Indian Agriculture and Green Revolution Notes for UPSC

Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy and society. About 45 percent of India's workers still depend on farming and related activities for their livelihood, though it contributes about one-sixth to one-fifth of the country's economic output. India is among the world's top producers of rice, wheat, pulses, sugarcane, milk, spices and cotton. For UPSC, this topic is important for Prelims (crops, seasons, states, revolutions, schemes) and for Mains (Green Revolution, farm challenges and reforms). This note gives you a complete, simple overview with tables.

Types of Farming in India

• Subsistence farming: a farmer grows crops mainly for the family's own use, on small land with simple tools. Intensive subsistence farming uses a lot of labour on a small plot, while primitive subsistence farming includes shifting cultivation (called Jhum in the North-East, Podu in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh and Ponam in Kerala).
• Commercial farming: crops are grown mainly for sale and use modern inputs, as in Punjab, Haryana and Maharashtra.
• Plantation farming: large estates grow a single cash crop like tea, coffee, rubber or coconut, mainly in Assam, Kerala and Karnataka.

Cropping Seasons

Major Crops and Their Conditions

Food Grains

Rice is a Kharif crop that needs high temperature (above 25 degrees Celsius), more than 100 cm of rainfall and clayey soil. The leading producers are West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha. Wheat is a Rabi crop that needs cool weather during growth and warm weather at harvest, with 50 to 75 cm of rain. Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are the leading producers. Millets such as jowar (Maharashtra), bajra (Rajasthan) and ragi (Karnataka) are called "coarse grains" or Shree Anna, are rich in nutrition, need little water and grow in dry areas. 2023 was observed as the International Year of Millets.

Pulses and Oilseeds

India is the largest producer and consumer of pulses. Gram is the main pulse, and Madhya Pradesh is the top producer. Pulses fix nitrogen in the soil, so they improve soil fertility. Oilseeds include groundnut (Gujarat), mustard (Rajasthan), soybean (Madhya Pradesh) and sunflower. India still imports a large amount of edible oil, so the government promotes oilseed production through the National Mission on Edible Oils.

Cash Crops and Plantation Crops

• Sugarcane: a tropical crop grown in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka; India is the second-largest producer after Brazil.
• Cotton: needs black soil and a long warm season; Gujarat and Maharashtra lead.
• Jute: the "golden fibre", grown in the delta region of West Bengal.
• Tea: grown in Assam, West Bengal (Darjeeling) and the Nilgiris on well-drained hill slopes.
• Coffee: Karnataka (Kodagu) is the top producer, followed by Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• Rubber and spices: Kerala leads both and is called the "Garden of Spices".

The Green Revolution

By the early 1960s India faced food shortages and depended on imports. In response, the government brought the Green Revolution in the mid-1960s, which used High Yielding Varieties (HYV) of seeds, chemical fertilisers, pesticides and assured irrigation. The new Mexican dwarf wheat varieties developed by Norman Borlaug were introduced in India with the efforts of agricultural scientist M. S. Swaminathan (the "Father of the Green Revolution in India"), and Agriculture Minister C. Subramaniam supported the programme. It started in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh and was first successful for wheat, later also for rice.

Achievements

Food grain production rose very sharply, and India became self-sufficient in food grains, ending dependence on imports. Farmers in the areas of the Green Revolution became richer, and the use of modern machinery, such as tractors and tubewells, increased. The country was able to build food stocks and a Public Distribution System.

Criticisms and Problems

• Regional imbalance: benefits were concentrated in a few states, while the eastern and dryland regions lagged behind.
• Crop imbalance: it focused on wheat and rice, and pulses and millets were neglected.
• Environmental damage: falling groundwater, soil salinity, overuse of fertilisers and pesticides and loss of biodiversity.
• Social inequality: bigger farmers gained more than small farmers.

To address these problems, the government started the "Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India" (BGREI) programme and talks about an "Evergreen Revolution" with sustainable practices.

Other "Revolutions" in Indian Agriculture

Irrigation in India

Because of uneven rainfall, irrigation is essential. Canals are important in the northern plains, wells and tubewells are the main source in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, and tanks are common in South India. Newer methods like drip and sprinkler irrigation save water. The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) (2015) aims at "Har Khet Ko Pani" (water for every farm) and "More Crop Per Drop".

Government Policies for Farmers

• Minimum Support Price (MSP): announced for 23 crops on the recommendation of the CACP.
• PM-KISAN: direct income support of Rs 6,000 per year to farmer families (since 2019).
• PM Fasal Bima Yojana (2016): crop insurance.
• e-NAM: an online national agriculture market.
• Soil Health Card, Kisan Credit Card and support for Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs).
• Agriculture Infrastructure Fund for warehouses and cold storage.

