NCERT Q & A /AGRICULTURE

          

N C E R T Q & A /AGRICULTURE

GEOGRAPHY(X)

CHAPTER 04

NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS

Q.1. The land under cultivation is getting reduced day-by-day. Can you imagine its

Consequences?

Ans. Agriculture has been the backbone of the Indian economy and provides employment and

Livelihood to about two-thirds of its population.

Taking into consideration the importance of agriculture, the reduction of land under cultivation

Has serious consequences. Diversion of land for non-agricultural use like housing, industries,

etc., has resulted in reduction of net sown area and a declining trend in productivity. As such

Food grain as well as commercial crop production is declining. This will lead to :

(a) Food shortage for the rising population.

(b) Rise in price unaffordable for poor people.

(c) Unemployment and loss of livelihood for farmers

(d) Shortage of supply of raw material for agro-industries.

(e) Adverse effect on export trade as agricultural products comprise a major section of

     International trade.

(f) Strain on foreign exchange reserves as more agricultural goods will have to be imported.

Q.2. Name one important beverage crop and specify the geographical conditions required for

    Its growth. Name the areas of its Production?.

Ans. Tea is an important beverage crop of India. India is the leading producer as well as exporter

of tea in the world. Favourable geographical conditions for growth of tea are as follows:

(i) Climate: The tea plant grows well in tropical and subtropical climate. Tea bushes require

Warm (temperature between 10°C to 30°C), moist (annual rainfall above 200 cm) and

Frost-free climate throughout the year. Frequent showers evenly distributed throughout the

Year ensure continuous supply of tender leaves.

(ii) Soil: Deep fertile, well-drained soil, rich in humus and organic matter are ideal for its

Growth. Hence, rolling topography is favourable for its cultivation.

Tea is grown in big plantations originally introduced by the British. The major tea producing

Areas are in Assam and hills of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri district in West

Bengal. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh,

Uttarakhand, Meghalaya and Tripura are other tea-producing states.

Q.3. Name one staple crop of India and the regions where it is produced. Describe the

Geographical conditions required for its growth.

Ans. Rice is the staple food crop of a majority of the people in India. It is their main cereal and is

a part of their everyday diet. India is the second largest producer of rice after China. It is grown

on the plains of north and north-eastern India, coastal areas and deltaic regions. West Bengal,

Assam, Orissa, Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh, parts of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and

Some parts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and eastern Madhya Pradesh are the major areas of rice

Production. In Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan, rice is grown

as commercial crop with the help of irrigation.

The geographical conditions required for growth of rice are as follows:

(i) It is a kharif crop and requires hot and humid climate for cultivation. Temperature above

25°C and high humidity with annual rainfall above 100 cm are favourable for growth

of rice.

(ii) Rich alluvial soils of the floodplains and deltaic areas which are renewed every years are

ideal for rice cultivation.

(iii) Rice requires abundant rainfall or good water supply through irrigation and flooded fields

during the earlier part of its growing season in June-July.

(iv) Plenty of cheap labour as most of the farming involves manual labour.

Q.4.After Independence what steps were taken by government to increase Agricultural?

Production. What is Green Revolution? What programmes were launched in 1980s and

1990s for improvement of agriculture?

Ans. The government has taken various steps since independence to increase agricultural production

to meet the needs of its growing population.

Collectivisation, consolidation of holding, cooperation and abolition of zamindari, etc, were

Given priority to bring about institutional reforms in the country after independence. Land

Reform is the collective term for these institutional reforms introduced to make farming

Economic and was the main focus of our First Five Years Plan.

The Government embarked upon introducing agricultural reforms to improve Indian

Agriculture in 1960s. Green Revolution involving use of package technology was introduced

in 1960s and 1970s with this initiative. Use of modern inputs like High Yielding Variety

(HYV) seeds, chemical fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides along with use of farm

Machineries and irrigation, were initiated to increase yield per acre. It led to significant

Improvement in agricultural production. The White Revolution (Operation Flood) was another

Strategy adopted along with it to increase milk production.

Concentration of development in few selected areas due to Green Revolution and other

Problems associated with it led to launching of Comprehensive Land Development

Programmes in 1980s and 1990s. It included both institutional and technical reforms aimed at

Improving agriculture. Some important steps included in the programme are :

(a) Provision of crop insurance against flood, drought, cyclone, fire, diseases.

