Question map
Not attempted Correct Incorrect ★ Bookmarked
Loading…
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
How others answered
Each bar shows the % of students who chose that option. Green bar = correct answer, blue outline = your choice.
Community Performance
Out of everyone who attempted this question.
35%
got it right
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest preview
Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
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
You're seeing a guest preview. The Verdict and first statement analysis are open. Login with Google to unlock all tabs.

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 analysis

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

Login with Google to unlock all statements.

Statement analysis

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

Login with Google to unlock all statements.

Statement analysis

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

Login with Google to unlock all statements.

How to study

This tab shows concrete study steps: what to underline in books, how to map current affairs, and how to prepare for similar questions.

Login with Google to unlock study guidance.

Micro-concepts

Discover the small, exam-centric ideas hidden in this question and where they appear in your books and notes.

Login with Google to unlock micro-concepts.

The Vault

Access hidden traps, elimination shortcuts, and Mains connections that give you an edge on every question.

Login with Google to unlock The Vault.

✓ Thank you! We'll review this.

SIMILAR QUESTIONS

CAPF · 2017 · Q92 Relevance score: 1.94

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

CDS-I · 2002 · Q93 Relevance score: 1.88

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?

CDS-II · 2025 · Q58 Relevance score: 1.69

With reference to the "Amara-Nayaka system", which one of the following statements is not correct ?

NDA-II · 2013 · Q3 Relevance score: 1.40

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?