The concept of cooperative federalism has been increasingly emphasised in recent years. Highlight the drawbacks in the existing structure and extent to which cooperative federalism would answer the shortcomings.

Road safety needs Union vehicle and law standards plus State enforcement and road design, so the editorial's criticism of both levels illustrates the need for coordinated action.

• The Hindu's editorial faults both the Union and State governments for not systematically using the 'Safe System' approach to roads, vehicles, speeds and emergency care.
• The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 raised penalties and provided for electronic enforcement, yet the editorial says national data show no significant improvement, citing too few traffic police.
• India has about 1% of the world's vehicles but about 11% of road deaths; suggest central funding to States for traffic police and trauma centres, and stronger district road safety committees.

The Kishau pact is a recent case of the Centre brokering an inter-State water deal through funding and trade-offs, illustrating cooperative federalism at work.

• On 15 September 2026 six States (UP, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana) signed the Kishau agreement after a Home Minister-chaired meeting on 16 June 2026 produced consensus.
• As a National Project, the Centre bears about 90% of the cost; in lieu of Himachal sharing the power component cost, its water share goes to Delhi and Rajasthan.
• Drawback it exposes: the 12 May 1994 Upper Yamuna agreement required a separate pact for each storage project, reopening cost sharing each time; Mr. Shah said Kishau had been pending four decades.