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Q2 (IAS/2019) Economy › Agriculture & Rural Economy › Rural development policy Official Key

With reference to land reforms in independent India, which one of the following statements is correct?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: B
Explanation

The correct answer is option B because the main objective of the ceiling legislation was redistribution of the surplus land to the landless so that to make land distribution more equitable[1], and the basic objective of land reform is to do social justice with the tillers, land owners, landless labourers, and rural community with the set objective to provide security to the cultivators[2].

Option A is incorrect because in the 1st Five Year Plan, land ceiling was based on individual holding, and it was only subsequently in the 2nd FYP that ceiling level was recommended to be fixed at 'family holdings'[3]. Option C is not supported by the sources. Option D is incorrect because the Kerala Land Reforms Act, 1963, exempted certain kinds of land from the ceiling limit, including plantations and private forests[4], and high ceiling limits exempted a large number of landlords, [5]and exempted categories were among various factors in the debate[5].

Sources
  1. [1] Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 5: Land Reforms > 3. Ceilings on size of Landholdings and its distribution > p. 193
  2. [2] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > LAND REFORMS > p. 23
  3. [3] Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 10: Land Reforms in India > a. Ceiling on Agricultural Landholdings > p. 342
  4. [4] https://frontline.thehindu.com/other/article30221235.ece
  5. [5] https://www.fao.org/4/y5026e/y5026e0b.htm
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Q. With reference to land reforms in independent India, which one of the following statements is correct? [A] The ceiling laws were aimed a…
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Moderate fairness Books / CA: 5/10 · 2.5/10
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A classic 'Administrative Nuance' question. It moves beyond the broad definition of Land Reforms to test the specific legal mechanism (Unit of Assessment: Family vs. Individual). While standard books cover this, it requires reading the fine print of the 1972 National Guidelines rather than just the chapter headings.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Were the land ceiling laws in independent India aimed at family holdings rather than individual holdings?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 10: Land Reforms in India > a. Ceiling on Agricultural Landholdings > p. 342
Presence: 5/5
“Ceiling on Agricultural Landholdings indicates statutory absolute limit on the amount of land an individual can hold or own. This ceiling has two aspects: • Ceiling on future acquisitions and (i)\nCeiling on existing holdings The 1st Five Year Plan (FYP) focused only on (i), whereas it was only through the 2<sup>nd</sup> FYP that ceilings were recommended for (ii), i.e. existing holdings. • Land ceiling to apply to: Level of land ceiling; Both future acquisition as well as existing land holdings: To be based on size of 'Family Holding' and not individual holding (as per the 1st FYP) Subsequently in the 2nd FYP, ceiling level was recommended to be fixed at about 'three family holdings'.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states the ceiling was to be based on the size of a 'family holding' rather than an individual holding.
  • Links the family-holding basis to Five Year Plan recommendations, showing policy intent toward family units.
History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 9: Envisioning a New Socio-Economic Order > c) Land Ceiling > p. 118
Presence: 4/5
“(c) Land Ceiling Land ceiling refers to the maximum amount of land that could be legally owned by individuals. Laws were passed after the 1950s to enforce it. In Tamil Nadu, it was implemented first in 1961. Until 1972, there was a ceiling on the extent of land that a 'landholder' could own. After 1972, the unit was changed to a 'family'. This meant that the landowners could claim that each member of the family owned a part of the land which would be much less than the prescribed limit under the ceiling. Deciding the extent of land under land ceiling was a complex exercise, since land was not of uniform quality.”
Why this source?
  • Records a formal change in the unit of assessment to 'family' (post-1972), indicating legal/administrative emphasis on family holdings.
