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WWWWWe have already seen that India securedan important position among other nations afterindependence. More efforts were againnecessary to lay the foundation of development.Let us examine them.

AGRICULAGRICULAGRICULAGRICULAGRICULTURALTURALTURALTURALTURAL SECT SECT SECT SECT SECTOROROROROR

India is an agricultural country. Hencedevelopment in agriculture was indispensable forIndia’s development. Even during the period offreedom struggle there were agrarian strugglesin various parts of India. Consider the majoragrarian struggles that later paved the way forthe agricultural development of rural India .

Telangana Peasant Struggle

The peasants in the Telangana region ofHyderabad state suffered extreme feudaloppression at the hands of the Jagirdars and

Deshmukhs. The peasants organised themselvesagainst this. This was the basis of Telanganapeasant struggle. By 1947-48 they couldestablish a firm base in the Nalgonda, Warangaland Khammam districts. Landlords fled to thetowns, leaving their field free.The lands seizedfrom landlords and the barren lands of thegovernment were distributed to the peasants .This led to an encounter between the peasantsand Indian army.

Patiala Muzara Movement

At the time of India’s independence thepeasants of Patiala, the largest princely state inPunjab were in the midst of a struggle. Afterindependence Patiala joined the Indian Union.Even after that there was no progress in thecondition of peasants. The land lords organizedarmed gangs against them. The peasants also

INDIA ON THE PINDIA ON THE PINDIA ON THE PINDIA ON THE PINDIA ON THE PAAAAATHTHTHTHTHOF DEVELOPMENTOF DEVELOPMENTOF DEVELOPMENTOF DEVELOPMENTOF DEVELOPMENT

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organized their own armed wing to counter thismove. Finally this led to clashes with the police.

There were such peasant struggles in manyparts of India. It was because of the pressure ofthese struggles that the government tried tointroduce land reforms. Moreover the DirectivePrinciples of State Policy of Indian Constitutionare against the concentration of wealth and meansof production in the hands of a few. What doesit indicate ?

Land in India was owned by a few

Social justice and development of thecountry could not be achieved unlessdistributed among the peasants.

It was on the basis of this that land reformswere initiated after independence.

Land Reform Acts

In 1949 the Central Government abolishedthe Jagirdari system. In the same year Zamindariabolition bills were introduced in a number ofprovinces such as U.P, Madhyapradesh, Bihar,Madras, Assam and Bombay. This waschallenged in the courts. The Congressgovernment reacted by amending the constitution.The first amendment in 1951 and the 4thAmendment in 1955, were aimed at furtherstrengthening the hands of the state legislaturesfor implementing Zamindari abolition.

In 1956 Zamindari abolition acts werepassed in almost all provinces. The abolition ofZamindari meant that about twenty millionerstwhile tenants now became land owners. Theupper strata of the tenants who received tenancydirectly from the landlords got more benefits. Asthe tenants had no title-deed, the land ownwersevicted them from the land.

Tenancy Reforms

Tenancy system continued in various formseventhough Zamindari system was abolished.Tenancy reforms were introduced to giveownership of land to the tenant who cultivatedthe land regularly. This benefited some peasantsbut all tenants did not get the right of ownershipof land. The land owners and revenue officerssubverted the rights of the tenants in many places.

Land Ceilings

“In order to dispel the uncertainty regardingland reforms and ensure security to the farmer,ceilings should be fixed on the present and futureholdings. Legislation to this effect should becompleted in all states by the end of 1959”. saidthe resolution of the Indian National Congressat Nagpur.

The states enacted different laws inorder todetermine the land ceiling. It was instructed thatsurplus land must be distributed among thelandless people. But the majority of the landlordsexploited the short comings of the legislation.anddodged its impact.

When the process of land distribution wasobstructed, the peasants of Naxalbari in WestBengal and Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh rosein revolt. This led them to an encounter with thestate government Eventhough the struggles weresuppressed it accelerated the speed of landdistribution.

Let us examine the successive efforts todetermine land ceiling.

After 1971 the Central Land ReformsCommittee asked the States to go throughappropriate legislations to reduce the limitof land in individual possession.

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New laws were introduced in majority ofthe states. But all these were challenged bythe landowners in the court.

According to the 34th amendment of theconstotution in 1974 these new legislationswere included in the ninth schedule of theConstitution. Thus land ceiling laws becameunquestionable in the courts.

