You must have observed that the land around | Class 12 Geography Notes
By ConceptScroll Team · Published on 17 July 2026 · 5 min read
You must have observed that the land around – this guide gives you a concise, exam-ready overview of You must have observed that the land around from Class 12 Geography, written by ConceptScroll editors and reviewed against the latest NCERT textbook.
Agricultural Development in India
Before Independence, Indian agriculture was largely subsistence-based with low productivity and frequent famines. Partition led to loss of about one-third of irrigated land to Pakistan, reducing irrigation coverage.
Post-Independence strategies to increase foodgrain production included:
(i) Switching from cash crops to food crops. (ii) Intensifying cropping on already cultivated land. (iii) Bringing cultivable and fallow land under cultivation.
Despite initial gains, agricultural production stagnated by late 1950s. The government launched Intensive Agricultural District Programme (IADP) and Intensive Agricultural Area Programme (IAAP) to address this. However, droughts in the mid-1960s caused food crises, necessitating food imports.
The introduction of High Yielding Varieties (HYVs) of wheat (from Mexico) and rice (from the Philippines) in the mid-1960s, combined with chemical fertilizers and irrigation, led to the Green Revolution. This revolution increased foodgrain production rapidly, especially in Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat.
Green Revolution also spurred agro-industries and made India self-reliant in foodgrain production. However, it was initially confined to irrigated areas, causing regional disparities until the technology spread to eastern and central India.
In the 1980s, agro-climatic planning aimed at balanced regional development and diversification into dairy, poultry, horticulture, livestock, and aquaculture.
The 1990s liberalization policies further influenced agricultural development.
The National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) promotes sustainable, remunerative, and climate-resilient agriculture through integrated farming and conservation measures. Schemes like Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) promote organic farming.
Technological advances include increased irrigation, fertilizer use (15 times since the 1960s), pesticide use, and farm mechanization. The Farmer's Portal provides farmers with information on insurance, storage, seeds, market prices, and schemes.
Despite progress, challenges remain, including dependence on erratic monsoons, low productivity, financial constraints, lack of land reforms, small fragmented holdings, underemployment, and land degradation.
📊 Diagram: Figures 3.11 and 3.12 show distribution of tea and coffee, and modern agricultural equipment (Roto Till Drill) respectively.
🧪 Activity: Prepare a list of agricultural problems in your region and compare with those mentioned in the chapter.
🔗 Connection: This section leads to detailed discussion on Problems of Indian Agriculture.
Frequently asked questions
What changes have you noticed in agricultural sector and cropping – pattern? Discuss in the class.
The agricultural sector in India has witnessed several changes over the years. These include the introduction of modern agricultural equipment such as the Roto Till Drill, increased dependence on irrigation though still limited to about 33% of cultivated land, and a shift towards more commercialized farming in irrigated areas. Cropping patterns have also changed with a move towards less water-intensive crops like pulses and oilseeds, as suggested by recent initiatives promoting Green Revolution
1. Choose the right answers of the following from the given options. (i) Which one of the following is NOT a land-use category? (a) Fallow land (b) Marginal land (c) Net Area Sown (d) Culturable Wasteland (ii) What one of the following is the main reason due to which share of forest has shown an increase in the last forty years? (a) Extensive and efficient efforts of afforestation (b) Increase in community forest land (c) Increase in notified area allocated for forest growth (d) Better peoples' participation in managing forest area. (iii) Which one of the following is the main form of degradation in irrigated areas? (a) Gully erosion (b) Wind erosion (c) Salinisation of soils (d) Siltation of land (iv) Which one of the following crops is not cultivated under dryland farming? (a) Ragi (b) Jowar (c) Groundnut (d) Sugarcane (v) In which of the following group of countries of the world, HYVs of wheat and rice were developed? (a) Japan and Australia (b) U.S.A. and Japan (c) Mexico and Philippines (d) Mexico and Singapore
Answers: (i) (b) Marginal land Explanation: Marginal land is not a land-use category but a classification based on productivity. The main land-use categories include Fallow land, Net Area Sown, and Culturable Wasteland.
(ii) (a) Extensive and efficient efforts of afforestation Explanation: The increase in forest area over the last forty years is mainly due to extensive afforestation efforts by the government and other agencies.
(iii) (c) Salinisation of soils Explanation: In irrigated areas, s
2. Answer the following questions in about 30 words. (i) Differentiate between barren and wasteland and culturable wasteland. (ii) How would you distinguish between net sown area and gross cropped area? (iii) Why is the strategy of increasing cropping intensity important in a country like India? (iv) How do you measure total cultivable land? (v) What is the difference between dryland and wetland farming?
Answers: (i) Barren and wasteland refers to land which is not suitable for cultivation due to natural or man-made reasons. Culturable wasteland is land which is currently not cultivated but can be brought under cultivation with reasonable effort.
(ii) Net sown area is the actual area sown with crops during a year. Gross cropped area is the total area sown including multiple cropping, i.e., net sown area plus area sown more than once.
(iii) Increasing cropping intensity means growing more than
3. Answer the following questions in about 150 words. (i) What are the different types of environmental problems of land resources in India? (ii) What are the important strategies for agricultural development followed in the post-independence period in India?
Answers: (i) Environmental problems of land resources in India include land degradation due to soil erosion (water and wind), deforestation, salinisation and alkalisation of soils, waterlogging, loss of soil fertility, and desertification. These problems reduce the productive capacity of land and affect agricultural output.
(ii) Important strategies for agricultural development in post-independence India include the Green Revolution with introduction of High Yielding Varieties (HYVs) of seeds,
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- computer hardware and the application software are referred as the Database | Class 12 Geography Notes
Clear NCERT-aligned notes on computer hardware and the application software are referred as the Database for Class 12 Geography.
- computer hardware and the application software are referred as the Database | Class 12 Geography Notes
Clear NCERT-aligned notes on computer hardware and the application software are referred as the Database for Class 12 Geography.
- computer hardware and the application software are referred as the Database | Class 12 Geography Notes
Clear NCERT-aligned notes on computer hardware and the application software are referred as the Database for Class 12 Geography.