Q.9 Discuss the impact of land reforms on agrarian structure in India. How have they influenced
rural inequality and agricultural productivity ? भारत में कृषि संरचना पर भूमि सुधारों के प्रभाव पर चर्चा कीजिए। इन्होंने ग्रामीण असमानता और कृषि उत्पादकता को कैसे प्रभावित किया है?
Ans: Land reform refers to the government redistributing land from landowners to landless people for agricultural use or other specific purposes. It is considered an important step toward social justice and aims to abolish the exploitative attitude of rich landowning classes over insecure farmers
Impact of Land Reforms on Agrarian Structure in India
- Redistribution of Land Ownership: Land reforms led to the redistribution of land, reducing the concentration of land ownership.
- By the mid-1980s, over 26 million acres of surplus land had been distributed to nearly 5 million tenant farmers and landless laborers.
- Fragmentation of Large Landholdings:Land reforms resulted in the fragmentation of large landholdings.
- As a consequence, the average size of operational holdings in India declined significantly.
- For instance, in the state of West Bengal, the average landholding size reduced from 4.28 acres in 1950-51 to 2.28 acres in 1975-76.
- Creation of Small and Marginal Farms : Land reforms led to the creation of small and marginal farms. In states like Kerala, the reforms resulted in an increase in the number of small farmers and Cultivators.
- Cooperatives and Collective Farming: Land reforms promoted the establishment of cooperatives and collective farming initiatives. These initiatives aimed to empower small-scale farmers and improve their access to inputs, credit, and marketing facilities. For example, the formation of agricultural cooperatives in states like Gujarat and Maharashtra facilitated resource-sharing and increased bargaining power among farmers.
- Reduction of Wealth Disparities: The Gini coefficient for land distribution declined from 0.92 in 1960-61 to 0.84 in 1991-92, indicating reduced wealth disparities in land ownership.
- Enhanced Social and Economic Status: Land reforms empowered small farmers, improving their social and economic status. This is evident through increased income and improved livelihoods.
In terms of agricultural productivity, the impact of land reforms has been mixed. While small-scale farmers benefited from land redistribution, their lack of access to credit, technology, and modern farming techniques hindered their productivity. Moreover, fragmented landholdings resulted in reduced economies of scale and limited investment in irrigation infrastructure and mechanisation.
Land reforms in India redistributed land, empowering landless farmers and reducing wealth
disparities. However, challenges persist in agricultural productivity. Improving access to credit,
technology, and extension services can enhance productivity and ensure sustainable outcomes
| Source : |
| Extra Info : Bhoodan and Gramdaan Movements The Bhoodan movement was launched in 1951, immediately after the peasant uprising in Telengana region of Andhra Pradesh, and after some years, another movement known as Gramdan came into being in 1957.The objective was to persuade landowners and leaseholders in each concerned village to renounce their land rights, after which all the lands would become the property of a village association for the egalitarian redistribution and for purpose of joint cultivation.Vinoba Bhave hoped to eliminate private ownership of land through Bhoodan and Gramdan and maintained that the movement would go a long way to ensure the just redistribution of land, the consolidation of holding and their joint cultivation.However, the movement failed to achieve its targeted objectives and the degree of success in respect of both land acquisition and land distribution was very limited.In most cases, the village landlords donated only those pieces of land which were either unfit for cultivation or were in dispute with tenants or government |