This helped to provide surplus land to manyof the landless people

Bhoodan Movement

This movement was launched byAcharya Vinoba Bhave, The renownedGandhian. Land reform was theobjective of the movement. He gaveshape to the Sarvodaya Sangh, anorganization, to effect land reformsfrom outside the boundaries of law andto create a society free from violence.Vinobha Bhave went round visitingvillages and urging the land owners todonate one sixth of their land to thelandless people. During the early yearsit was a great success. But much landwas not distributed under the intiativeof the movement after 1956.

Note the features of the land reformlegislations implemented in Kerala explained inthe chapter on Kerala.

Agricultural Growth and the GreenRevolution

After independence India depended onforeign countries for food. Let us examine whatwe achieved later through various activities inthe agricultural sector.

India constructed several huge damswhich laid the foundation of agriculturalprogress. Gather information on themand present in the class.

Dependence on other countries for food willadversely affect the development of anagricultural country. So, Jawaharlal Nehru, LalBahadur Sastri and Indira Gandhi, our formerPrime Ministres, took initiative in bringing aboutbasic changes in the agricultural field. Thus a newagricultural policy was framed. Let us examineits salient features.

Use of high quality seedsUse of fertilisers and machinesIncrease of irrigation facilitiesFacilities for soil testingProvision for agricultural loans.

The age of Green Revolution comes afterthe implementation of land reform legislationswhich gave ownership of land to the peasant. Inthe absence of agriculture in the public sectorthe active participation of peasants was unavoidable for increase in production. Landreforms helped to equip them in this regard.

Thus we aimed at Green Revolution, a bigleap in the agricultural field. Steps were taken toensure fixed price for our agricultural products.This led to increase in food production. By 1980India attained self sufficiency in food with asurplus of about 30 million to. India whichimported food items before the Green Revolutionbegan to export it.

What were the transformations in areas likeeconomy and occupation that followed thegrowth of India from food shortage to food selfsufficiency. Gather information and add toEnquiry Note.

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Origin of Co-operative Movement

We know about co- operative institutions.Such institutiions came into existence as a resultof the initiative taken by the national leaders afterindependence. Mahatma Gandhi and JawaharlalNehru believed that this will help the poor andthe peasants to progress. Let us have a look atthe impact of co-operative societies on thedevelopment of India.

Helped the poor peasants to get high qualityseeds, modern agricultural machines and lowcost fertilisers.

Helped the peasants to sell their products.

Played a key role in making the GreenRevolution a success

Operation Flood

Agriculture and animal husbandry aremutually complementary and interdependent.How it paved the way for Operation Flood?

The Kheda District Co-operative MilkProducers Union Limited was formed in Anand,a small town in Gujarat. It helped the peasantsof Gujarat to get a stable income. It was thisUnion which started the production of Amul, abrand of milk powder which became famous allover India. The success in Gujarat inspired otherstates to start similar co- operative societies. TheNational Diary Development Board was formedin 1965. By 1995 the peasants gained anincome of about 3400 crores through co-operative diaries. The poor people were themain benificiaries. One of the greatest successesin the history of Independent India, this is knownas Operation Flood.

Collect information about MILMA, theco-operative organization of milkproducers in Kerala.

INDUSTRIAL SECTORINDUSTRIAL SECTORINDUSTRIAL SECTORINDUSTRIAL SECTORINDUSTRIAL SECTOR

Along with agricultural sector, the industrialsector also plays a major role in the developmentof a country. Why are the factories called thetemples of modern India ? Present yourconclusions in the class.

During the first few decades afterindependence there were no industrial magnatesin India who were able to invest capital in largescale industries. At that time there were somelimitations in receiving foreign capital. Foreignerswere not interested in investing money in Indiaas there were some crises that followedindependence. So the public sector had toundertake the responsibility of industrialdevelopment.

Till 1985 we followed the developmentmodel devised by Nehru. It was decided thatstrategic industrial enterprises should be underthe management of the government. It was thesocialist idea that the controlling power of theeconomy should be in the public sector that ledto this way of thinking. So large scale industrialenterprises were started under governmentownership with the economic and technologicalassistance of countries like the Soviet Union,Britain, Germany and France. The basicnecessities for the industrial development of anycountry are iron and steel industries and Petrochemicals industries. Prepare a list of suchindustries founded in India during the early yearsof independence

Let us examine the achievements of the publicsector during the early decades of Indianindependence.

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The Public sector made great progress inindustries like petroleum, steel, mining,electricity and petrochemicals.

In agriculture based industries, manufactureof consumer goods and foreign trade thepublic sector played a remarkable role.

