Land Reforms History — Set 10

Correct Answer: C. 90 days with possible extension to 1 year

Under the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act 2016, the Initiating Officer can provisionally attach benami property for up to 90 days. This period can be extended by the Adjudicating Authority for up to one year while proceedings are ongoing. After adjudication, the Adjudicating Authority can order permanent forfeiture of benami property to the Central government. The provisional attachment is intended to prevent disposal of property during investigation. Appeals go to the Appellate Tribunal and then to the High Court.

Correct Answer: B. Prevention of soil degradation and sustainable land use

The National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) under the National Action Plan on Climate Change focuses on sustainable land use, soil health management, water use efficiency, and adaptation to climate change in agriculture. It addresses land degradation, rainfed area development, and conservation of soil organic carbon. While not a redistributive land reform, NMSA represents a different dimension of land policy — maintaining and improving the productive potential of existing agricultural land. The Soil Health Card scheme under NMSA provides farmers with information about their soil's nutritional status.

Correct Answer: B. Accountability, transparency, and management of Waqf properties including land

Waqf properties (religious endowments under Islamic law) include vast tracts of land across India. The Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025 introduced significant changes to Waqf governance including removing provisions that allowed Waqf Boards to declare any property as Waqf without adequate documentation, improving transparency in management, and streamlining dispute resolution. Land classified as Waqf had often been subject to disputes with other owners or governments. The amendment was controversial, with some Muslim organizations opposing it as interference in religious affairs.

Correct Answer: B. For the first time gave occupancy rights to tenants and set maximum rent

The Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act 1948 was a pioneering legislation that gave occupancy rights to tenants, set maximum rent (one-sixth of produce), and provided for 'deemed purchase' by tenants after a period of cultivation. The Act declared April 1, 1957 as 'Tillers' Day' when all qualified tenants would be deemed to have purchased the land they cultivated. This created millions of owner-cultivators in Maharashtra and Gujarat. The Act was widely studied as a model for tenancy reform legislation.

Correct Answer: B. Pochampally

Pochampally village in Nalgonda district (now Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district) of Telangana is famous as the birthplace of the Bhoodan movement where Vinoba Bhave received the first voluntary land donation on April 18, 1951. The same village is also famous for its traditional Pochampally ikat weaving, a GI-tagged silk textile known for its distinctive geometric patterns. The village is now called Bhoodan Pochampally to commemorate its historic association with the land reform movement.

Correct Answer: A. Nationalization meant all land becomes government property while land reforms gave land to individual farmers

Land nationalization (advocated by the Socialist Party and some left groups) proposed that all agricultural land become state property, with farmers cultivating as licensees or tenants of the state. Indian land reforms, in contrast, aimed to give land to individual cultivating farmers as private owners. The Congress party and most state governments rejected nationalization in favor of private ownership by cultivating families. The distinction reflected different ideological traditions — individual proprietorship versus state or collective ownership. India followed the 'land to the tiller' (private ownership) path rather than nationalization.

Correct Answer: B. Assign a unique 14-digit number to every land parcel for national land database

The Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) or Bhu-Aadhaar system assigns a unique 14-digit alphanumeric number to every land parcel in India based on its geospatial coordinates (longitude and latitude). This creates a national land database enabling deduplication of records, prevention of fraud, seamless inter-state land transactions, and integration with financial systems for credit. The system is being implemented under DILRMP and will link with SVAMITVA survey data, registration records, and court case management systems.

Correct Answer: B. Legalize and regulate tenancy to protect both lessors and lessees

The Model Agriculture Land Leasing Act 2016 drafted by NITI Aayog recommended states to legalize agricultural tenancy which was prohibited or heavily restricted in many states after land reforms. The model law aims to protect lessors' ownership rights (they get land back at end of lease) while giving lessees access to credit (KCC), crop insurance, and government scheme benefits. About 10-20% of agricultural land is estimated to be under informal tenancy because formal tenancy was banned. Legalizing tenancy would allow these farmers to access institutional support. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were among the first to enact similar laws.

Correct Answer: C. Government use, public sector, public-private partnership projects, and private companies for public benefit

The Land Acquisition Act 2013 defined 'public purpose' broadly to include strategic defense/security purposes, government infrastructure (roads, railways, power lines), projects by government companies and PSUs, projects for planned development and housing, and projects involving PPP or private companies where the direct benefit goes to the public. For private company projects using land acquired under this Act, the 80% consent requirement applies. The definition is broader than purely government use but narrower than the 1894 Act's very loose definition that courts interpreted to include any commercial project.

Correct Answer: B. Laws were enacted but implementation was poor due to political resistance from landed elites

India's land reforms are described as 'half-hearted' because while comprehensive legislation was enacted, actual implementation was severely limited by political resistance from landed elites who dominated state legislatures and local administration. Benami transfers hid surplus land before ceiling laws came into force. Tenancy reforms were subverted by landlords evicting tenants before legislation passed. Administrative machinery at village level was often controlled by landowning interests. Scholars like Daniel Thorner, Francine Frankel, and P.S. Appu have documented the wide gap between legislative intent and ground implementation.