1) Why agriculture was central
Post-independence India faced:
- food shortages and import dependence,
- low productivity,
- rural poverty and unemployment.
So reforms targeted:
- land relations,
- technology and irrigation,
- price support and procurement,
- public distribution for food security.
2) Land reforms (high-yield headings)
2.1 Abolition of intermediaries (zamindari abolition)
Goal: remove rent-seeking intermediaries and improve cultivator incentives.
2.2 Tenancy reforms
Aim:
- provide security of tenure,
- regulate rents,
- sometimes confer ownership rights.
2.3 Ceilings on landholdings
Objective:
- reduce concentration,
- redistribute surplus land.
2.4 Consolidation of holdings
Aim:
- reduce fragmentation,
- improve efficiency and investment incentives.
Typical evaluation:
- Mixed success due to implementation gaps, loopholes, record issues, political economy constraints.
3) Green Revolution (GR)
3.1 Meaning
GR refers to rapid increase in agricultural output due to adoption of:
- HYV seeds,
- chemical fertilizers and pesticides,
- irrigation expansion,
- mechanization,
- supportive price and procurement policy.