Q1. [4] deep exam-ready
Read the following and answer the questions:
After Independence, India faced serious food shortages and had to import food grains. To overcome this, the government introduced new agricultural strategies in the 1960s that dramatically increased food grain production. By the 1980s, however, policymakers recognised that the benefits had not reached all farmers equally, and a new set of measures was introduced to make agricultural development more inclusive.
(i) Name the agricultural strategy introduced in the 1960s that led to a significant increase in food grain production, and identify the two crops that benefited most from it. (1 mark)
(ii) Which regions of India benefited most from this strategy, and why did other regions lag behind? (1 mark)
(iii) Name one cooperative programme launched alongside this strategy that focused on a sector other than food grains. (1 mark)
(iv) Name any two measures introduced in the 1980s–1990s to make agricultural development more inclusive for small and marginal farmers. (1 mark)
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 13:32 · grounding rag
Model Answer
(i) The Green Revolution was the agricultural strategy introduced in the 1960s. The two crops that benefited most were wheat and rice.
(ii) Regions like Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh benefited most as they had better irrigation facilities and adopted HYV seeds and package technology. Other regions lagged behind due to dependence on monsoon and lack of irrigation infrastructure.
(iii) White Revolution (Operation Flood) was launched alongside the Green Revolution. It focused on dairy/milk production, a sector other than food grains.
(iv) Two measures introduced in the 1980s–1990s:
- Crop insurance against drought, flood, cyclone, fire, and disease.
- Establishment of Grameen Banks and cooperative banks to provide loans at lower interest rates to farmers.
Source: Chapter 4, Technological and Institutional Reforms
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Explanation
- The passage explicitly names Green Revolution (package technology) and White Revolution (Operation Flood) as the two strategies.
- For regions, the passage under Cropping Pattern confirms Punjab, Haryana, western UP benefited from the Green Revolution.
- Measures in the 1980s–90s are directly listed in the passage: crop insurance, Grameen banks, cooperative societies, KCC, PAIS — pick any two for a 1-mark answer.
- Examiners look for correct terminology from the textbook; avoid vague answers like "new technology."