LAND REFORMS IN INDIA

Background

1. Land reforms in India refer to the series of measures taken by the Indian government to redistribute land ownership and reduce land inequality in the country.
2. The history of land reforms in India dates to the 1950s when the government initiated a series of measures to redistribute land to the landless and to regulate the rights of tenants.
3. The main objective of land reforms in India is to address the problem of landlessness, tenancy, and unequal land distribution, which have been persistent issues in the country.

Need for Land Reform

1. By the time British rule ended, intermediary tenures in the zamindari and jagirdari areas, as well as subleasing in the ryotwari areas, had created an agrarian structure in which unproductive interest groups controlled the reins.
2. Landlessness, hunger, unemployment, and debt reached unprecedented heights simultaneously as the concentration of land in the hands of a few continued to rise.
3. To promote social and economic justice among the farmers.
4. The issues were made worse by eviction and a lack of security in the tenancy, both of which required immediate attention in independent India.
5. The Agrarian Reforms Committee, led by J.C. Kumarappa as chairman, was set up by the government after Independence to conduct in-depth research on the country's agrarian relations.
6. The committee suggested that the state should eliminate all intermediaries between the tiller and the state, and the tiller should be required to own the land under certain conditions.

 

Major land reforms in India

1. Abolition of the Zamindari System (1950): The zamindari system was a feudal system of land ownership prevalent in many parts of India. The government abolished this system and transferred the ownership of land to the tillers of the soil.
2. Tenancy Reforms (1950s-1960s): The government introduced several measures to protect the rights of tenants and regulate their rent. This included the regulation of rent, the prevention of eviction, and the recognition of the rights of sharecroppers.
3. Ceiling on Land Holdings (1961): The government imposed a ceiling on land holdings, which varied from state to state. This prevented the concentration of land ownership in the hands of a few individuals.
4. Land Consolidation (1960s-1970s): Land consolidation involved the reorganization of fragmented landholdings to create larger, more productive plots of land. This was done to improve agricultural productivity and reduce the fragmentation of land.
5. Cooperative Farming (1960s-1970s): The government encouraged cooperative farming to promote the pooling of resources and to increase the bargaining power of small and marginal farmers.
6. Land Development Banks (1960s-1970s): Land development banks were established to provide credit to farmers for land development, irrigation, and other agricultural activities.
7. Land Reforms in Kerala (1970s-1980s): The state government of Kerala introduced several land reforms, including the distribution of surplus land to the landless, the imposition of a ceiling on land holdings, and the recognition of the rights of tenants.
8. Forest Land Distribution (1980s): The government initiated the distribution of forest land to the tribal communities and other marginalized groups to promote their livelihoods and reduce their dependence on forests.
9. Digitization of Land Records (2008): The government initiated the digitization of land records to ensure the transparency and accuracy of land ownership and transfer.
10. Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Act (2013): The government enacted a new law to regulate the acquisition of land for public purposes and to ensure fair compensation, rehabilitation, and resettlement for those affected by land acquisition.

 

Benefits of land reforms in India:

1. Reduction in Land Inequality: The land reforms helped in reducing the concentration of land ownership in the hands of a few individuals, and promoted the distribution of land to the landless and small farmers. According to a study by the Reserve Bank of India, the Gini coefficient for land distribution in India declined from 0.67 in the 1950s to 0.48 in the 1990s, indicating a reduction in land inequality.
2. Improvement in Agricultural Productivity: The land consolidation and cooperative farming promoted by land reforms helped in improving agricultural productivity by reducing the fragmentation of land and promoting the pooling of resources. According to a study by the National Council of Applied Economic Research, land consolidation led to a 36% increase in crop yields in the state of Punjab.
3. Protection of Tenant Rights: Tenancy reforms helped in protecting the rights of tenants and sharecroppers by regulating their rent and preventing their eviction. According to a study by the Centre for Policy Research, the share of tenancy in cultivated land declined from 51% in the 1960s to 23% in the 1990s, indicating a reduction in the exploitation of tenants.
4. Promotion of Rural Credit: Land development banks provided credit to farmers for land development, irrigation, and other agricultural activities. According to a study by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, the institutional credit provided to the agricultural sector increased from Rs. 133 crore in 1961-62 to Rs. 15,72,681 crore in 2019-20.
5. Promotion of Social Equality: The distribution of surplus land to the landless and the recognition of tenant rights helped in promoting social equality and reducing rural poverty. According to a study by the Centre for Policy Research, the share of landless households in rural India declined from 45% in the 1960s to 28% in the 1990s, indicating a reduction in rural poverty.on forests.
    

