“The Government of India has introduced various institutional and technological reforms to improve agriculture in the 1980s and 1990s.” Support this statement with examples. (CBSE 2011, 2012, 2015)

Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy because of its high share in employment and livelihood creation. However, the growth of agriculture over a period of time remained lower than the growth in non-agriculture sectors.

Government introduced several institutional and technological reforms to improve agricultural.

1. Zamindari and consolidating land holdings were abolished.

2. adjacent small fields were combined into single large farms and individual landowners were encouraged to do cooperative farming.

1. The green revolution was initiated where high yielding varieties of seeds and fertilizers were provided to farmers, and

large-scale irrigation facilities were developed to allow them to grow two crops in a year and Continue expansion of farming areas.

1. Doctor Verghese Kurien is credited with architecting Operation Flood -- the largest dairy development programme in the world.

2. Insurance cover was provided to farmers against damage to crops and rural banks and cooperative societies were set up to provide them with loans on easy rates of interest.

6. The government also started broadcasting radio and television programmes to educate farmers about new techniques of agriculture and give them a prior warning about weather conditions.

7. the government announced the procurement, remunerative and minimum support prices of all the major crops in India to stop the exploitation of small and marginal farmers by the middlemen.

8. The government also launched personal benefit schemes for farmers, like the Kisan Credit Card and the Personal Accident Insurance Scheme.

9. Under the Land Ceiling Act by the government no individual or family could own more than a certain quantum of land.