LAND REFORMS IN INDIA

WHAT IS LAND FORM

Land reforms involve the changing of laws, regulations or customs regarding land ownership.
Land reforms refer to transfer of ownership from more powerful to less powerful.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Land reforms after independence 1. Institutional reforms
Abolition of intermediaries
Tenancy reforms- security of tenure, decrease in rent, conferment of

ownership rights.
Ceiling on size of landholdings
Cooperativization and community development programmes.

2. Technological reform
Beginning around mid or late sixties ushering in green revolution .

DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS OF LAND REFORMS Anti poverty strategy majority of our population depends on agriculture so
improvement in agriculture through the vortex of land reforms is prerequisite.
Empowerment of women as it has been increased feminization of
agriculture , an estimated 20 % of rural household are de facto female headed ,
women are often managing land and livestock . Tenurial security can
empower women to assert themselves better with agencies that provide input
and extension services. women with asset such as land have greater
bargaining power which can lead to more gender equal allocations of
benefits even from male incomes. Women without independent resources are
vulnerable to poverty though they are better informed about agricultural
knowledge. Moreover it would add to socio-cultural fabric.
Land alienation-the menace of naxalism has its root in land alienation . The
Ministry of Home Affairs assessment, in 2006, was that 120-150 districts in
12 states were Naxal-infested. Obviously, normal writs of the State did not

operate in these areas. Thus, a huge chunk of mainland India was being
governed by extra-legal and, in some places, illegal authorities. The
assessment also showed that militants, whoever they were, had established a
rapport with the local population due to which they were able to move about
freely evading and avoiding the pincers of the law-enforcing authorities. They
were proving to the hilt Mao Tse-tungs doctrine of Fish in Water, where the
fish were the militants and the water the mass of disgruntled, disaffected
peasantry and landless agricultural workers. If the disaffection of the latter
could be substantially reduced, the water would evaporate and the militants
disappear.
Food security- to ensure food security for such a vast population as in india
land reforms becomes vital. And if we fail to ensure food security we fail to
ensure nutritional security too.
Equality to india- equality is our constitutional right and by land reforms this
is granted to every citizen of our country.

INITIATIVES TAKEN SO FAR Land ceiling ceiling limits has been prescribed by the states above which a
family cannot own a land.
Bhoodan land- the land owners who had large quantities of land were
persuaded to surrender some part voluntarily .
Tenancy reforms- leasing out land to others needy person on written or oral
agreement hence some states enacted laws to protect tenants.
Common property resource- states have conferred rights to the communities
over resources such as pasture land, fuel wood, minor forest produce.
Waste land- states distributes the waste land available with them to the
landless persons.
Tribal land alienation- enactment of laws for the protection of scheduled
tribes.

CHALLENGES
Land and its management land and its management fall in exclusive domain of
states . each state has different set up for land and land record management so this
heterogenecity is an issue.

 Shifting Economic Imperatives Increasing peoples access to land and creating a

more equitable redistribution of land assets are important for India, particularly in
view of its high and ever-increasing person-to-land ratio. Increased emphasis on
industrialization should not result in an abandonment of the rural sector.
Maintaining Ecological Balance ecological balance between the proportion of land
designated for forestry, agriculture, and nonagricultural purposes. There is a need to
explore the linkages among rural poverty, landlessness, and skewed land tenure
systems with particular attention to the problems of deforestation. The reduction of
forests inevitably disturbs the ecological balance. Cyclical patterns of droughts
followed by floods have been clearly linked to this. At the same time, there is no
guarantee that the already existing skewed distribution of land outside the forests will
not be replicated.
Preserving Human Diversity The concept of land as a commodity comes into
conflict with traditional concepts of common property and with societies, such as
those of many tribal peoples throughout India, who generally do not have a
documented system of land rights.
Complexities of Common Property Regimes Resources, both natural and manmade,
controlled and managed as common property present another challenge in the context
of land-related issues. Besides private property or property owned and controlled by
the state, common property such as forests, grazing lands, water, and fisheries can
also be held and managed through a community resource management system.
At present the issues related to land are dealt by the various govt. department with
little

scope

of

interdepartmental

coordination.

Land

management

largely

bureaucratically controlled no resurveys to create upto date land records . To add to

the misery of rural population majority of the revenue courts continue to operate in
English language unknown to rural hinterlands.

MEASURES TO STRENTHGEN LAND REFORMS A massive operation should be undertaken to restore alienated tribal lands to their
rightful tribal owners.
Appropriate amendments of the Land Acquisition Act of 1894 and Coal Bearing Areas
(Acquisition Development) Act of 1957 in tune with PESA.

 Issue of user pattasin the names of women and men for use of CPR including tree
pattas for forest dwellers and water pattas for fisherfolk over inland or coastal CPR
waterbodies.
Setting up of a dispute settlement mechanism at the gram panchayat level with gram
panchayat members and representatives of beneficiary groups, with a representative
of the bureaucracy as a member convenor, to keep records and explain the legal
position.
The NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL so as to make it fully federal
structure.
The settlement of rent should be left to the village community to decide at the
panchayat level and to be appropriated for their own purpose.
The survey operations should be subjected to social audit
The state have to device a regular method where by the updation of records of rights
may take place without there being requirement of survey operation in the present
mode.

NAME- SWATI
REFERENCES- 1) YOJANA
2)BIPIN CHANDRA-INDIA AFTER INDEPENDENCE