Meaning of Land Reforms:

Land reform is a broad term. It refers to

an institutional measure directed
towards altering the existing pattern of
ownership, tenancy and management of
land.

It entails “a redistribution of the rights of

ownership and/or use of land away from
large landowners and in favour of
cultivators with very limited or no
landholdings.”
Thus, in a broad sense, land reform refers
to an improvement in agro-economic
institutions. It includes measures and
policies relating to redistribution of land,
regulation of rent, improving the
conditions of tenancy, cooperative
organisation, agricultural education, and
so on.

Measures of Land Reforms:

The comprehensive land reform policy
that evolved so far after independence
consisted of:

i. Abolition of intermediaries between the

State and tenants;
ii. Tenancy reforms that provide (a)
security to tenants, (b) rationalisation
and regulation of rent, and (c)
conferment of ownership rights on
tenants;

iii. Fixation of ceiling on landholdings;

iv. Consolidation of holdings; and

(i) Abolition of intermediaries:

Abolition of zamindari and similar

intermediary tenures during 1950-55
essentially involved removal of
intermediary levels or layers of various
amorphous and parasitic groups in land
between the State and the actual
cultivators. However, such abolition of
intermediaries involved compensation to
the owners of land.

As a result of this measure, about 2.5

crore farmers were brought into direct
relationship with the State. This
facilitated distribution of 61 lakh
hectares of land to landless farmers.
Large areas of privately-owned forests
and wasteland now vested in the State.

(ii) TENANCY REFORMS:

The Tenancy enactments have taken

three structures:
(I) Regulation of lease,
(ii) Providing security of residency, and
(iii) Conferring privileges of
proprietorship for occupants.
Lease payable to the landowners ought
not surpass one-fifth to one-fourth of the
gross create
of land. In the light of this rule, every one
of the states have instituted laws for
obsession of
lease. Nonetheless, expansive between
state varieties exist in the obsession of
land lease
rates. Further, one notification between
state contrasts in arrive rents. Indeed,
even the
occupancy changes have neglected to
manage lease. Attributable to the frail
position of
inhabitants, interest for reasonable and
simply lease from landowners every so
often prompt ejectment from arrive.
Tenure Legislations have made it clear
that for no situation the
occupants can be removed aside from
just in the circumstance where
proprietors themselves
need to continue development. Indeed,
even in case of resumption of
development by the
proprietors, occupancy enactments have
made it mandatory to leave a base zone
for the
inhabitant. An imperative part of land
change is the conferment of
proprietorship rights to
occupants in regard of non-resumable
land. Tenure laws that have been
encircled in various
states contained an arrangement for the
resumption of land by the landowners for
'individual
development' with the question of
ensuring the interests of landowners,
instead of inhabitants.
Because of a free meaning of the term
individual development, landowners kept
on
continuing area for self-development.
The law additionally allowed the
intentional surrender
of occupancies. Casual or covered and
oral occupancies are as yet common. In
this way, the
privilege of resumption of land for
self-development has rendered every one
of the tenures
unreliable. At long last, there is no
legitimate arrangement for giving
possession rights in the
tenure laws of a few states. In all
actuality, enactment for conferment of
possession rights
couldn't yield great outcomes in light of
the fact that a large number are
unequipped for
purchasing land from the landowners
and a considerable lot of them are
unwilling to do as
such.

