There are six main categories of reforms:
- Abolition of intermediaries (rent collectors under the pre-Independence land revenue system);
- Tenancy regulation (to improve the contractual terms including the security of tenure);
- A ceiling on landholdings (to redistributing surplus land to the landless);
- Attempts to consolidate disparate landholdings;
- encouragement of cooperative joint farming;
- settlement and regulation of tenancy. [3]
What are the 4 types of land reforms?
There are four main categories of reforms: Abolition of intermediaries (rent collectors under the pre-Independence land revenue system); Tenancy regulation (to improve the contractual terms including security of tenure); A ceiling on landholdings (to redistributing surplus land to the landless);
What are the reasons for land reforms in India?
Land reforms include; In an agrarian economy like India with massive inequalities of wealth and income, great scarcity and an unequal distribution of land, coupled with a large mass of people living below the poverty line, there are strong economic and political arguments for land reforms.
What is meant by agrarian reforms in India?
-Redistribution of lands across the society so that the lands would not be owned only by few people. Zamindari Abolition Act, 1950 was one of the major agrarian reforms by the government of India after independence in 1947.
What do you mean by land reform?
Land reform refers to efforts to reform the ownership and regulation of land in India. Or, those lands which are redistributed by the government from landholders to landless people for agriculture or special purpose is known as Land Reform.
How many land reforms are there in India?
There are six main categories of reforms: Abolition of intermediaries (rent collectors under the pre-Independence land revenue system); Tenancy regulation (to improve the contractual terms including the security of tenure); A ceiling on landholdings (to redistributing surplus land to the landless);
What were the three types of major land reforms?
Removal of rural poverty. Abolition of intermediaries. Tenancy reforms. Increasing agricultural productivity.
What are called land reforms?
land reform, a purposive change in the way in which agricultural land is held or owned, the methods of cultivation that are employed, or the relation of agriculture to the rest of the economy. Reforms such as these may be proclaimed by a government, by interested groups, or by revolution.
What are the main objectives of land reforms Programme in India?
Some of the most important objectives of land reforms in India are as follows: (i) Rational use of Resources (ii) Raising Production Level (iii) Removal of Exploitation (iv) Social Welfare (v) Planned Development (vi) Raising the Standard of Living.
How many types of land reforms are there?
Immediately after Independence four important components of land reform were thought of as major policy interventions in building the land policy. These included: (1) the abolition of intermediaries; (2) tenancy reforms; (3) fixing ceilings on land holdings; and (4) consolidation of landholdings.
How many types of land reform are there?
Whether it is called land reform or agrarian reform, the operational concept covers five main types of reform, classified according to whether they deal with land title and terms of holding, land distribution, the scale of operation, the pattern of cultivation, or supplementary measures such as credit, marketing, or ...
Why is land reform important?
The three most important reasons for land reform at the economic level are: 1. To raise agricultural productivity; 2. To strengthen food security and to lessen poverty for rural households; and 3.
Who passed land reforms in India?
A committee, under the Chairmanship of J. C. Kumarappan was appointed to look into the problem of land. The Kumarappa Committee's report recommended comprehensive agrarian reform measures. The Land Reforms of the independent India had four components: The Abolition of the Intermediaries.
Which states have land reform?
The most notable and successful example of land reforms are in the states of West Bengal and Kerala.
What is the principle of land reforms?
Land reform usually refers to redistribution of land from the rich to the poor. More broadly, it includes regulation of ownership, operation, leasing, sales, and inheritance of land (indeed, the redistribution of land itself requires legal changes).
When were land reforms introduced in India?
Laws for land ceiling were enacted in various states during 50s & 60s which were modified on the directives of central government in 1972. Under the 1949 Indian constitution, states were granted the powers to enact (and implement) land reforms.
What are the scope of land reforms?
The scope of land reforms, therefore, includes: (i) abolition of intermediaries, (ii) tenancy reforms, i.e., regulation of rent, security of tenure for tenants and conferment of ownership on them; (iii) ceiling on land holdings and distribution of surplus land to landless agricultural labourers and small farmers; (iv) ...
When was Stolypin's reforms?
Stolypin land reform, (1906–17), measures undertaken by the Russian government to allow peasants to own land individually.
What did the Bolsheviks do with the land?
In November 1917, the Bolsheviks issued a land decree, which was one of over 190 decrees issued in the first six months of the Bolshevik government's existence. This decree stated that: There could be no private ownership of land. Land could not be sold, leased or mortgaged.
Why were land grants created?
