Question
What were the major land reforms introduced after independence?
Solution
Land reforms after independence:
- The first important legislation was the abolition of the zamindari system, which removed the layer of intermediaries that stood between the cultivators and the state. It proved most effective. It succeeded in taking away the superior rights of the zamindars over the land and weakening their economic and political power.
- The second major land reform was the tenancy abolition and regulation acts. They attempted either to outlaw tenancy altogether or to regulate rents to give some security to the tenants. In most of the states, these laws were never implemented very effectively.
- The third major category of land reform laws were the Land Ceiling Acts. These laws imposed an upper limit on the amount of land that can be owned by a particular family. However, ceiling varied from region to region.
- The agrarian structure varies greatly across India, and the progress of land reforms has also been uneven across the states. Land reforms are necessary not only to boost agricultural growth but also to eradicate poverty in rural areas and bring about social justice.