  • Explains how treating the unit as a family altered how ceiling limits could be claimed and applied.
Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 5: Land Reforms > 3. Ceilings on size of Landholdings and its distribution > p. 193
Presence: 4/5
“The land ceiling acts define the size of land that an individual/family can own. The main objective of the ceiling legislation was redistribution of the surplus land to the landless so that to make land distribution more equitable. By early 1960's all the State governments had passed the land ceiling acts but till 1970 not a single acre was declared surplus in most of the large states. The ceiling limits fixed under the act varied from State to State. To bring uniformity across the states, a new land ceiling policy was evolved in 1971. In 1972, national guidelines were issued with ceiling limits as 10-18 acres for best land, 18-27 acres for second class land and for the rest with 27-54 acres with a slightly higher limit in the hilly and desert areas.”
Why this source?
  • Describes that land ceiling acts defined the size an individual/family could own and notes 1971–72 national guideline harmonisation.
  • Provides context that ceilings applied to household-level units (individual/family) and that 1972 guidelines standardized limits.
Statement 2
Was the major aim of land reforms in independent India to provide agricultural land to all landless persons?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 5: Land Reforms > 5.4 Model Agricultural Land Leasing Act 2016 > p. 197
Presence: 5/5
“Land leasing laws relating to rural agricultural land in Indian states were enacted during decades immediately following the independence. At the time, the abolition of Zamindari and redistribution of land to the tiller were the highest policy priorities. Top leadership of the day saw tenancy and sub-tenancy as integral to the feudal land arrangements that India had inherited from the British. Therefore, tenancy reform laws that various states adopted sought to not only transfer ownership rights to the tenant but also either prohibited or heavily discouraged leasing and sub-leasing of land. However, politically influential landowners were successful in subverting the reform and till as late as 1992, ownership rights were transferred to the cultivator on just 4% of the cultivated land.”
Why this source?
  • Identifies abolition of zamindari and redistribution of land to the tiller as top policy priorities after independence
  • Links tenancy reform and transfer of ownership to cultivators, implying land was to be given to those who actually tilled it
Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 10: Land Reforms in India > NEED AND OBJECTIVE OF LAND REFORMS > p. 339
Presence: 4/5
“Bhoodan Movement (land gift movement) - As the condition of landless peasants was not improving, Acharya Vinoba Bhave launched Bhoodan Movement in 1951 which aimed to gift one acre land to each landless peasant. It was assumed that 50 million peasants were landless in 1951. By May 1955, the movement received only 3.75 million acres of land from the landowners for the distribution and soon the movement slowed down. Gramdan Movement - Started in 1952 and led again by Acharya Vinoba Bhave, it was different from the Bhoodan Movement in the sense that here the received land became the property of a village association rather than an individual peasant.”
Why this source?
  • Describes the Bhoodan Movement explicitly aimed at gifting one acre to each landless peasant
  • Provides an example of a concrete initiative targeted at providing land to the landless
Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > LAND REFORMS > p. 23
Presence: 4/5
“The basic objective of land reform is to do social justice with the tillers, land owners, landless labourers, and rural community with the set objective to provide security to the cultivators, to fix a rational rent, the conferment of title to the tiller and to increase the agricultural productivity. The entire concept of land reforms aims at the abolition of intermediaries and bringing the actual cultivator in direct contact with the state. The scheme of land reforms includes: • (i) abolition of intermediaries,• (ii) land tenancy reforms, i.e., regulation of rent, security of tenure”
Why this source?
  • Identifies conferment of title to the tiller and social justice for landless labourers as basic objectives of land reform
  • Emphasises abolition of intermediaries and bringing cultivators into direct contact with the state
Statement analysis

