Land Reforms History — Set 9
Indian Agriculture · भूमि सुधार इतिहास · Questions 81–90 of 120
Indira Gandhi's 20-Point Programme included which land reform element?
Correct Answer: B. Abolition of bonded labour and implementation of land ceiling laws
Indira Gandhi's 20-Point Programme (1975, revised 1982) prominently included abolition of bonded labor, implementation of land ceiling laws, distribution of ceiling surplus land to landless, and provision of homestead sites. The programme gave fresh impetus to stalled land reform implementation during the Emergency. Targets were set for distribution of ceiling surplus and wasteland to landless Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. While some progress was made, the Emergency's end and political changes in states slowed implementation again.
The Benami Transactions Prohibition Amendment Act 2016 is administered by which authority?
Correct Answer: B. Ministry of Finance through Income Tax department
The Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act 2016 is administered by the Ministry of Finance, primarily through the Income Tax Department. Initiating Officers (Income Tax officers) investigate benami transactions and refer cases to the Adjudicating Authority. The Appellate Tribunal under the Act hears appeals against Adjudicating Authority orders. The Income Tax department can provisionally attach benami property during investigation. The law is seen as a tool against black money and tax evasion in addition to its land reform implications.
The Supreme Court ruled in I.R. Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu (2007) that 9th Schedule laws can be reviewed if they:
Correct Answer: B. Violate the basic structure of the Constitution
In I.R. Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu (2007), a nine-judge constitution bench ruled that laws added to the 9th Schedule after April 24, 1973 (date of Kesavananda Bharati judgment) can be challenged in courts if they violate the basic structure of the Constitution. The 9th Schedule is not an absolute shield. However, the judgment also held that for laws added before 1973, the original protection remains. This qualified the earlier understanding that 9th Schedule provided complete immunity from judicial review.
The National Policy for Farmers (2007), based on Swaminathan Commission recommendations, addressed land reforms by:
Correct Answer: B. Recommending diversified use of agricultural land including leasing reform
The National Policy for Farmers 2007, which drew heavily from Swaminathan Commission reports, recommended comprehensive land reforms including distribution of ceiling surplus land, land leasing reforms to permit formal tenancy, and prevention of diversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural uses. It recommended creating a National Land Authority to maintain land banks of ceiling surplus and government wastelands. The policy also called for updating land records, resolving land disputes through lok adalats, and protecting small and marginal farmers from land alienation.
The impact of land reforms on agricultural productivity has been found to be:
Correct Answer: B. Positive in states with effective implementation like West Bengal and Kerala
Research has shown that land reforms had positive productivity impacts in states where implementation was effective. Studies by Deininger, Jin, and others found that Operation Barga in West Bengal increased agricultural productivity significantly by giving sharecroppers secure tenure. Kerala's land reforms also led to productivity increases as owner-cultivators invested more in their land. The inverse relationship between farm size and productivity (smaller farms are more productive per acre due to more intensive cultivation) means land redistribution can increase aggregate output if accompanied by support services.
The right to homestead land for landless rural poor is part of which policy objective?
Correct Answer: B. Land reforms for landless agricultural laborers
Providing homestead land (house sites) to landless agricultural laborers was a key objective of land reforms, recognizing that even people without agricultural land need secure residential rights. States like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Bihar enacted homestead land distribution schemes. The Indira Awaas Yojana (later Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin) also addresses housing for rural poor. The SVAMITVA scheme (2020) further contributes by documenting existing residential occupations in villages, giving house-owners legal titles.
The Tenth Plan's (2002-07) approach to land reforms focused on:
Correct Answer: B. Updating and computerizing land records and focusing on tenancy reform
The Tenth Five Year Plan (2002-07) emphasized updating land records, computerization of land records, removal of gender bias in land ownership, and tenancy reform to bring informal tenants into legal frameworks. It recognized that traditional redistributive land reforms had run their course and future reforms should focus on improving the functioning of land markets through better records, reducing transaction costs, and legal protection for tenants. The National Land Records Modernization Programme emerged from this emphasis on administrative land reform.
Women's rights to land ownership in India were strengthened by which amendment to the Hindu Succession Act?
Correct Answer: C. 2005 amendment
The Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act 2005 gave daughters equal coparcenary rights in Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) property, including agricultural land. Before this, daughters had limited rights — they were entitled to a share only as class I heirs after the father's death but not as coparceners with birth rights. The 2005 amendment put daughters on equal footing with sons. Some states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Maharashtra had already made similar amendments to their state laws in the 1980s-90s.
The term 'kisan' refers to which group in the context of Indian land reforms?
Correct Answer: C. Cultivators/farmers
Kisan (also spelled kisaan) means cultivator or farmer in Hindi/Urdu, derived from Persian kashavar (agriculturalist). In the context of land reforms, kisan movements sought rights for cultivating peasants — both owner-cultivators and tenant farmers. The All India Kisan Sabha (founded 1936) was a major organization that advocated for land reforms, debt relief, and peasant rights. Post-independence, kisan rights were operationalized through zamindari abolition, tenancy reforms, and distribution of ceiling surplus land.
The Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill 2015 proposed which changes to the 2013 Act?
Correct Answer: B. Exempting certain categories of projects from consent and SIA requirements
The Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill 2015 proposed by the NDA government sought to exempt five categories of projects (defense, rural infrastructure, affordable housing, industrial corridors, and infrastructure) from the social impact assessment and consent requirements of the 2013 Act. The bill was passed in Lok Sabha but failed in Rajya Sabha amid opposition from farmers' organizations and opposition parties. The government then issued an ordinance (thrice) before eventually withdrawing the amendments, keeping the 2013 Act largely intact. Several states later amended the 2013 Act under their own authority.