The system of giving land as grants was adopted as a strategic tool to extend Brahmanical practices and to provide scope for the expansion of agriculture. 4. The kings wanted to make allies as the weakening of the powers was evident.
What was Lenin's land decree?
It decreed an abolition of private property, and the redistribution of the landed estates amongst the peasantry. According to the Decree on Land, the peasants had seized the lands of the nobility, monasteries and Church.
When were the land reforms implemented?from byjus.com
To fix the various loopholes in the land reforms, in the late 60s and early 70s, the recommendations of the Central Land Reforms Committee were implemented.
What were the objectives of land reforms after independence?from byjus.com
Objectives of land reforms after independence. Land is the basis of all economic activity and for a largely agrarian society like India; this carries a lot of import. Indian rural society is symbolised by a rich landowning minority (zamindars/landlords) and an impoverished landless majority (peasants).
What was the permanent settlement system?from byjus.com
PERMANENT SETTLEMENT OF BENGAL/ ZAMINDARI SYSTEM. Lord Cornwallis introduced the Permanent Settlement in 1793. Under this system, a class of landlords called Zamindars was created whose responsibility it was to pay a fixed rent to the government for the lands they owned.
What are the reforms from below?from byjus.com
Reforms from ‘below’ through voluntary donations by landlords and peaceful processions by farmers like the Bhoodan movement and the Gram Dan.
What is land reform?from byjus.com
Land Reforms usually refers to redistribution of Land from rich to poor. Land reforms include Regulation of Ownership, Operation, Leasing, sale and Inheritance of Land. In an agrarian economy like India with massive inequalities of wealth and income, great scarcity and an unequal distribution of land, coupled with a large mass of people living below the poverty line, there are strong economic and political arguments for land reforms.
Why did the Zamindars and Jagirdars cease to exist?from byjus.com
The powerful class of Zamindars and Jagirdars cease to exist. This reduced the exploitation of peasants who now became owners of the land they tilled. This move was vehemently opposed by the Zamindars who employed many means to evade the law. They registered their own land under their relatives’ names. They also shuffled tenants around different plots of land so that they wouldn’t acquire incumbency rights.
What is the land distribution policy in India?from byjus.com
Land-reform policy in India had two specific objectives: “The first is to remove such impediments to increase in agricultural production as arise from the agrarian structure inherited from the past. The second objective, which is closely related to the first, is to eliminate all elements of exploitation and social injustice within the agrarian system, to provide security for the tiller of the soil and assure equality of status and opportunity to all sections of the rural population.
What is land reform?
Definition. Land Reforms usually refers to redistribution of Land from rich to poor. Land reforms include; In an agrarian economy like India with massive inequalities of wealth and income, great scarcity and an unequal distribution of land, coupled with a large mass of people living below the poverty line, there are strong economic ...
Which country left the adoption and implementation of land reforms to the state governments?
The Constitution of India left the adoption and implementation of the land reforms to the state governments. This has led to a lot of variations in the implementation of land reforms across states.
Why did the Indian government regulate rents?
To provide relief to the tenants from exploitative rents , the Indian government after independence passed legislations to regulate the rents (maximum limits on rent was fixed) and to reduce the miseries of the tenants.
What was the main cause of stagnation in the agricultural economy?
It was widely recognised that the main cause of stagnation in the agriculture economy was to a large extent due to exploitative agrarian relations. The Chief instrument of the exploitation were the intermediaries like Zamindars, patronised and promoted by the British government.
What are the three aims of the laws passed by the States?
Legislations passed by the States has three essential aims; Evictions must not take place except in accordance with the provisions of law; Land may be resumed by the owner, if at all, for the “Personal Cultivation” only; In the event of land taken by the owner, the tenant is assured of a prescribed minimum area.
What are the ownership rights of a tenant in India?
Tenants in India are classified into. Occupancy Tenants: They enjoy permanent right over land and cannot be evicted easily. Tenants at will: They do not enjoy any right over land and can be evicted by the landlords anytime.
How much of the area under cultivation was under the Zamindari system on the eve of the Independence?
About 60% of the area under cultivation was under the Zamindari system on the eve of the Independence. The States took the task of abolishing the intermediaries like Zamindars by passing the legislations.
What are some recent land reforms?
With time our country is moving towards various recent land reforms. These include the digitization of land records, the creation of land banks, land pooling, etc.
Why did the land reforms happen?
