Chapter 3 - Politics of Planned Development :Important Questions and Answers

List of Questions and Answers

1.What does modernisation mean to the developing and underdeveloped countries?

Ans:Modernisation was also associated with the ideas of growth, material progress and scientific rationality.

2.Explain the land reforms carried out in India after independence.

Ans:

  • As per land reforms the zamindari system was abolished.This bold act not only released land from the clutches of a class that had little interest in agriculture, it also reduced the capacity of the landlords to dominate politics.
  • Attempts to consolidate the land in one place so that the farm size can be used for agriculture were fairly successful.
  • There were laws made to put an upper limit or "ceiling" to how much agricultural land one person could own but people with excess land managed to evade the law.
  • The tenants who worked on someone else's land were given greater legal security against eviction, but this provision was rarely implemented.

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3.Explain the effects of Green Revolution.

Ans:
Following are the effects of Green Revolution:

  • The green revolution delivered only a moderate agricultural growth mainly wheat production and raised the availability of food in the country, but increased polarisation between classes and regions.
  • Some regions like Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh became agriculturally prosperous, while others remained backward.
  • The complete contrast between the poor peasantry and the landlords produced conditions favourable for leftwing organisations to organise the poor peasants.
  • The green revolution resulted in the rise of what is called the middle peasant sections.

4.What was the Green Revolution? Mention two positive and two negative consequences of the Green Revolution.

Ans:
Due to prevailing food-crisis, the country was dependent on food aid, mainly from the United States. The United States, in turn, pushed India to change its economic policies. The government adopted a new strategy for agriculture in order to ensure food sufficiency. The government offered high-yielding variety seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and better irrigation at highly subsidised prices. The government also gave a guarantee to buy the produce of the farmers at a given price. This was the beginning of what was called the ‘green revolution’.
Positive Consequences:

  • The green revolution delivered moderate agricultural growth (mainly a rise in wheat production) and raised the availability of food in the country.
  • Some regions like Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh became agriculturally prosperous.
  • Farmers with medium size holdings, benefited from the changes and soon emerged politically influential in many parts of the country.
Negative Consequences:
  • The green revolution delivered only a moderate agricultural growth mainly wheat production and raised the availability of food in the country, but increased polarisation between classes and regions.
  • Some regions like Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh became agriculturally prosperous, while others remained backward.
  • The complete contrast between the poor peasantry and the landlords produced conditions favourable for leftwing organisations to organise the poor peasants.
  • The green revolution resulted in the rise of what is called the middle peasant sections.

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5.What was the major thrust of the First Five Year Plan? In which ways did the Second Plan differ from the first one?

Ans:
Following was the major thrust of First Five Year Plan:

  • The make investment in agrarian sector including dams and irrigation.
  • Huge allocations were made for large-scale projects like the Bhakhra Nangal Dam.
  • The focus was on land reforms as it was the key to the country's development.
  • Another major aim was to raise the level of national income, which could be possible only if the people saved more money than they spent.
Following are the differences between Second Plan v/s First Plan
  • The Second FYP stressed on heavy industries. It was drafted by a team of economists and planners under the leadership of P. C. Mahalanobis.
  • The second plan wanted to bring about quick structural transformation by making changes simultaneously in all possible directions.
  • The government imposed substantial tariffs on imports in order to protect domestic industries. Such protected environment helped both public and private sector industries to grow.

6.Explain protest against POSCO Plant by Orissa Villagers?

Ans:

  • People facing displacement by the proposed POSCO-India steel plant in Jagatsinghpur district staged a demonstration outside the Korean company's office.
  • The villagers demanded cancellation of the memorandum of understanding signed between the company and the Orissa government one year ago.
  • Raising slogans, the protesters said the company should not be allowed to set up its plant at the cost of their lives and livelihood.
  • The demonstration was organised by the Rashtriya Yuva Sangathan and the Nabanirman Samiti.

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7.In politics what is Left and what is Right ?

Ans: These terms characterise the position of the concerned groups or parties regarding social change and role of the state in effecting economic redistribution.

  • Left often refers to those who are in favour of the poor, downtrodden sections and support government policies for the benefit of these sections.
  • The Right refers to those who believe that free competition and market economy alone ensure progress and that the government should not unnecessarily intervene in the economy.

8.What is Bombay Plan.What is the main objective of Bombay Plan.

Ans: A section of the big industrialists got together in 1944 and drafted a joint proposal for setting up a planned economy in the country. It was called the Bombay Plan. The main objective of Bombay Plan was that the state takes major initiatives in industrial and other economic investments.

9. What is operation flood?

Ans: In 1970 the rural development programme called Operation Flood was started. Operation Flood organised cooperatives of milk producers into a nationwide milk grid, with the purpose of increasing milk production, bringing the producer and consumer closer by eliminating middlemen, and assuring the producers a regular income throughout the year. Operation Flood was, however, not just a dairy programme. It saw dairying as a path to development, for generating employment and income for rural households and alleviating poverty.

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10.What is White Revolution?

Ans: Whilte revolution is the name given to the successful history of cooperative dairy farming in India.
Verghese Kurien, nicknamed the "Milkman of India", played a crucial role in the story of Gujarat Cooperative Milk and Marketing Federation Ltd that launched Amul. Amul is a dairy cooperative movement joined by about 2 and half million milk producers in Gujarat. The Amul pattern became a uniquely appropriate model for rural development and poverty alleviation spurring what has come to be known as the White Revolution.