Which of the following statements about land reforms in independent India is correct?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Their progress has been uneven across the states
Option (1) Land Ceiling Acts were firmly enforced in most states — Incorrect. Land Ceiling Acts put an upper limit on the land a family could own. In most states they proved toothless, as landowners used loopholes such as benami transfers to keep surplus land.
Option (2) Tenancy acts were implemented effectively in most states — Incorrect. Tenancy acts tried to outlaw tenancy or to regulate rents. In most states they were never implemented very effectively, and only West Bengal and Kerala saw a radical change.
Option (3) Their progress has been uneven across the states — Correct. The agrarian structure differs a great deal across India, and land reforms went further in some states than in others. This is what uneven progress across the states means.
Option (4) Zamindari abolition failed to weaken zamindars in most areas — Incorrect. The feature is reversed. Zamindari abolition was probably the most effective land reform law, because in most areas it took away the superior rights of the zamindars and weakened their power.
NCERT (2026-27): “Independent India … “The agrarian structure varies greatly across India, and the progress of land reforms has also been uneven across the states. On the whole, however, it can be said that the agrarian structure, although it has changed substantially from colonial times to the present, remains highly unequal. …” |