Challenges and Reforms (Mains Angle)

Indian agriculture faces small and fragmented land holdings (a large number of farmers are marginal), dependence on the monsoon, low productivity compared with the world's best, price fluctuations, weak storage and market links, soil and water stress and climate change. Reforms include more micro-irrigation, crop diversification towards pulses, millets and horticulture, better market access and FPOs, use of technology like drones and digital platforms, a balanced use of fertilisers, support for natural and organic farming and strong crop insurance. A strong answer links farm reform with food security and rural income.

Land Holdings and Land Reforms

Most Indian farmers are marginal (owning less than one hectare) or small, which makes it difficult to use machines, to get credit or to earn a good income. After independence, India started land reforms to remove inequality: the abolition of the zamindari system, tenancy reforms to protect the rights of tenants, ceilings on land holdings so that surplus land could be given to the landless, and consolidation of fragmented holdings. The Bhoodan movement of Vinoba Bhave (1951) also encouraged landowners to donate land voluntarily. The success of these reforms varied across states, with West Bengal and Kerala doing relatively better. Today, leasing laws, land records digitisation and Farmer Producer Organisations are used to help small farmers gain scale.

Agricultural Marketing and Storage

Farmers often sell their produce at low prices at harvest time because of a lack of storage and fear of loss. Regulated markets called mandis under the Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) are the main sale points. Problems such as middlemen, delays and poor price information reduce incomes. Solutions include e-NAM, warehouses and cold chains, the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, direct sales through FPOs and contract farming, and reliable price support. Food processing industries can also add value and reduce wastage of fruits and vegetables.

How to Study Agriculture for UPSC

1. Prepare a crop table with season, climate, soil and leading states for the main crops.
2. Remember the "revolutions" with the product they are linked to.
3. Keep a list of schemes with their year, aim and beneficiary, and update it with the latest Budget announcements.
4. Write one Mains answer on the Green Revolution and one on farm reforms, with examples and a balanced conclusion.

Practice Statements and Common Mistakes

• "The Green Revolution first succeeded in rice." Wrong. It first succeeded in wheat.
• "Operation Flood is linked with milk." Correct.
• "Jhum cultivation is common in North-East India." Correct.
• Do not confuse Kharif (monsoon crops) with Rabi (winter crops).

Quick Revision

• Kharif: rice, cotton, maize; Rabi: wheat, gram, mustard; Zaid: watermelon.
• Green Revolution: HYV seeds, fertilisers and irrigation in Punjab, Haryana and western UP; M. S. Swaminathan.
• MSP by CACP; PM-KISAN; PMKSY; PMFBY.

Agriculture links geography, economy and society. Learn the crops with their seasons and states, understand the story of the Green Revolution and the current schemes, and practise a Mains answer on the challenges of Indian agriculture, and you will do well in this topic.

Related Notes to Read Next

Continue your preparation with these related notes from the same subject:

• Natural Vegetation and Forests of India Notes for UPSC
• Indian Minerals, Industries and Energy Resources Notes for UPSC
• Indian Population, Census 2011 and Urbanisation Notes for UPSC
• All Indian Geography notes

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What are the three cropping seasons in India?

The three seasons are Kharif (June to October, monsoon crops like rice and cotton), Rabi (October to March, winter crops like wheat and mustard) and Zaid (March to June, summer crops like watermelon and vegetables).

What is the Green Revolution?

The Green Revolution of the mid-1960s used high yielding seeds, fertilisers, pesticides and irrigation to raise food grain production, especially wheat, in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh.

Who is called the Father of the Green Revolution in India?

M. S. Swaminathan is called the Father of the Green Revolution in India, while Norman Borlaug developed the high-yielding dwarf wheat varieties.

What were the problems of the Green Revolution?

Its problems included regional and crop imbalance, falling groundwater levels, soil degradation from chemicals, loss of biodiversity and greater benefits for large farmers.

What is shifting cultivation?

Shifting cultivation is a primitive method in which forest land is cleared and burnt, crops are grown for a few years and then the land is left. It is called Jhum in the North-East.

Which state is the largest producer of wheat?

Uttar Pradesh is the largest producer of wheat in India, followed by Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh.

What is the Minimum Support Price (MSP)?

MSP is the price at which the government buys certain crops from farmers to protect them from a fall in market prices. It is announced for 23 crops on the recommendation of the CACP.

What is the White Revolution?

The White Revolution or Operation Flood was a dairy development programme started in 1970 under Verghese Kurien that made India one of the largest milk producers in the world.

What is PM-KISAN?

PM-KISAN is a government scheme started in 2019 that gives eligible farmer families an income support of Rs 6,000 per year in three instalments.

What is the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana?

PMKSY, launched in 2015, aims to expand irrigation coverage and improve water use efficiency with the motto "Har Khet Ko Pani" and "More Crop Per Drop".

Which crops are called Shree Anna?

Millets such as jowar, bajra and ragi are called Shree Anna. They are nutritious, climate-resilient crops that need little water.

What are the main challenges of Indian agriculture?

The main challenges are small land holdings, dependence on the monsoon, low productivity, weak storage and market links, price fluctuations, soil and water stress and climate change.