Complete  Notes on Agriculture in India  for BPSC and Other Competitive Exams in 2025

Economics- 2

Here are detailed notes on Agriculture in India under the specified subtopics: Green Revolution, Land Reforms, and Key Government Schemes (PM-KISAN, MSP, eNAM)

Agriculture in India

Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy, employing more than 40% of the population and contributing about 16% to GDP (2024 estimates). Its development is crucial for food security, rural employment, and inclusive growth.

Green Revolution in India

Definition:

Green Revolution refers to the rapid increase in agricultural production, especially of food grains like wheat and rice, due to the adoption of High-Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and improved irrigation.

Key Features:

• Introduced in 1965–66, during the Third Five-Year Plan.
• Led by M.S. Swaminathan, known as the “Father of Green Revolution in India”.
• Initially focused on Punjab, Haryana, and Western UP (wheat-producing regions).

Components:

1. HYV seeds (mainly for wheat and rice)
2. Use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides
3. Improved irrigation (tube wells, canals)
4. Multiple cropping and mechanization (tractors, threshers)

Achievements:

• India became self-sufficient in food grains.
• From food deficit to surplus and export potential.
• Wheat production increased from 12 MT (1965) to over 100 MT (presently).

Limitations:

• Regional imbalance (benefited only northern states initially)
• Environmental degradation: soil fertility loss, water table depletion
• Excessive use of chemical inputs
• Neglected coarse cereals, pulses, and oilseeds

Land Reforms in India

Land reforms aimed at restructuring agrarian relations to achieve social justice and increase agricultural productivity.

Major Objectives:

• Abolition of intermediaries (zamindars)
• Redistribution of land to landless
• Regulation of rent
• Consolidation of land holdings
• Ceiling on land ownership

Phases of Land Reforms:

1. Abolition of Zamindari System (1950s):
   • Removed intermediaries between state and tillers.
   • Transferred ownership to actual cultivators.
2. Tenancy Reforms:
   • Regulation of rent (1/4th to 1/6th of produce).
   • Security of tenure.
3. Land Ceiling Acts:
   • Set a maximum limit on land one could own.
   • Surplus land distributed to landless.
4. Consolidation of Holdings:
   • Merging fragmented lands for better efficiency.
   • Promoted in Punjab, Haryana, UP.

Achievements:

• Helped in rural empowerment in some states.
• Legal ownership to millions of small and marginal farmers.

Challenges:

• Poor implementation, lack of updated land records.
• Politicization of reforms.
• Benami holdings, legal loopholes.

Important Government Schemes in Agriculture

1. PM-KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi)

• Launched: February 2019
• Objective: Provide income support of ₹6,000 per year in three installments to all landholding farmers.
• Eligibility: Small and marginal farmers owning up to 2 hectares (later extended to all).
• Implemented by: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
• Transferred via: Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

2. Minimum Support Price (MSP)

• Definition: MSP is the minimum price at which the government purchases crops from farmers.
• Announced by: Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), under Ministry of Agriculture.
• Objective: Ensure farmers get a fair price and are protected from distress sales.
• Crops Covered: 22+ major crops, including wheat, rice, pulses, oilseeds, cotton.
• Issue: Procurement primarily happens in few states (e.g., Punjab, Haryana).

3. eNAM (Electronic National Agriculture Market)

• Launched: April 2016
• Objective: Create a unified national digital market for agricultural produce.
• Platform: Online trading of commodities for transparency and better price discovery.
• Linked APMCs: Over 1,000+ regulated market yards across India.
• Benefits:
  • Real-time price visibility
  • Inter-state trade
  • Reduces role of middlemen

Objective Questions (MCQs): Agriculture in India

1. Who is known as the Father of Green Revolution in India?
A) Norman Borlaug
B) M.S. Swaminathan
C) Verghese Kurien
D) Ramesh Chand
Answer: B

2. The Green Revolution in India was first implemented in which crop?
A) Rice
B) Maize
C) Wheat
D) Pulses
Answer: C

3. Which of the following is NOT a component of Green Revolution?
A) HYV Seeds
B) Organic Farming
C) Irrigation
D) Chemical Fertilizers
Answer: B

4. PM-KISAN provides how much annual income support to eligible farmers?
A) ₹4,000
B) ₹5,000
C) ₹6,000
D) ₹10,000
Answer: C

5. Which body recommends MSP in India?
A) NITI Aayog
B) NABARD
C) CACP
D) RBI
Answer: C

6. eNAM is related to:
A) Electronic voting in rural areas
B) Agricultural market digitization
C) Rural electrification
D) Organic farming scheme
Answer: B

7. One of the objectives of land ceiling under land reforms was:
A) To promote large-scale farming
B) To allow unlimited landholding
C) To distribute surplus land to landless
D) To encourage absentee landlordism
Answer: C