Due to a lot of disparities between land ownership, the reform was enacted. The main motive was to provide land to the landless laborers and workers. Under the second five year plan, this provision of providing ceilings to landholdings was given. The certain limit was set and people should not own lands more than that limit. This extra land would be acquired by the state and then redistributed among landless peasants and small farmers. After 1972 some changes were also made. Now the term ‘family’ was entitled to land rather than a landholder. This led to the formation of more nuclear families as a result. In September 2001, a total of nearly 74 lakh acres declared as surplus. Out of it, approximately 54 lakh acres of land was distributed by the state. This ceiling reform received many criticisms. People started manipulating land records and land distribution among family, friends, trusts, etc. was started. Another loophole was that much less than the expected area was declared as surplus. Moreover, the land that people voluntarily giving up was mostly unproductive and barren. Poor people were not able to use it. Big landlords got no effect and they continued with their whole landholdings which were a major drawback of this ceiling law.
What were the failures of the Tenancy Reforms?
It was fixed somewhere between one – fifth to one – a fourth of the land produce. But land rents were not similar in every state. This was one of the failures of the tenancy reforms. There was continuous ejectment of laborers, sharecroppers, and workers from the land due to varied rent provisions. The legislation made under tenancy reforms favored the working class but still, exploitation was prevailing. Expect in a situation when landlords wanted to continue with their cultivation, no worker could be evicted. Even in this exception also it was compulsory to leave an area for the tenant. By 2000, only 1.25 crore got benefits and received ownership rights. We can conclude that this reform was very limited. There was a problem in the identification of sub-tenants. The tenancy laws were violated continuously and there was no security provided to the tenants. Kerala and West Bengal performed very well comparatively due to the communist government at that time.
How many hectares of land were distributed to the landless farmers of that time?
They came in direct interaction with the state. Moreover, 61 hectares of land were distributed to the landless farmers of that time. Various forests and wasteland also came under state control. Though a small portion of people availed advantages and still a large section of society was facing exploitation.
How did land reforms improve productivity?
Land reform measures were able to increase productivity manifolds as compared to previous situations. The agrarian sector started flourishing. Many new costless methods were discovered to improve agricultural productivity. But ownership was not successfully transferred to the tillers. So the latest reforms were very incomplete. The objective of social justice has also been achieved considerably. The abolition of intermediaries and provisions like conferred ownership rights, regulation of rents were very basic steps towards achieving social justice. The process was very slow and undesirable.
Why did farmers suffer a lot in the pre-independence era?
In the pre-independence era, tenants, peasants, and small farmers suffered a lot due to the revenue systems of Mahalwari, Zamindari, ryotwari. One of the major reasons was the unequal distribution of land. Landholdings were concentrated in few hands. The majority of farmers were being exploited. The struggle of class between the bourgeoisie and ...
What was the problem with the consolidation of landholdings?
There was the problem of scattered and fragmented landholdings. People have several acres of land but at a fixed place which was making productivity very low. Several expenses like irrigation, machinery, etc. were very huge due to subdivided lands and small farmers were again facing problems. This led to the urgent need for the consolidation of landholdings. The consolidation of such lands was a necessary step to enhance efficiency. Social and economic conditions were uplifted after it. Till December 2001, only one-third of the area was consolidated. This reform was also inclined towards large farmers which were a great threat. Small farmers were afraid of eviction from their lands in the name of consolidation. Punjab and Haryana made this provision compulsory and it was best implemented in these states only. People were emotionally attached to these scattered lands so they were not agreeing to give up them. The land they were getting might be less fertile as compared to the surrendered land.
What is land reform?
Land Reforms usually refers to redistribution of Land from rich to poor. Land reforms include Regulation of Ownership, Operation, Leasing, sale and Inheritance of Land. In an agrarian economy like India with massive inequalities of wealth and income, great scarcity and an unequal distribution of land, coupled with a large mass of people living below the poverty line, there are strong economic and political arguments for land reforms.
What is the purpose of land reform?
The purpose of land reform is to help weaker section of society and do justice in land distribution.
What was the Indian government's goal during the 50s?
The Indian Government was committed to land reforms and to ensure distributive justice as was promised during the freedom struggle. Consequently, laws were passed by all the State Governments during the Fifties with the avowed aim of abolishing landlordism, distributing land through imposition of ceilings, protection of tenants and consolidation of land- holdings.
Why did India implement land reforms?
Land reforms are mainly introduced to provide social and economic equality in society which did not exist in the pre – independence era. Land ownership pattern existed in the agrarian culture is cruel and the most of the real cultivators are there, lived in poverty. This land reforms that took place in and after India’s independence is much needed to provide the basic human rights equity. Apart from discussing the success and failure of the land reforms, it was actually a much needed change in the agrarian culture and it made a change than being in a worst condition of poverty and being a landless cultivator.