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Statement 3
Did land reforms in independent India result in cultivation of cash crops becoming the predominant form of cultivation?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Land Resources and Agriculture > Agricultural Development in India > p. 34
Strength: 5/5
“Indian agricultural economy was largely subsistence in nature before Independence. It had dismal performance in the first half of twentieth century. This period witnessed severe droughts and famines. During partition about one-third of the irrigated land in undivided India went to Pakistan. This reduced the proportion of irrigated area in Independent India. After Independence, the immediate goal of the Government was to increase foodgrains production by (i) switching over from cash crops to food crops; (ii) intensification of cropping over already cultivated land; and (iii) increasing cultivated area by bringing cultivable and fallow land under plough. Initially, this strategy helped in increasing foodgrains production.”
Why relevant

States the immediate post‑Independence government goal was to switch over from cash crops to food crops to raise foodgrain production.

How to extend

A student could combine this policy goal with post‑Independence crop‑area and production statistics (or maps of principal crop zones) to see whether area moved away from cash crops.

INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Land Resources and Agriculture > Lack of Land Reforms > p. 37
Strength: 4/5
“Indian peasantry had been exploited for a long time as there had been unequal distribution of land. Among the three revenue systems operational during British period, i.e., Mahalwari, Ryotwari and Zamindari, the last one was most exploitative for the peasants. After Independence, land reforms were accorded priority, but these reforms were not implemented effectively due to lack of strong political will. Most of the state governments avoided taking politically tough decisions which went against strong political lobbies of landlords. Lack of implementation of land reforms has resulted in continuation of inequitous distribution of cultivable land which is detrimental to agricultural development.”
Why relevant

Notes that land reforms were given priority but were not implemented effectively, with continuation of inequitable land distribution.

How to extend

A student could infer that weak implementation would limit structural change in cropping patterns and check state‑wise reform outcomes against changes in cash‑crop area.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 5: Land Reforms > 5.4 Model Agricultural Land Leasing Act 2016 > p. 197
Strength: 4/5
“Land leasing laws relating to rural agricultural land in Indian states were enacted during decades immediately following the independence. At the time, the abolition of Zamindari and redistribution of land to the tiller were the highest policy priorities. Top leadership of the day saw tenancy and sub-tenancy as integral to the feudal land arrangements that India had inherited from the British. Therefore, tenancy reform laws that various states adopted sought to not only transfer ownership rights to the tenant but also either prohibited or heavily discouraged leasing and sub-leasing of land. However, politically influential landowners were successful in subverting the reform and till as late as 1992, ownership rights were transferred to the cultivator on just 4% of the cultivated land.”
Why relevant

Explains tenancy reform laws aimed to transfer ownership to tillers and to discourage leasing/sub‑leasing, but powerful owners subverted reforms and ownership transfer remained low.

How to extend

One could reason that limited transfer of ownership and continued landlord influence would preserve existing large‑scale cash‑crop cultivation in some areas; compare regions with successful transfers to cropping changes there.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 5: Land Reforms > 5.2 Land Reforms post-independence > p. 192
Strength: 4/5
“Equal distribution of land was therefore an area of focus of Independent India's government, and land reforms were seen as an important pillar of a strong and prosperous country. Not surprisingly, it received top priority on the policy agenda at the time of Independence. In the decades following independence, India passed a significant body of land reform legislation. The Constitution of 1949 left the adoption and implementation of land and tenancy reforms to state governments. This led to a lot of variation in the implementation of these reforms across states and over time. Following are the major land reforms introduced in India after independence:”
Why relevant

Says land and tenancy reforms were left to states, producing large variation in adoption and implementation across states and time.

How to extend

A student could use this to predict heterogeneous outcomes: test whether states with stronger reforms saw less cash‑crop predominance than those without.

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > 2. Institutional Factors > p. 20
Strength: 3/5
“The Permanent Settlement was introduced in the Province of Bengal and then gradually extended to other states. Later on the Mahalwari System was introduced in Agra and Awadh and the Ryotwari System was introduced in Bombay and Madras. The new land system of British created a class of absentsee landlords, making way for exploitation of the peasants. Thus, the new land systems introduced by the Britons led to the concentration of economic power in the hands of few. This resulted total depression in agriculture and industry. After Independence, the Zamindari System was abolished and the right of the tillers over cultivated land were restored.”
Why relevant

Records abolition of Zamindari and restoration of tillers' rights after Independence, a structural change that could alter incentives for crop choice.

How to extend

A student could combine this institutional shift with knowledge of which regions grew cash crops to evaluate whether restored tiller rights led to more subsistence/food cropping or not.

Statement analysis

This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.

