How can investment in irrigation facilities help reduce underemployment in the agricultural sector in India?
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 13:20 · grounding rag
Model Answer
Investment in irrigation facilities helps reduce underemployment in agriculture in the following ways:
- Additional cropping season: An unirrigated farm can only yield one crop. With irrigation (e.g., a well or canal), farmers like Laxmi can grow a second crop (wheat) in the rabi season, requiring more labour throughout the year.
- Direct employment generation: One hectare of wheat provides employment to about two people for 50 days. Irrigating two hectares means more family members can be productively employed on the same land.
- Multiplier effect: When a new dam or canal irrigates many farms, employment rises significantly across the entire agricultural sector, directly reducing underemployment.
Thus, irrigation converts seasonally idle labour into productive employment.
Source: How to Create More Employment?, Chapter 2 – Sectors of the Indian Economy
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Explanation
- The examiner expects you to use the specific example of Laxmi from the textbook — this shows you have read and understood the passage.
- Key points to hit: (1) second crop/rabi season, (2) quantified employment figures (2 people × 50 days per hectare), (3) large-scale impact via dams/canals.
- Avoid vague statements like "more jobs are created" without explaining the mechanism.
- 3 marks = 3 distinct, developed points. Bullet format is fine and saves time in the exam.