Change and Development in Rural Society — Sociology STD 12 Humanities — Question
CBSE BoardEnglish MediumSTD 12 HumanitiesSociologyChange and Development in Rural Society6 Marks
Question
Explain the two phases of the Green Revolution.
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Answer
It was primarily the medium and large farmers who were able to benefit from the new technology.
It was the farmers who were able to produce a surplus for the market who were able to reap the most benefits from the Green Revolution and from the commercialization of agriculture that followed. Increasing inequalities in rural society or the Green Revolution has brought destabilising impact on the socio-economic condition of small and poor peasants, share-croppers and landless agricultural labour. The new technology and the other inputs such as improved seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, water etc. are beyond the reach of small and marginal farmers.
The introduction of machinery such as tillers, tractors, threshers, and harvesters (in areas such as Punjab and parts of Madhya Pradesh) led to the displacement of the service caste groups who used to carry out these agriculture-related activities. This process of displacement also increased the pace of rural-urban migration.
Employment and wages for agricultural workers did increase in many areas, because the demand for labour increased.
Increasing commercialization and dependence on the market in the arid and semi arid areas has increased rather than reduced livelihood insecurity, as farmers who once grew food for consumption now depend on the market for the incomes. In market-oriented cultivation, especially where a single crop is grown, a fall in prices or a bad crop can spell financial ruin for farmers was the worsening of regional inequalities.
Another negative outcome of the Green Revolution strategy was the worsening of regional inequalities. The areas that underwent technological transformation became more developed while other areas stagnated. The sharp caste and class inequalities, together with exploitative labour relations, in these regions has given rise to various kinds of violence in recent years.
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