(b) Establishment of Grameen banks, cooperative societies and banks for providing loan

facilities to farmers at lower rates.

Special weather bulletin and agricultural programmes for farmers were introduced on the radio

and television. Establishment of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR),

Agricultural universities, veterinary services and animal breeding centres, horticulture

Development, research and development in the field of meteorology and weather forecast and

Improvement of rural infrastructure etc, were given priority for improving Indian agriculture

and raising its productivity.

Q.5. What is plantation farming? What are its main characteristics? Name some plantation

crops.

Ans. Plantation farming is a type of commercial agriculture in which a single crop is grown on a

large scale and processed for the purpose of sale. This type of farming is mainly prevalent in

the tropical and sub-tropical areas. In India plantation farming was introduced by the British.

The main characteristics of Plantation farming are as follows :

(i) A single crop is grown on a large area covering large tracts of land.

(ii) Capital intensive inputs are used.

(iii) Use of managerial staff and technical know-how

(iv) Cheap, local and migrant labourers are employed.

(v) Require well-developed transport network

(vi) Produces special market-oriented products.

In India, tea, coffee, rubber, sugarcane, banana, etc., are the main plantation crops.

Q.6. What are Millets? Why are Millets very Important food crops in India?

Ans. Jowar, Bajra and Ragi are the important Millets grown in India. They can grow in harsh climatic

Conditions with low rainfall and poor soils. Due to greater roughage content among the

Nutrients present they are called coarse grains.

They are important food crops after rice and wheat. In spite of being coarse grains they have

very high nutritional value and are known as the poor man’s cereal.

Jowar is the third most important food crop of India with respect to area and production. It is

a rain-fed Kharif crop, mostly grown in the moist areas which hardly need irrigation.

Maharashtra is the largest producer of Jowar, followed by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and

Madhya Pradesh.

Bajra grows well on sandy soils and shallow black soil. Rajasthan is the largest producer,

followed by Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana.

Ragi is very rich in iron, calcium and other micro-nutrients and roughage. It grows in dry

regions in areas of red, black, sandy, loamy and shallow black soil. Karnataka is the largest

producer, followed by Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal

Pradesh and Jharkhand.

Q.7. Define Sericulture and Horticulture. What is India’s position in production of horticulture Crops?

Ans. Silk farming, i.e. rearing of silk worms for the production of silk fibre, is known as sericulture.

Mulberry trees are planted and silk worms are fed on their green leaves. Silk fibre is obtained

from the cocoons of the silkworms.

Horticulture is a branch of agriculture concerned with the cultivation of garden plants –

Generally fruits, vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants which are used for landscaping.

India is the largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world. India is a producer of tropical

as well as temperate fruits. Tropical fruits like Mangoes, Oranges, Bananas, Lichi, Guava,

Pineapples, Grapes and temperate fruits like Apples, Pears, Apricots, grow in various parts of the

Country and are in great demand all over the world.

About 13 percent of the world’s vegetables are produced by India. India is an important

Producer of Pea, Cauliflower, Onion, Cabbage, Tomato, Brinjal and Potato.

Q.8. Describe the geographical conditions for growth of cotton. Name the major areas of its

Production. Why is West Bengal the leading producer of Jute, the second important fibre?

Crop of India?

Ans. Cotton, Jute, Hemp and Natural silk are the major fibre crops of India. The geographical conditions

Required for the growth of cotton, the most important fibre crop of India are as follows:

Cotton is a Kharif crop and requires high temperature, light rainfall or irrigation, 210 frost free

Days and bright sunshine for its growth.

Cotton grows well in drier parts of the black soil area of the Deccan plateau. Black soil is also

Known as black cotton soil due to the fact that it is ideal for growth of cotton.

The major cotton-producing states of India are Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh,

Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Jute is the second most important fibre crop of India. West Bengal, especially the Hooghly

Basin of the state, is the leading jute-producing area of the country on account of the well drained

Fertile soil of the floodplain which are renewed every year. Also the climatic condition

With high temperature during time of growth and sufficient availability of water have favoured

Jute cultivation in the Hooghly basin of West Bengal. Bihar, Assam, Orissa and Meghalaya are

The other jute-producing states.