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Statement 4
Did land reforms in independent India permit no exemptions to the land ceiling limits?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"However, the Kerala Land Reforms Act, 1963, exempted certain kinds of land from the ceiling limit, including plantations and private forests."
Why this source?
  • Directly states a state law (Kerala Land Reforms Act, 1963) explicitly exempted categories of land from ceiling limits.
  • Shows that land ceiling laws included built-in exemptions (plantations, private forests), contradicting the claim of 'no exemptions'.
Web source
Presence: 5/5
"the Deputy Commissioners were empowered to exercise the powers of the State Government to grant exemptions to an extent not"
Why this source?
  • Describes an amendment empowering Deputy Commissioners to grant exemptions under the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, 1961.
  • Demonstrates that administrative authority existed to allow specific exemptions to ceiling limits in practice.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"High ceiling limits exempted a large number of landlords. ... Among various factors that featured in the debate were the definitions of family, transfers, standard holdings, ceiling limits and exempted categories."
Why this source?
  • Notes that 'High ceiling limits exempted a large number of landlords', indicating exemptions were part of ceiling policy.
  • Mentions debate over 'exempted categories', showing exemptions were recognized and contested in national/state lawmaking.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 10: Land Reforms in India > Land Distribution in Uttar Pradesh: > p. 344
Strength: 5/5
“Uttar Pradesh passed the Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act in 1950. The UP Imposition of Land Ceiling Act was passed in 1960 that prescribed the ceiling limit of 40 acres. The land distribution programme had a positive impact on the economic and social status of the allottees, and it brought qualitative change in their life. It contributed to better health and education of children. UP Government amended its Land Ceiling Act in 1973. It brought down the ceiling limit and removed many of the exemptions given in the earlier act. According to the amended act, ceiling was fixed at 7.3 hectare of irrigated land for a family of five.”
Why relevant

States (Uttar Pradesh) amended ceiling laws to 'remove many of the exemptions' in 1973, showing exemptions existed earlier and were altered by legislation.

How to extend

A student could check other states' amendment histories or dates to see whether exemptions were common and later removed nationally.

History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 9: Envisioning a New Socio-Economic Order > c) Land Ceiling > p. 118
Strength: 5/5
“(c) Land Ceiling Land ceiling refers to the maximum amount of land that could be legally owned by individuals. Laws were passed after the 1950s to enforce it. In Tamil Nadu, it was implemented first in 1961. Until 1972, there was a ceiling on the extent of land that a 'landholder' could own. After 1972, the unit was changed to a 'family'. This meant that the landowners could claim that each member of the family owned a part of the land which would be much less than the prescribed limit under the ceiling. Deciding the extent of land under land ceiling was a complex exercise, since land was not of uniform quality.”
Why relevant

Explains change of unit from 'landholder' to 'family' in 1972, and notes owners could claim each family member's share to reduce land counted under ceiling — an example of de facto exemption/avoidance.

How to extend

Use this to investigate whether similar definitional units (individual vs family) functioned as exemptions across states before 1972.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 10: Land Reforms in India > Factors Responsible for the Success of Land Reforms > p. 346
Strength: 4/5
“Some of the reasons for the failure of the first phase of land reforms were: • The word 'personal cultivation' was not properly defined under law, and it resulted in large-scale eviction of poor peasants or sharecroppers by landlords. However, West Bengal became a role model in this regard by initiating Operation Barga and helping sharecroppers enjoy their cultivation and other rights over the piece of land. 2. In many States, 'individual holding' was used as a basis for identifying the ceiling limit as compared to 'family holding'.”
Why relevant

Notes variation in the basis for ceiling (individual holding vs family holding) and that this affected outcomes—implying legal definitions created room for different treatments/exceptions.

How to extend

A student could map which states used which basis and infer how many allowed effective exemptions by choosing 'individual' over 'family'.

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > 2. Institutional Factors > p. 20
Strength: 4/5
“After the abolition of Zamindari system, a number of land reform legislations have been passed by the central and state governments, but still there is enough scope to restore the rights of the actual tillers and landless labourers. Still, there are numerous absentee landlords, many of them possessing land more than the ceiling act permits. Only Punjab, Haryana, and”
Why relevant

States there remained numerous absentee landlords possessing land 'more than the ceiling act permits,' implying non‑compliance, exemptions, or loopholes in practice.