Why is land reform important in India?
After India got independence, it adopted a socialist principles like equality in all spheres of social, economic, political was envisional. These land reforms are the essential steps towards social economic equality because the land is the fundamental rights and asset needed for the healthy development of an individual. As per the Indian constitution, the land reforms come under the ‘state subjects’ and hence, the responsibility of bringing up the regulations for effecting the land reforms lies with each state. [2]
What is the purpose of land reform?
The term land reform comprises regulations for ownership, operations, leasing, sales and inheritance of land. India as an agricultural economy, with a great scarcity and an unequal distribution of land with a large mass of rural population below the poverty line it could be the greater struggle for growth culture. And it is very important to redistribute agricultural lands in favour of less privileged class in general and cultivating class in more particular. In the form of economic point of view, the main aim of land reform is equity. The key aim is to ensure access to some minimum amount of land to the people who are in the line of poverty . Land reform is said to be the change in the system of land ownership especially when it involves giving the land to the people who actually farm it. [1]
What is tenancy reform?
Tenancy reforms aim to the regulation of rent, provide security of tenure and confer ownership to tenants. The tenancy reforms laws provide the provision for registration of tenants or giving ownership rights to the former tenants to bring them directly under the state.
What are the main objectives of land reform in India?
The main objectives of the land reform in India are: -Redistribution of lands across the society so that the lands would not be owned only by few people. -Abolition of intermediaries. -Tenancy reforms. -Land ceiling to disburse surplus land amongst small and marginal farmers. -Removal of rural poverty.
What was the practice of holding lands in an unequal manner from historic times?
There was a practice of holding lands in an highly unequal manner from historic times and it is always used as a source of social power in the society. The land ownership and patterns were in a different form in each rule. i.e starting from Mughals ,and British rule, to till India got independence.
What was the basis of all economic activity in India?
Pre – Independence Era. In any country, the basis of all economic activity is land and it’s resources. If we look at the history of India, there are many instances of considering the land as a private property by the individuals who had complete control over it.
What is land reform in India?from byjus.com
Land reforms in India – History and Status. Land reforms in India usually refer to redistribution of land from the rich to the poor. Land reforms are often connected with re-distribution of agricultural land and hence it is related to agrarian reforms too.
When were the land reforms implemented?from byjus.com
To fix the various loopholes in the land reforms, in the late 60s and early 70s, the recommendations of the Central Land Reforms Committee were implemented.
What were the objectives of land reforms after independence?from byjus.com
Objectives of land reforms after independence. Land is the basis of all economic activity and for a largely agrarian society like India; this carries a lot of import. Indian rural society is symbolised by a rich landowning minority (zamindars/landlords) and an impoverished landless majority (peasants).
What was the permanent settlement system?from byjus.com
PERMANENT SETTLEMENT OF BENGAL/ ZAMINDARI SYSTEM. Lord Cornwallis introduced the Permanent Settlement in 1793. Under this system, a class of landlords called Zamindars was created whose responsibility it was to pay a fixed rent to the government for the lands they owned.
What are the reforms from below?from byjus.com
Reforms from ‘below’ through voluntary donations by landlords and peaceful processions by farmers like the Bhoodan movement and the Gram Dan.
How many cultivators were brought into direct relationship with the State?from economicsdiscussion.net
The laws for the abolition of intermediaries had been implemented fairly well. As a result, 20 million cultivators were brought into direct relationship with the State. But this reform led to large-scale ejectment of tenants from land which they had been cultivating for generations as the laws failed to offer any protection to these masses.
Why did the Zamindars and Jagirdars cease to exist?from byjus.com
The powerful class of Zamindars and Jagirdars cease to exist. This reduced the exploitation of peasants who now became owners of the land they tilled. This move was vehemently opposed by the Zamindars who employed many means to evade the law. They registered their own land under their relatives’ names. They also shuffled tenants around different plots of land so that they wouldn’t acquire incumbency rights.
Pre Independence
- Under the British Raj, the farmers did not have the ownership of the lands they cultivated, the landlordship of the land lied with the Zamindars, Jagirdars etc.
- Several important issues confronted the government and stood as a challenge in front of independent India.
Post Independence
- A committee, under the Chairmanship of J. C. Kumarappan was appointed to look into the problem of land. The Kumarappa Committee's report recommended comprehensive agrarian reform measures.
