How did land reforms in some parts of the country help to improve the socio-economic conditions of marginal and small farmers?
After independence, India took several steps to change the unfair land ownership system. Many states introduced land reforms to help poor farmers who
Q: How did land reforms in some parts of the country help to improve the socio-economic conditions of marginal and small farmers? (UPSC GS1 – 2021) After independence, India took several steps to change the unfair land ownership system. Many states introduced land reforms to help poor farmers who actually worked on the land but didn’t own it. In states like West Bengal , Kerala , and Karnataka , land reforms were more successful. These reforms included removing middlemen (like zamindars), giving land to the farmers who cultivated it, fixing limits on how much land a person could own, and combining small pieces of land. For example, in West Bengal , a programme called Operation Barga gave legal rights to sharecroppers. This gave them more confidence, better income, and protection from eviction. In Kerala , reforms gave ownership rights to tenants, which helped reduce inequality. Farmers who earlier worked on others’ land could now grow crops on their own land. Because of these reforms, many small…