How to extend

Combine with knowledge of enforcement mechanisms to judge if apparent over‑holdings were legal exemptions or failures of implementation.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 5: Land Reforms > 3. Ceilings on size of Landholdings and its distribution > p. 193
Strength: 4/5
“The land ceiling acts define the size of land that an individual/family can own. The main objective of the ceiling legislation was redistribution of the surplus land to the landless so that to make land distribution more equitable. By early 1960's all the State governments had passed the land ceiling acts but till 1970 not a single acre was declared surplus in most of the large states. The ceiling limits fixed under the act varied from State to State. To bring uniformity across the states, a new land ceiling policy was evolved in 1971. In 1972, national guidelines were issued with ceiling limits as 10-18 acres for best land, 18-27 acres for second class land and for the rest with 27-54 acres with a slightly higher limit in the hilly and desert areas.”
Why relevant

Documents wide state variation in ceiling limits and issuance of 1972 national guidelines — indicating policy evolution and differing earlier practices that could include exemptions.

How to extend

A student might compare pre‑ and post‑1972 guidelines to identify whether exemptions were prohibited only after standardization.

Statement analysis

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Pattern takeaway: UPSC rejects broad generalizations in policy questions. They focus on the 'Operational Unit' of the law. Knowing *that* a law exists is insufficient; you must know *how* it counts (e.g., Family Holding vs. Individual Holding).
How you should have studied
  1. [THE VERDICT]: Sitter for serious readers; Trap for skimmers. Source: Nitin Singhania (Ch 10) or TN Board Class XII (Ch 9).
  2. [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Post-Independence Consolidation & Agriculture (Land Ceiling Acts).
  3. [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: 1972 National Guidelines (Unit = Family of 5: Husband, Wife, 3 Minors); Exemptions (Plantations, Orchards, Religious Trusts); Operation Barga (West Bengal); Bhoodan Movement (1951); 9th Schedule (First Amendment, 1951).
  4. [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: When studying any Act/Policy, always extract three core parameters: 1. The Unit of Application (Individual vs Family), 2. The Exemptions (Who gets a pass?), and 3. The Retrospective/Prospective nature.
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Concept hooks from this question
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Family holding vs individual holding as the unit for land ceilings
💡 The insight

The ceiling regime treated the unit of assessment as the family holding rather than solely the individual in policy design.

High-yield for land reform questions: explains how ceilings were defined and why distribution targets used household units. Connects to inheritance law, redistribution aims, and state-level implementation questions. Helps answer comparative questions on policy intent versus implementation.

📚 Reading List :
  • Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 10: Land Reforms in India > a. Ceiling on Agricultural Landholdings > p. 342
  • History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 9: Envisioning a New Socio-Economic Order > c) Land Ceiling > p. 118
🔗 Anchor: "Were the land ceiling laws in independent India aimed at family holdings rather ..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 1971–72 national guidelines and the change in assessment unit
💡 The insight

National guidelines around 1971–72 shifted and standardized ceiling limits and clarified the family-unit basis for ceilings.

Important for chronology and policy evolution questions: shows a pivot point in land reform policy and explains variations across states before standardisation. Enables timed-comparison and cause-effect questions on reforms.

📚 Reading List :
  • Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 5: Land Reforms > 3. Ceilings on size of Landholdings and its distribution > p. 193
  • History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 9: Envisioning a New Socio-Economic Order > c) Land Ceiling > p. 118
🔗 Anchor: "Were the land ceiling laws in independent India aimed at family holdings rather ..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Implementation variance between policy intent and state practice
💡 The insight

States sometimes used individual-holding bases despite policy moves toward family holdings, producing uneven outcomes.

Useful for source-based and polity-economy analysis: prepares aspirants to discuss gaps between central guidelines and state enactments, and to evaluate effectiveness of reforms. Links to topics on federalism and reform implementation.

📚 Reading List :
  • Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 10: Land Reforms in India > Factors Responsible for the Success of Land Reforms > p. 346
  • Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 5: Land Reforms > 3. Ceilings on size of Landholdings and its distribution > p. 193
🔗 Anchor: "Were the land ceiling laws in independent India aimed at family holdings rather ..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Redistribution to the tiller and abolition of intermediaries
💡 The insight

Redistribution of land to the tiller and ending zamindari/intermediaries was a central aim of post‑independence land reform policy.

