UPSC Prelims 2019 · Question 52 of 99
UPSC Prelims 2019 question on Land Ceiling Laws
- ExamUPSC CSE
- Year2019
- PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
- SubjectIndian Economy
- TopicAgriculture Economy
- DifficultyHard
- TypeDirect
With reference to land reforms in independent India, which one of the following statements is correct?
Show answer
Answer: A. The ceiling laws were aimed at family holdings and not individual holdings.
Verdict
Correct answer: The ceiling laws were aimed at family holdings and not individual holdings → Option (a).
Statement by statement
Option (a) is CORRECT: The unit of application of ceiling differs from State to State. In Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, it is on the basis of an 'land holder', whereas in the other States it is one the basis of a 'family'. The 1971 reforms brought about a change over to family rather than the individual as the unit for determining land holdings.
Option (b) is INCORRECT: The major aim of land reforms was not merely providing land to the landless — it was broader, including redistribution of land, abolition of intermediaries, and agricultural development.
Option (c) is INCORRECT: Land reforms were not aimed at cultivating cash crops as a predominant form.
Option (d) is INCORRECT: There were exemptions to ceiling limits. The 1971 policy aimed for fewer exemptions from ceilings, implying that earlier there were more exemptions.