Explain the need and type of land reforms implemented in the agriculture sector.

At the time of independence, the land tenure system was characterised by intermediaries called zamindars, jagirdars, etc. They collected rent from the actual tiller without contributing to improvements on the farm. This demotivated the actual tillers and resulted in low productivity. Due to this reason, there was an urgent need for land reform policy.

The agricultural sector in India adopted the following types of land-reform strategies:

(i) Abolition of Intermediaries: The zamindari system was abolished and ownership rights were given to the actual tiller of land.

(ii) Regulation of Rent: Rent was regulated and a maximum limit of 33% of the value of the crop was fixed.

(iii) Land Ceiling: The maximum size of landholding that an agricultural household could own was limited. The surplus land was acquired after paying compensation and was re-distributed among poor farmers.

(iv) Consolidation of Landholding: To increase productivity, farmers were given a big piece of land in place of small and fragmented fields.

(v) Cooperative Farming: Cooperative farming was encouraged to get benefit from the gains of consolidation of holdings.

At the time of independence, the land tenure system was characterized by intermediaries called zamindars, jagirdars, etc. Who merely collected rent from the actual tiller without contributing towards improvements on the farm. This demotivated the actual tiller and resulted in low productivity in this sector. Because of this, there was an urgent need for land reform policy. - The important policies of India’s land reform strategy were:
(i) Abolition of Intermediaries The Zamindari system was abolished and ownership rights were confused with the actual tiller of the land.
(ii) Regulation of Rent Rent was regulated and a maximum limit of 33 % of the value of the crop was fixed.
(iii) Land Ceiling The maximum size of landholding that an agricultural household can own was fixed. the surplus land was acquired after paying compensation and was re-distributed among poor farmers.
(iv) Consolidation of Land Holding To increase productivity farmers were given a big piece of land in place of their small and fragmented fields.
(v) Co-operative Farming was encouraged to further benefit from the gains of consolidation of holdings.