What is the name given to those lands which are left uncultivated for…

What is the name given to those lands which are left uncultivated for one or less than one agricultural year?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 4

The correct answer is Option (4) → Current fallow

Option (1) Marginal lands — Incorrect. These are poor lands of low productivity, used only when the pressure on land increases; the term says nothing about a period of fallow.

Option (2) Culturable wastelands — Incorrect. This is land left fallow (uncultivated) for more than five years. It can be brought under cultivation after reclamation.

Option (3) Net sown area — Incorrect. It is the physical extent of land on which crops are sown and harvested, the very opposite of land left uncultivated.

Option (4) Current fallow — Correct. It is land left without cultivation for one or less than one agricultural year. Fallowing gives the land rest, and it recoups its lost fertility through natural processes. Land left uncultivated for more than a year but less than five years is ‘fallow other than current fallow’.

Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2023 on 21-06-2023 (Slot 3), 20-06-2023 (Slot 1) and 06-06-2023 (Slot 3).

NCERT (2025-26): “Land Use Categories …

(vi) Culturable Wasteland : Any land which is left fallow (uncultivated) for more than five years is included in this category. It can be brought under cultivation after improving it through reclamation practices.
(vii) Current Fallow:This is the land which is left without cultivation for one or less than one agricultural year. Fallowing is a cultural practice adopted for giving the land rest. The land recoups the lost fertility through natural processes.
(viii) Fallow other than Current Fallow : This is also a cultivable land which is left uncultivated for more than a year but less than five years. If the land is left uncultivated for more than five years, it would be categorised as culturable wasteland.
(ix) Net Area Sown: The physical extent of land on which crops are sown and harvested is known as net sown area.”