The tendency of depending on importbecame minimised.

EDUCAEDUCAEDUCAEDUCAEDUCATIONALTIONALTIONALTIONALTIONAL DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT

During the period of national movementdetailed discussions were held about the futureof Indian education system. National leadersincluding Gandhiji exhorted the people to boycottthe educational institutions of the British. Anumber of national educational institutions werestarted during that period . The system ofeducation that Gandhiji suggested for the wholeof India is known as Wardha Scheme or Schemeof Basic Education. Find out the salient featuresof this education and present in the class.

Stages of Development

The Constitution amendment of 2001declared that free and compulsory education ofchildren of 6 to 14 years of age is a fundamentalright.

This is not a sudden change. But an exampleof importance given to education by thegovernments of independent India.

Let us examine the important educationcommissions appointed in free India for advisingon education reforms.

The University Education Commission of1948-49 under the chairmanship ofDr.S.Radhakrishnan.

The Secondary Education Commission of1952 under the chairmanship of LakshmanaSwamy Mudaliar.

The Education Commission of 1964-66under the chairmanship of Dr. D. S.Kothari.

The Yashpal Committee under thechairmanship of Prof. Yashpal.

You might have heard of Navodaya schoolsopened as a part of the New Education Policyintroduced in 1986. It was the KothariCommission report which laid the foundation ofthis new policy. The Operation Blackboardscheme which provided for increased facilitiesin primary education and vocational educationwere started on the basis of new educationpolicy. Media like radio and television began tobe used for educational purposes. The StateCouncil of Education Research and Training forpromoting research and training in education atthe state level and the District Institute ofEducation and Training in each district werestarted as a part of the New Education Policy.The commission led by Prof. Yashpal suggestedmeasures for the improvement of the quality ofeducation and simplification of work load.

The Minimum Level of Learning (MLL),District Primary Education Programme (DPEP)and the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) wereprogrammes devised to make basic changes inthe field of primary education in India.

There were 27 universities and 578 collegesin India in 1951. Today there are about 250universities and 11000 colleges in the country.Today we have medical colleges in the healtheducation sector, engineering institutionsincluding IITs and IIMs for management studies.

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18.3328.3

34.4543.57

52.2165.38

010203040506070

Lite

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(%)

LITERACY RATE IN INDIA 1951-2001

Many of these institutions are of internationalstandard.

Inorder to control the various sectors ofeducation and formulate policies, several nationalagencies are functioning in the state. Let us havea look at them.

University Grants Commission (UGC)

National Council of Educational Researchand Training (NCERT)

All India Medical Council (AIMC)

All India Council of Technical Education(AICTE)

National Council of Teacher Education(NCTE)

All India Bar Council. (AIBC)

National Assessment and AccreditationCouncil (NAAC)

Find out the functions of these organizationsand add them to Enquiry Notes.

Could we achieve complete literacy in spiteof these activities in the educational field?

National Literacy Programme

Illiteracy of the people hampers the

development of a country. Almost all thegovernments in free India attached primaryimportance to literacy programmes The schemeof National Adult Education was launched in1978. The National Literacy Mission wasformed in 1988. As a part of this, DistrictLiteracy Missions were organised under theleadership of the Collector. Literacy rate whichwas 18.33 percent in 1951 rose to 65.38 percentin 2001. This is a great achievement as far as acountry with such a huge population like Indiais concerned.

DEVELOPMENT IN SCIENCEDEVELOPMENT IN SCIENCEDEVELOPMENT IN SCIENCEDEVELOPMENT IN SCIENCEDEVELOPMENT IN SCIENCE

In the beginning of the modern period theposition of India in science and technology wasnot at all satisfactory. But with the beginning ofthe twentieth century considerable changes beganto take place in this field. Jagadish ChandraBose, Sreenivasa Ramanujan and many othersled India to the path of modern science. Afterindependence Indian scientists worked withdevotion to attain scientific progress. TheScientific and Industrial Research Councilfounded in 1942 gained more prominence afterindependence. Let us examine the names of thescientists who gave leadership to thedevelopment of science in Independent India..

Dr.Vikram Sarabhai is regarded as thefather of Indian Space Research Programme.

1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001Year

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Homi.J.Bhabha gave leadership toresearch in atomic energy.

A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, our President, isregarded as the father of Indian missiletechnology.

Find out the names of other scientistswho offered leadership to thedevelopment of science in India andpresent them in the class.