Q.9. What geographical conditions are required for the cultivation of sugarcane? Name two

largest producing states of sugarcane.

Ans. Geographical requirement for sugarcane:-

(a) Climate :- It is a tropical crop and it grows well in hot and humid climate with a

temperatures of 21°C to 27°C.

(b) Rainfall :- Annual rainfall should be between 75 cm and 100 cm, irrigation needed where

low rainfall takes place.

(c) Soil :- Alluvial soil is best suited other soils also.

Region :- Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra are the two largest producers of sugarcane.

Q.10. State any four characteristics of commercial farming in India.

Ans. Four characteristics of Commercial Farming in India are as follows.

(i) Crops are grown on a large scale in large farms or plantations for commercial purposes

     and for export to other countries.

(ii) It is capital intensive farming requiring high application of modern inputs.

(iii) Modern inputs like high yielding variety (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilisers, insecticides

      and pesticides are used to obtain higher productivity. Irrigation is applied to meet water

      Requirement.

(iv) Commercial farming is mainly practised in states with less population pressure like.

      Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra and western Uttar Pradesh. Wheat, cotton,

      Sugarcane, oilseeds, tea and coffee are grown under commercial farming.

Q.11. Explain rubber cultivation in India under the following heads.

(a) Importance (b) Geographical conditions (c) Any two rubber producing states

(a) Rubber is an important industrial raw material. Tyres, tubes of vehicles and other rubber

     Products are made from natural rubber.

(b) It is an equatorial crop but grown under special conditions. It is also grown in tropical and

     Sub-tropical areas. It requires moist and humid climate with rainfall of more than 200 cm

     And temperature above 25°C.

(c) Rubber is mainly grown in Kerala and Tamil Nadu,Karnataka,Andaman,Garo Hills of Meghalaya.

Q.12. What are the main Cropping Seasons of India? Distinguish between them.

Ans. There are three cropping seasons in India–RABI, KHARIF AND ZAID.  

                                                              

CONSUMER RIGHTS SUMMARY

CONSUMER RIGHTS

ECONOMICS(X)

CHAPTER 05

THE CONSUMER IN THE MARKETPLACE

The End user of a good or service is called Consumer. Consumer Participate in the Market Place by Purchasing final goods and services that they need. However, Consumers are exploited in the Market Place because they do not insist on their rights.

CONSUMER MOVEMENT IN INDIA:

India has long tradition of food adulteration, black marketing, hoarding, under weighing, etc. It was from the 1960s that the consumer movement began in India. Till the 1970s, consumer movement was mainly restricted to writing articles and holding exhibitions. But there has been an upsurge in the number of consumer groups in recent times.

The level of dissatisfaction with the sellers and service providers was such an extent that the consumers had no choice but to raise their voice. After many years of organized struggle, the government was forced to take notice and finally the Consumer Protection Act (COPRA) was enacted in 1986.

CONSUMER RIGHTS:

RIGHT TO BE INFORMED: A consumer has the right to have correct information about a product. There are rules which make it mandatory to mention Manufacturing Date, Expiry Date, Batch No, Address of Manufacturer, ingredients and safety features on the pack of a product. Proper information helps a consumer to make informed buying decision. A pack of a product also needs to mention the MRP (Maximum Retail Price) and a consumer can complain if the seller asks for more than the MRP.

RIGHT TO CHOOSE: A consumer has the right to choose from different options. A seller cannot just offer to sell only one brand to the consumer. The seller has to offer various options to the consumer. This right is usually enforced through laws against monopoly trade.

RIGHT TO SEEK REDRESSAL: If a consumer gets affected by false promises made by the producer or suffers because of manufacturing defect; he has the right to seek redressal. Suppose you took a mobile connection and the bill shows many hidden charges which were not explained to you earlier. Or the mobile company activated a ringtone without your permission. Then you can go to the consumer court to put your case.

RIGHT TO REPRESENT: Consumers get the right to redress and to demand compensation. While seeking any redress the consumers have the right to be represented in consumer courts. For this purpose a three tier Semi-Judicial Machinery has been set up. In case of help required consumers can seek help from consumer forums or consumer forums.

