How is the view that imparting knowledge of 'scientific' farming meth…

How is the view that imparting knowledge of 'scientific' farming methods will improve the conditions of Indian farmers best described?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 1

The correct answer is Option (1) → A common idea that overlooks what farmers have known for centuries

Option (1) A common idea that overlooks what farmers have known for centuries — Correct. The idea that teaching scientific methods will help farmers is a common belief. It ignores the deep traditional knowledge Indian farmers have built up over centuries about their land and crops.

Option (2) The main finding of sociologists who studied Green Revolution areas — Incorrect. Studies of Green Revolution areas point to its negative outcomes, such as differentiation and regional inequalities. This belief about scientific methods is a common assumption that is being questioned.

Option (3) The view held by many rural people about hybrid seeds — Incorrect. Many rural people hold a view about hybrid seeds: they believe hybrid varieties are less healthy than traditional ones. That is a different belief from this one.

Option (4) The central demand of the farmers' movements of today — Incorrect. Farmers' movements today suggest a return to traditional, more organic seeds and methods. That runs against the idea that scientific methods are the answer.

NCERT (2026-27): “4.3 The Green Revolution and its Social Consequences …
Often it is thought that imparting knowledge of ‘scientific’ farming methods will improve the conditions of Indian farmers. We should remember that Indian farmers have been cultivating the land for centuries, much before the advent of the Green Revolution. They have very deep and extensive traditional knowledge about the land they till and the crops they sow. Much of this knowledge, like the many traditional varieties of seeds that were developed over the centuries by farmers, is being lost as hybrid, high-yielding, and genetically modified varieties of seeds are being promoted as more productive and ‘scientific’ (Gupta 1998; Vasavi 1999b). In view of the negative environmental and social impact of modern methods of cultivation that have been observed, a number of scientists as well as farmers’ movements now suggest a return to traditional, more organic seeds and methods of cultivation. Many rural people themselves believe that hybrid varieties are less healthy than the traditional ones.”

How is the view that imparting knowledge of 'scientific' farming methods will improve the conditions of Indian farmers best described?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 1

The correct answer is Option (1) → A common idea that overlooks what farmers have known for centuries