 

Shortcomings Of These Land Reforms

Despite the implementation of these measures, land reforms in India have not been entirely successful. The implementation of land reforms has been slow, and there have been several loopholes and exemptions that have allowed large landowners to retain their land holdings. The lack of political will, corruption, and bureaucratic inefficiency have also hindered the implementation of land reforms.

1. Poor Implementation: Despite the introduction of several land reform measures, the implementation of these reforms was often poor and ineffective. Many of the reforms remained on paper, and the benefits did not reach the intended beneficiaries.
2. Resistance from Landlords: The implementation of land reforms was often met with resistance from landlords who were unwilling to part with their land. This led to violence and conflicts in many parts of the country.
3. Inadequate Compensation: The compensation provided to landowners and tenants for land acquisition and distribution was often inadequate, and did not reflect the true value of the land.
4. Lack of Land Records: The lack of accurate and up-to-date land records made it difficult to identify the rightful owners of land, and often led to disputes and conflicts.
5. Gender Bias: Despite the recognition of women's rights in land, the implementation of land reforms often remained biased towards men, and women continued to face discrimination in land ownership.
6. Limited Coverage: The land reforms in India often had limited coverage, and many regions and communities did not benefit from these reforms.
7. Inadequate Support Services: The land reforms were often implemented without adequate support services, such as credit, irrigation, and marketing, which were necessary for the successful cultivation of land.

 

Way forward

1. Promoting cooperative farming in India on the model of AMUL milk cooperative.
2. Promoting organic farming: A progressive model is the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, a recent program that encourages organic farming in 50-acre clusters.
3. Law for contract farming: It brings up significant aspects like formal contract agreements and tenancy security, which can even serve as collateral for loans. Because of the fixed terms of the contract (security), this change in contract farming improves agricultural efficiency and gives tenants a sense of ownership of the land.
4. Policy for national land records and their Digitalisation: In 1999, the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) published a Vision Document for the Computerization of Land Records to standardize the management of land. For the first time, this document discussed the standardization of a Land Information System. Now is the time to develop and implement a national policy on land records.

 

The model Contract Farming Act, 2018

The model Contract Farming Act, 2018, was drafted by NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) with the objective of promoting contract farming and protecting the interests of farmers and agri-business firms.

The key features of the model act are:

1. Legal Framework: The model act provides a legal framework for contract farming agreements between farmers and agri-business firms.
2. Registration of Contract Farming Agreements: The act makes it mandatory for both the farmer and the agri-business firm to register their contract farming agreement with the state government.
3. Price Assurance: The act provides for price assurance to the farmers, and the agri-business firm is required to purchase the produce at the pre-agreed price.
4. Quality and Standards: The act provides for the setting up of a mechanism for quality testing and grading of the produce, and the agri-business firm is required to purchase the produce according to the quality and standards agreed upon.
5. Dispute Resolution: The act provides for a mechanism for dispute resolution between the farmer and the agri-business firm, and the disputes are required to be resolved within a stipulated timeframe.
6. Protection of Farmer's Interests: The act provides for protection of the farmer's interests by ensuring that the agri-business firm provides necessary inputs and services, and also provides compensation in case of crop failure due to natural calamities.

Overall, the model Contract Farming Act, 2018, aims to promote contract farming in a fair and transparent manner, and provide the necessary protection to the interests of farmers and agri-business firms.

Land reforms in India continue to be an important policy issue, and the government needs to take more concerted efforts to address the problem of landlessness and unequal land distribution in the country.

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