CONSUMER FORUM:

The consumer movement in India has led to the formation of various organisations locally known as consumer forums or consumer protection councils. They guide consumers on how to file cases in the consumer court. On many occasions, they also represent individual consumers in the consumer courts. These voluntary organisations also receive financial support from the government for creating awareness among the people.

CONSUMER COURTS: This is a three-tier Semi-Judicial system. The District level Court deals with cases involving claims upto Rs. 20 Lakh. The state level court deals with cases between Rs. 20 lakh and Rs. 1 Crore. The National Level court dealt with cases which involve claims exceeding Rs. 1 Crore.

If a case is dismissed in district level court, the consumer can also appeal in state and then in National level courts.

QUALITY STANDERDS

Logo Like ISI , AGMARK, HALLMARK on a product helps consumers get assured of quality while purchasing such goods. The organisations that monitor and issue these certificates allow producers to use their logos provided they follow certain quality standards. Some products that affect the health and safety of consumers or products of mass consumption like LPG Cylinders, food colours and additives, cement, packaged drinking water etc. for such products it is compulsory for producers to get certified by these organisations.

NATIONAL CONSUMERS’ DAY

24^th December is celebrated as the National Consumers’ Day. It was on this day that the Indian Parliament enacted the Consumer Protection Act in 1986. India is one of the few countries that have exclusive courts for consumer redressal. The consumer movement in India has made significant progress in recent times. At present, there are more than 700 consumer groups. Out of them, about 20-25 are well organized and are recognized for their work.

The consumer redressal process is becoming cumbersome, expensive and time consuming. The lawyer’s charges in some cases work as deterrent. Sometimes, the long delay de-motivates a person and he may even stop pursuing the case.

AGRICULTURE SUMMARY

AGRICULTURE

GEOGRAPHY(X)

CHAPTER 04

Agriculture  is a Primary Activity in which almost  Two-Third Of India’s Population is engaged. It Produces Most of the Food for Our Consumption and other raw Materials for Various Industries.

TYPES OF FARMING IN INDIA

On the basis of physical environments such as rainfall pattern, land productivity, technological advancements and socio cultural practices there are various farming practices in India.

These are discussed below:

1)      PRIMITIVE SUBSISTENCE FARMING: 

This type of farming is practiced on small patches of land. Primitive tools and family/community labour are used in this type of farming. The farming mainly depends on monsoon and natural fertility of soil. Crops are grown as per the suitability of the environmental condition.

This is also called ‘slash and burn’ agriculture. A patch of land is cleared by slashing the vegetation and then the slashed plants are burnt. The ash; thus obtained is mixed with the soil and crops are grown.

This type of farming produces just enough crops to sustain the family. After a couple of seasons, the patch is left fallow and a new patch of land is prepared for farming. This allows the earlier patch of land to replenish its fertility through the natural process.

DIFFERENT NAMES OF SLASH AND BURN FARMING:

Slash and Burn Farming in India
Name	Regions
Jhumming	Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland
Pamlou	Manipur
Dipa	Bastar (Chhattisgarh) and Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Bewar or Dahiya	Madhya Pradesh
Podu or Penda	Andhra Pradesh
Pama Dabi or Koman or Bringa	Orissa
Kumara	Western Ghats
Valre or Waltre	South eastern Rajasthan
Khi	Himalayan belt
Kuruwa	Jharkhand

Although there are different names for slash and burn farming in different regions of India, the name 'Jhum Cultivation' or Jhuming is commonly used in this context.

The following table shows various names for slash and burn farming in different countries.

Slash and Burn Farming in World
Name	Countries
Milpa	Mexico and Central America
Conuco	Venezuela
Roca	Brazil
Masole	Central Africa
Lading	Indonesia
Ray	Vietnam

2)      INTENSIVE SUBSISTENCE FARMING:

This type of farming is practiced in densely populated areas. This involves high degree of use of biochemical inputs and irrigation. There is huge pressure of population on this type of farming.

Problems of Intensive Farming: Division of land through successive generation leads to plot size getting smaller and smaller. This makes it impossible to properly manage the farm inputs. Moreover, large-scale farming is not possible in that case.