High-yield for UPSC because questions often ask objectives and outcomes of land reform; links to agrarian structure, rural politics, and socio-economic justice. Mastery lets candidates explain policy intent versus implementation gaps and connect to tenancy laws and land ceilings.

📚 Reading List :
  • Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 5: Land Reforms > 5.4 Model Agricultural Land Leasing Act 2016 > p. 197
  • Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > LAND REFORMS > p. 23
🔗 Anchor: "Was the major aim of land reforms in independent India to provide agricultural l..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Bhoodan and Gramdan as land-to-landless strategies
💡 The insight

Bhoodan aimed to gift one acre to each landless peasant and Gramdan transferred village land to collective ownership to benefit the landless.

Important for answering questions on non‑legislative/social movements in agrarian reform, illustrating civil society responses where state action was limited; links to land redistribution, rural reform movements and their limits.

📚 Reading List :
  • Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 10: Land Reforms in India > NEED AND OBJECTIVE OF LAND REFORMS > p. 339
🔗 Anchor: "Was the major aim of land reforms in independent India to provide agricultural l..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Tenancy reform and conferment of title/security of tenure
💡 The insight

Tenancy reforms sought to regulate rent, provide security of tenure, and confer ownership or hereditary rights to actual cultivators.

Crucial for explaining mechanisms of land reform and their intended beneficiaries; connects to debates on productivity, tenant rights, land markets and why reforms succeeded or failed in different states.

📚 Reading List :
  • Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > LAND REFORMS > p. 23
  • Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > 2. Tenancy Reforms > p. 26
🔗 Anchor: "Was the major aim of land reforms in independent India to provide agricultural l..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S3
👉 Post-Independence agricultural policy objectives
💡 The insight

Post-1947 policy prioritized switching from cash crops to foodgrains, intensifying cropping, and expanding cultivated area to raise foodgrain production.

High-yield for questions on agricultural policy and food security: explains the stated goals that shaped subsequent interventions (e.g., Green Revolution). Connects to topics on production strategies, crop choices and state planning; useful for evaluating intent-versus-outcome questions in UPSC mains and prelims.

📚 Reading List :
  • INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Land Resources and Agriculture > Agricultural Development in India > p. 34
  • Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 5: Land Reforms > 5.2 Land Reforms post-independence > p. 192
🔗 Anchor: "Did land reforms in independent India result in cultivation of cash crops becomi..."
Micro-concepts

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🌑 The Hidden Trap

The 'Plantation Exemption': While ceilings applied to general farmland, 'Plantations' (Tea, Coffee, Rubber, Cardamom) were explicitly exempted from ceiling laws to preserve export productivity. This is the logical sibling fact to the 'Family Holding' rule.

⚡ Elimination Cheat Code

Apply the 'Bureaucratic Reality' filter. Option [B] says 'ALL the landless' (impossible administrative goal). Option [D] says 'NO exemptions' (Indian laws always have loopholes/exemptions). Option [C] claims 'Cash crops predominant' (factually false; food grains dominate). Option [A] is the only specific, administrative statement remaining.

🔗 Mains Connection

Mains GS-3 (Internal Security): The failure of land reforms (specifically the lack of ceiling implementation) is cited as the primary root cause for the rise of Naxalism/LWE in the 'Red Corridor'.

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Which one of the following statements about land tenure system is NOT correct ?

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Consider the following statements with reference to the provisions of Morley-Minto Reforms Act in the colonial India: 1. The Morley-Minto Reforms Act raised the number of additional members of the Central Legislature 2. It introduced the principle of communal representation in the Legislature 3. It empowered the Legislatures to discuss the budget and to move resolutions on it Which of these statements are correct?

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Consider the following statements : 1. Morley-Minto reforms ended the official majority in state legislative assemblies. 2. Despite the Government of India Act, 1909 the non-officials were elected to local bodies indirectly. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

IAS · 2025 · Q5 Relevance score: 1.12

Consider the following statements : Statement I : In India, income from allied agricultural activities like poultry farming and wool rearing in rural areas is exempted from any tax. Statement II : In India, rural agricultural land is not considered a capital asset under the provisions of the Income-tax Act, 1961. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?