CONTROL ON LAND HOLDINGS:

To diminish the current variations in the
example of land-proprietorship and
make
some land accessible for appropriation
to landless farming specialists, the
Second Plan (1956-
1961) prescribed the inconvenience of
roofs on horticultural property. It was
visualized that
land over a specific point of confinement
would be gained by the State and
redistributed
among the landless laborers and little
agriculturists in order to meet their long
for land and,
therefore, to empower them to make
monetary property. Land roof laws were
passed in two
stages. In the principal stage—which
kept going up to the finish of 1972
—'landholder' was
dealt with as the unit of the
development. This roof unit was
changed to 'family' after 1972.
As far as possible have additionally been
brought down in the second stage with
contrasts
differing as between flooded land with
two products, watered land with one
yield, and dry
land. Be that as it may, exclusion for
plantations, nibbling land, steers
reproducing ranches,
religious/magnanimous/instructive
trusts, sugarcane manors, tank, fisheries
have made the
roof laws for all intents and purposes
excess. Up to end September 2001, the
aggregate sum
of land announced surplus was 73.67
lakh sections of land, 64.95 lakh sections
of land of
land have been assumed control by the
states. A sum of 53.79 lakh sections of
land of land have been circulated among
54.84 lakh occupants. This adds up to
saying that in regards to
12 lakh sections of land of land couldn't
be appropriated in light of assortment of
reasons, of
which case is thought to be the most
hindering variable.
The activities of the roof law had for all
intents and purposes no effect on the
agrarian structure. The authorization of
the roof law was gone before by an open
level headed
discussion spread more than quite a
while. These empowered landowners to
control arrive
records prompting imaginary (benami)
and deceitful allotments of terrains
among their
relations, companions, invented trusts,
and so forth. We have seen that the
degree of territory
pronounced surplus is significantly less
than the assessed overflow, for the most
part because
of an extensive variety of exceptions
gave in the roof laws, deficiencies and
escape clauses in
the laws and wasteful execution of the
laws.
Thus, just the little landowners were
gotten in the net and the vast majority of
the
huge landowners are dodged it and,
regardless of whether the land was taken
from them, it
was not redistributed among the
landless workers. Absence of political
will is thought to be
the best hindrance for its expedient
usage.

CONSOLIDATION OF LAND HOLDINGS:

Divided and subdivided landholdings and

little measured property have made
Indian agribusiness un-gainful. So union
of these grounds is important to support
proficiency
and economy in India's horticulture. It
has been finished in the conditions of
Punjab, Haryana
and Uttar Pradesh. Till December 2001,
about, 163.3 lakh sections of land of land
or 1/third
of the aggregate developed region have
been solidified. One reason for the late
advance of
this part of land changes is that little
agriculturists have a solid dread that
combination
supports substantial ranchers. That is
purpose behind the risk of ousting of
inhabitants from
arrive out of union is the best.

IMPACT OF THE LAND REFORM POLICY:

Land changes are being endeavoured for

twofold reason: to enhance generation
and
efficiency and the circulation of pay/
resource. Land change measures are
costless techniques
for expanding generation in the farming
part. It fills the need of social equity as
well. arrive
change measures have enhanced gainful
effectiveness of the agrarian segment
and guaranteed
social equity.
I. On profitable Efficiency:
So far as profitable productivity is
concerned, the land change measures
received as of late
have not had any noteworthy effect. The
plausible reason is that the changes have
not been
adequately actualized. The responsibility
for has not yet been completely
exchanged to the
tillers. The genuine leases still lead high.
The union of possessions has not been
finished.
Helpful cultivating has not made much
progress. Without temperate holding
being in genuine
ownership of the tiller, in which he has a
lasting interest, the advanced procedures
can't be
connected to arrive. Normally, efficiency
keeps on being low.
ii. On Social Justice:
The goal of social equity has, in any
case, been accomplished to an
impressive degree. The
middle person rights have been
canceled. India never again displays a
photo of feudalism at
the best and serfdom at the base. The
occupancy laws have given the tillers
assurance from
misuse by giving them security of
residency and settling most extreme
chargeable
rents.Without a doubt the pace of
execution of land change measures has
been moderate. In
addition, there is a checked unevenness
in regard of advance in different states.
This does not,
nonetheless, imply that there has been
no accomplishment at all in the circle of
land change
since freedom. In any case, the advance
has been ease back and it should be
quickened. The
complex issues of our territory are to be
understood through the presentation of a
reasonable
land approach.