- The Land Reforms of the independent India had four components:
- These were taken in phases because of the need to establish a political will for their wider ac…
- A committee, under the Chairmanship of J. C. Kumarappan was appointed to look into the problem of land. The Kumarappa Committee's report recommended comprehensive agrarian reform measures.
- The Land Reforms of the independent India had four components:
- These were taken in phases because of the need to establish a political will for their wider acceptance of these reforms.
Abolition of The Intermediaries
- Abolition of the zamindari system:The first important legislation was the abolition of the zamindari system, which removed the layer of intermediaries who stood between the cultivators and the state.
- The reform was relatively the most effective than the other reforms, for in most areas it succeeded in taking away the superior rights of the zamindars over the land and weakening t…
- Abolition of the zamindari system:The first important legislation was the abolition of the zamindari system, which removed the layer of intermediaries who stood between the cultivators and the state.
- The reform was relatively the most effective than the other reforms, for in most areas it succeeded in taking away the superior rights of the zamindars over the land and weakening their economic an...
- Advantages: The abolition of intermediaries made almost 2 crore tenants the owners of the land they cultivated.
- Disadvantages: However, zamindari abolition did not wipe out landlordism or the tenancy or sharecropping systems, which continued in many areas. It only removed the top layer of landl…
Tenancy Reforms
- After passing the Zamindari Abolition Acts, the next major problem was of tenancy regulation.
- Tenancy reforms introduced to regulate rent, provide security of tenure andconfer ownership to tenants.
- The reform attempted either to outlaw tenancy altogether or to regulate rents to give some security to the tenants.
- After passing the Zamindari Abolition Acts, the next major problem was of tenancy regulation.
- Tenancy reforms introduced to regulate rent, provide security of tenure andconfer ownership to tenants.
- The reform attempted either to outlaw tenancy altogether or to regulate rents to give some security to the tenants.
- In West Bengal and Kerala, there was a radical restructuring of the agrarian structure that gave land rights to the tenants.
Ceilings on Landholdings
- The third major category of land reform laws were theLand Ceiling Acts. In simpler terms, the ceilings on landholdings referred to legally stipulating the maximum size beyond which no individual fa...
- In 1942 the Kumarappan Committeerecommended the maximum size of lands a landlord can retain. It was three times the economic holding i.e. sufficient livelihood for a family.
- The third major category of land reform laws were theLand Ceiling Acts. In simpler terms, the ceilings on landholdings referred to legally stipulating the maximum size beyond which no individual fa...
- In 1942 the Kumarappan Committeerecommended the maximum size of lands a landlord can retain. It was three times the economic holding i.e. sufficient livelihood for a family.
- By 1961-62, all the state governments had passed the land ceiling acts. But the ceiling limits varied from state to state. To bring uniformity across states, a new land ceiling policy was evolved i...
- With the help of these reforms, the state was supposed to identify and take possession of surplus land (above the ceiling limit) held by each household, and redistribute it to landless fa…
Consolidation of Landholdings
- Consolidation referred to reorganization/redistribution of fragmented lands into one plot.
- This led to the introduction of landholdings consolidation.
- Almost all states except Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura and parts of Andhra Pradesh enacted laws for consolidation of Holdings.
- In Punjab and Haryana, there was compulsory consolidation of the lands, whereas in other st…
- Consolidation referred to reorganization/redistribution of fragmented lands into one plot.
- This led to the introduction of landholdings consolidation.
- Almost all states except Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura and parts of Andhra Pradesh enacted laws for consolidation of Holdings.
- In Punjab and Haryana, there was compulsory consolidation of the lands, whereas in other states law provided for consolidation on voluntary basis; if the majority of the landowners agreed.
Way Forward
- It has now been argued by the NITI Aayogand some sections of industry that land leasing should be adopted on a large scale to enable landholders with unviable holdings to lease out land for investm...
- This cause would be facilitated by the consolidation of landholdings.
- Modern land reforms measures such as land record digitisationmust be accomplished at th…
- It has now been argued by the NITI Aayogand some sections of industry that land leasing should be adopted on a large scale to enable landholders with unviable holdings to lease out land for investm...
- This cause would be facilitated by the consolidation of landholdings.
- Modern land reforms measures such as land record digitisationmust be accomplished at the earliest.
Conclusion
- The pace of implementation of land reform measures has been slow. The objective of social justice has, however, been achieved to a considerable degree.
- Land reform has a great role in the rural agrarian economy that is dominated by land and agriculture. New and innovative land reform measures should be adopted with new vigour to eradicate rural po...