
  2. B.The Jhelum
  3. C.The Chenab
  4. D.The Ravi
Show answer
Correct answer: B. The Jhelum

The Kishanganga, known as the Neelum in Pakistan, is a tributary of the Jhelum, and the Court of Arbitration at The Hague held in 2013 that India could divert its water for generating power at the Kishanganga project while maintaining a minimum flow downstream.