Impact of Land Reforms in India

Jeyashree Alexander
BA0140025

Introduction :-

Land reform usually refers to redistribution of land from the rich to the poor. More broadly, it includes
regulation of ownership, operation, leasing, sales, and inheritance of land. In an agrarian economy
like India with great scarcity, and an unequal distribution of land, coupled with a large mass of the
rural population below the poverty line, there are compelling economic and political arguments for
land reform. Not surprisingly, it received top priority on the policy agenda at the time of the Indian
Independence in 1947.

Land reform usually refers to redistribution of land from the rich

to the poor. More broadly, it includes regulation of ownership, operation, leasing, sales, and
inheritance of land. In an agrarian economy like India with great scarcity, and an unequal distribution
of land, coupled with a large mass of the rural population below the poverty line, there are compelling
economic and political arguments for land reform. Not surprisingly, it received top priority on the
policy agenda at the time of the Indian Independence in 1947.

Statement of problem :-

The major question that forms base of this entire paper is to analyse the land reform in a global
scenario and know the impact of impact Indian land reforms have on the India soil which could be
both positive and negative

Research Objective :-

In a broad sense, land reform refers to an improvement in agro-economic institutions. It includes

measures and policies relating to redistribution of land, regulation of rent, improving the conditions
of tenancy, cooperative organisation, agricultural education, and so on. Land reform is a part of
heritage of the country’s freedom movement since the agrarian structure that we inherited from the
British at the time of independence was of the feudalistic exploitative character. Zamindars-
intermediaries-moneylenders played a big role in exploiting the masses. It is in this background that
we have to examine the objectives of land reform policy in India. Land reform measures aim not only
at raising agricultural productivity. It is also viewed as a tool for social uplift.
Research Questions:-

1) What is the impact of land reforms in the field of agriculture( Economic arguments)?
2) What is effect of land reform in a Global context?
3) What is the overall positive and negative impact of land reform in India?

Tentative chaptersisation :-

1. Introduction and brief history

2. Measures of Land Reform

a) Abolition of intermediaries:

b) Tenancy Reforms:

c) Ceiling on Landholdings

d) Consolidation of Landholdings

3. Economic Arguments in Favour of Land Reform

4. Land reform in a Global context

5. Postive and Negative impact of land reform

6. Conclusion

Review of Literature:-

1. Maitreesh Ghatak and Sanchari Roy “Land Reform and Agricultural Productivity in India: A
Review of the Evidence”,

2. Klaus Deininger, “Impact of Land Reform on Productivity, Land Value and Human Capital
Investment Household Level Evidence” ,World Bank ( Michigan State University)

3)Conning, Jonathan and James A. Robinson (2007): “Property Rights and the Political
Organization of Agriculture”, Journal of Development Economics, Vol. 82, No.2, pp. 416-447.
5) Bardhan, Pranab and Dilip Mookherjee (2005): “Political Economy of Land Reforms in West
Bengal 1978-98”, Working Paper, University of California, Berkeley and Boston University.

6) Krishnakumar, R. “Reversing land reforms”

Conclusion of the Abstract :-

The above mentioned tentative chapter titles would be the base of my project on ‘Impact of land
reform in India”. The research methodology of the paper is purely doctrinal and to my best of ability
I would present the paper without any plagiarism . As land reform form the base of the land laws that
is governed in the country , this was the sole reason for me to choose the topic.