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Which of the following are responsible for the decrease of per capita holding of cultivated land in India? 1. Low per capita income 2. Rapid rate of increase of population 3. Practice of dividing land equally among the heirs 4. Use of traditional techniques of ploughing Select the correct answer using the code given below : Code :
Explanation
The decrease in per capita holding of cultivated land in India is primarily driven by demographic and legal factors. Rapid population growth significantly increases the pressure on available land, reducing the per capita availability to approximately 0.10 hectare [1]. This is further exacerbated by the existing laws of inheritance and the practice of dividing land equally among all heirs (traditionally male children), which leads to continuous subdivision and fragmentation of holdings with every passing generation [2]. While low per capita income and traditional techniques like traditional ploughing are characteristics of small-scale Indian farming, they are consequences or associated features of small holdings rather than the primary drivers of the physical reduction in land size per person [2]. Therefore, only the rapid rate of population increase and the practice of equal division among heirs are the direct causes of decreasing per capita land holdings.
Sources
- [1] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > 2. Institutional Factors > p. 21
- [2] Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 5: Land Reforms > 4. Consolidation of land holdings: > p. 194