3)      COMMERCIAL FARMING:

This type of farming is done with the sole purpose of selling the farm produce. Various modern inputs are used in this type of farming, e.g. HYV (High Yielding Variety) seeds, chemical fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides. Punjab, Haryana, Western UP and some parts of Maharashtra are the areas where commercial farming is done on large scale. However, this type of farming is also done in many other states; like Bihar, West Bengal, T N, etc.

PLANTATION: In this type of commercial farming, a single crop is grown on a large area. Plantation requires intensive capital and a large number of workers. Most of the produce from a plantation is used in various industries. tea, coffee, rubber, sugarcane, banana, etc. are important plantation crops. Tea is mainly produced in the tea gardens of Assam and North Bengal. Coffee is produced in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Banana is produced in Kerala, Maharashra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka. Plantation requires a well-developed network of transport and communication, processing industries and a good market.

 CROPPING PATTERN

India has three cropping seasons — Rabi, Kharif and Zaid.

1. RABI: Rabi crops are also known as winter crops. They are sown from October to December and harvested from April to June. Wheat, barley, pea, gram and mustard are the important rabi crops. Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhan and Uttar Pradesh are the important producers of rabi crops.
2. KHARIF: Kharif crops are also known as summer crops. They are sown at the beginning of monosoon(May-July) and harvested in September-October. Paddy, maize, jowar, bajra, tur, moong, urad, cotton, jute, groundnut and soyabean are important kharif crops. Assam, West Bengal, coastal regions of Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are important rice growing states. In Assam, West Bengal and Odisha three crops of paddy are grown in a year. These are called Aus, Aman and Boro.
3. ZAID: The zaid season falls in between the rabi and kharif seasons. Watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables and fodder crops are some of the crops grown in this season. Sugarcane is planted in this season but takes almost a year to grow.

AGRICULTURE: MAJOR CROPS

Rice: India is the second largest producer of rice; after China. It requires high temperature (above 25°C), high humidity and annual rainfall above 100 cm. However, it can be grown with the help of suitable irrigation in areas of less rainfall. Rice is grown in the northern plains, northeast India, coastal areas and deltaic regions. Now-a-days, rice is also grown in Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh and in parts of Rajasthan. This has been possible because of development of a dense network of canals and tube wells.

Wheat: Wheat is the main food crop in north and north-western parts of India. Wheat needs 50 to 75 cm of annual rainfall which should be evenly distributed over the growing season. The Ganga-Sutlej plains in the northwest and black soil region of Deccan are the two important wheat-growing zones in India. Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and parts of Madhya Pradesh are the important wheat producing regions. India is the fourth Largest Producer of Wheat. It is a Rabi crop.

Millets: Jowar, Bajra and Ragi are the important millets grown in India. Millets are known as coarse grains, but they have very high nutritional value.

1. Jowar: Maharashtra is the largest producer of Jowar; followed by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Jowar grows in moist areas and hardly needs irrigation.
2. Bajra: Bajra grows well on sandy soil and shallow black soil. Rajasthan is the largest producer of bajra; followed by Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana.
3. Ragi: Ragi grows in dry regions on red, black, sandy loamy and shallow black soils. Karnataka is the largest producer of ragi; follower by Tamil Nadu.

Maize: Maize is used both as food and fodder. It grows well in old alluvial soil and requires a temperature range of 21°-27°C. Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are the major maize-producing states.

Pulses: India is the largest producer of pulses in the world. It is also the largest consumer of pulses. Pulses are usually produced in rotation with other crops. UP, MP, Rajasthan and Karnataka are the major pulse-producing states.

Sugarcane: Sugarcane needs hot and humid climate. It requires temperature range of 21°-27°C and rainfall of 75 cm to 100 cm. India is the second largest producer of sugarcane, while Brazil is the number one. Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab and Haryana are major sugar producing states.

Oilseeds: India is the Second  largest producer of oilseeds after China. Groundnut, mustard, coconut, sesame, soyabean, castor, cotton seeds, linseed and sunflower are the main oilseeds grown in India.

Groundnut: Groundnut accounts for about half of the major oilseeds produced in the country. Gujarat is the largest producer of groundnut; followed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Groundnut is a kharif crop. Linseed and mustard are rabi crops. Sesame is a kharif crop in north and rabi crop in south. Castor is grown both as rabi and kharif crops.

