Practicing Success

Target Exam

CUET

Subject

Geography

Chapter

India-People and Economy: Land resources and Agriculture

Question:

Read the given passage carefully and answer the following five questions:

Indian agriculture economy was largely subsistence in nature before Independence. It had dismal performance in the first half of twentieth century. This period witnessed severe droughts and famines. During partition about one-third of the irrigated land in undivided India went to Pakistan. This reduced the proportion of irrigated area in Independent India. After Independence, the immediate goal of the Government was to increase food grains production by (i) switching over from cash crops to food crops; (ii) intensification of cropping over already cultivated land; and (iii) increasing cultivated area by bringing cultivable and fallow land under plough. Initially, this strategy helped in increasing foodgrains production. But agriculture production stagnated during late-1950s. to overcome this problem. Intensive Agricultural District Programme (IADP) and Intensive Agricultural Area Programmne (IAAP) were launched. But two consecutive droughts during mid-1960s resulted in food crisis in the country, consequently, foodgrains were imported from other countries.

New seed varieties of wheat (Mexico) and rice (Philippines) known as high yielding varieties (HYVs) were available for cultivation by mid-1960s. India took advantage of this and introduced package technology comprising HYVs, along with chemical fertilisers in irrigated areas of Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. Assured supply of soil moisture through irrigation was a basic pre- requisite for the success of this new agricultural technology. This strategy of agricultural development paid dividends instantly and increased the foodgrains production at very fast rate. This spurt of agricultural growth came to be known as 'Green Revolution. This also gave fillip to the development of a large number of agro- inputs, agro-processing industries and small-scale industries. This strategy of agricultural development made the country self-reliant in foodgrain production.

Which of the following was NOT the immediate goal of Government of Indi to increase the food grains after independence.

Options:

Switching over from cash crops to food crops

Bringing land put to non-agriculture uses to agriculture

Intensification of cropping over already cultivated land

Increasing cultivated area by bringing cultivable and fallow land under plough

Correct Answer:

Bringing land put to non-agriculture uses to agriculture

Explanation:

The passage explicitly states that the immediate goal of the Government of India after independence was to increase food grain production through three specific measures:

  1. Switching over from cash crops to food crops
  2. Intensification of cropping over already cultivated land
  3. Increasing cultivated area by bringing cultivable and fallow land under plough

Therefore, the option that was NOT an immediate goal is: Bringing land put to non-agriculture uses to agriculture