Tea: Tea plants grow well in tropical and sub-tropical climates; in deep and fertile well drained soil. The soil should be rich in humus and organic matter. Tea is a labour intensive industry. Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala are major tea-producing states. The hills of Darjeeling are famous for the unique quality of tea produced there. India is the leading producer of tea in the world (Third, after China and Turkey).

Coffee: Coffee is also grown in plantations. Initially, the Arabica variety was brought from Yemen and produced in India. The cultivation of coffee was initially introduced on the Baba Budan Hills. Leading producers are Karnataka- Nilgiri Hills(71%)Kerala(21%)Tamil Nadu(5%).

Others: India is a producer of tropical as well as temperate fruits. Mangoes of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, oranges of Nagpur and Cherrapunjee (Meghalaya), bananas of Kerala, Mizoram, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, lichi and guava of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, pineapples of Meghalaya, grapes of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, apples, pears, apricots and walnuts of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh are in great demand the world over.

Horticulture Crops: India is the Second  largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world after China. India produces about 13 per cent of the world’s vegetables(2008). It is an important producer of Pea, Cauliflower, Onion, Cabbage, Tomato, Brinjal and Potato.

NON-FOOD CROPS

Rubber: Rubber is a crop of equatorial region but it is also grown tropical and subtropical regions. It needs moist and humid climate with rainfall more than 200 cm. A temperature range above 25°C is required for rubber plantation. In India, rubber is mainly grown in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andaman & Nicobar Islands and also in the Garo hills of Meghalaya. India is the fourth largest rubber producer in the world(2010-11)

Fibre Crops:: Cotton, Jute, Hemp and Natural Silk are the four major  fibre crops grown in India.

The first three are derived from the crops grown in the soil, the latter is obtained from cocoons of the silkworms fed on green leaves especially mulberry. Rearing Of Silk Worms for The Production of Silk Fibre is Known As Sericulture.

Cotton: India is the Second-Largest producer of cotton after China. Cotton grows in dry parts of black cotton soil of the Deccan plateau. High temperature, light rainfall or irrigation, 210 frost-free days and bright sunshine are required for the growth of cotton. The crop requires 6 to 8 months to mature. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are the main cotton producing states.

Jute: It is known as the golden fibre.  Very Strong fibre due to its roughness it used to make gunny bags,mats,ropes,yarn,carpets.etc.Jute needs well-drained fertile soils of the flood plains. West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Orissa and Meghalaya are the major jute producing states.

BHOODAN – GRAMDAN

Land reform was the main focus of the First Five Year Plan. Vinoba Bhave started the Bhoodan Andolan to encourage big landlords to donate a part of their land to the landless farmers. Many people came out in support of Vinoba Bhave and donated land. 
(MORE INFO REFER TEXT BOOK NCERT PAGE NO:43

AGRICULTURAL REFORMS BY GOVERNMENT

To improve the condition of farmers the government brought certain measures for land reform. In some states, land was redistributed so that all of the land owned by a farmer could come on a single plot. The reform was successful in some states (like Punjab and UP) but could not be implemented throughout the country, because of poor response by farmers.

Green Revolution: Green Revolution was started in the 1960s and 1970s to improve farm output. Use of new technology and HYV seeds was encouraged. Green revolution produced very good results; especially in Punjab and Haryana.

White Revolution: White Revolution (Operation Flood) was initiated to improve milk production in the country.

A Comprehensive Land Development Programme was launched in the 1980s and 1990s. These programmes included both institutional and technical reforms. Provision for crop insurance was made against drought, flood, cyclone, fire and disease.  Gramin banks and cooperative societies were opened in rural areas so that farmers could get access to loan facilities.

Kissan Credit Card (KCC), Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS) and many other schemes were introduced for the benefit of farmers.

The government owned radio and TV channels broadcast special weather bulletins and agricultural programmes. Government also announced MSP (Minimum Support Price) so that farmers can be saved from exploitation by middlemen.

(CONTENT OF PAGE NUMBER 44- 47 OF NCERT TEXT BOOK IS TO BE DELETED.)