Space Research in India

The first rocket in India was launchedfrom Thumba Rocket LaunchingStation, Thiruvananthapuram, on 21stNovember 1963. It was led by NationalSpace Research Organization(INCOSPAR). Dr.Vikram Sarabhaiwas its head. The researches atThumba paved the way for thelaunching of artificial satellitesincluding INSAT.

The resolution relating to the science policyof 1958 characterised science as the “Key toNational Development”. Is it not necessary toevalutate how far science has helped in thedevelopment of the nation? India’s achievementsin space research and missile technology arecomparable to those of the developed nations.With the founding of Indian Space ResearchOrganization (ISRO) on 15th August, 1969,India geared up for a big leap.

The Space Commission came into existencein 1972. Which is the first artificial satellitelaunched by India?. When was it launched?Which was the satellite launched last? Find outfacts and present in the class.

Buddha Smiles

India established its nuclear potentialwith the atomic explosion at Pokhranin Rajasthan in 1974. ‘Buddha smiles’was the code name given to it. Withanother atomic explosion at Pokhran in1998 India declared herself an atomicnation.

The uses of artificial satellite havealready been discussed in previousclasses. Prepare a note about the crisesthat India may have to face in the caseof failure of our satellites and present itin the class.

Launching of P.S.L.V

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PLANNING IN INDIAPLANNING IN INDIAPLANNING IN INDIAPLANNING IN INDIAPLANNING IN INDIA

Read the bluprint prepared by the PlanningCommission in July 1951. Planning in ademocratic state is a social process in which,every citizen should have opportunity toparticipate. To set the patterns of futuredevelopment is a task of such magnitude andsignificance that it should embody the impact ofpublic opinion and the needs of the community.

Planning and five year plans have alreadybeen referred in the previous classes. We beganto think of planning not after independence. Thefive year plans of the Soviet Union captured theattention of the leaders of India. Through thefamous Karachi resolution of 1931 the IndianNational Congress demanded that industries andservice areas such as railway and water transportwere to be in the public sector. In 1938 theNational Planning Committee was formed underthe leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru. ThisCommittee prepared a plan outline for the allround development of India. In 1945 the famousBombay plan, India’s economic developmentscheme was drafted. This stressed thesignificance of the Public sector. It was in thisbackground that the new Planning Commissioncame into existence in independent India.

The Planning Commission aimed at a mixedeconomy. Find out its special features.

Five Year Plans

India entered into the path of developmentthrough Five Year Plans. Let us examine the mainachievements of the first three five year plans.

National annual production increased 4 timesin half a century.

Growth in the agricultural sector increasedby 7.5% from the pre-independent rates.

Rocket and Missile

India’s achievements in the field of rocketlaunching have reached the level of thedevelopment of cryogenic engine.Rockets withcryogenic engines were necessary to amplify thethrust force so that the comparatively heaviercommunication satellites could be carried to theorbit. India is the sixth country in the world thatpossesses such satellite launching vehicles.

In missile technology India madeachievements comparable to those of thedeveloped countries. India had developedmissiles for depending itself against the frequentforeign invasions what it had to face sinceindependence. From missiles with short rangesto the ones with a long reach of 3000 Kms, Indiapossesses missiles of all ranges.

Other Achievements

Almost all the facilities acquired bydeveloped countries are available in India also.In India there is facility to manufacture supercomputers, to give birth to test tube babies andto do complicated surgeries. We couldmanufacture new medicines through reasearcheswithout depending on foreign countries.Research in the agricultural field helped toproduce high quality seeds, fertilisers andmachines. Our success in giving birth to cross-breed cows helped operation flood. Submarineresearches help India to exploit the resourcesof the sea on a commercial basis moreover. Thishelped to form marine archaeology, a new branchof science which helps the study of history.Collect more facts about this from differentreading materials.

Prepare a bulletin, ‘The ScientificAchievements of India ‘by incorporating all thefacts thus collected. The defects of scientificprogress if any may also be exposed.

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In the industrial sector also there was 7.5%growth during the period.

There was tremendous development in thefields of education, health and science andtechnology.

India made these achievements at a timewhen foreign aid and private capital weremeagre. This laid the foundation of India’sdevelopment.

The continuity of India’s Five Year Plans wasinterrupted several times between 1965 and1991. The reasons for this were annual plans,wars with Pakistan, changes in government andfinancial crises. That is why the Five Year Plansfailed to achieve the expected target. Though thegrowth rate in the total domestic productionand industries increased it fell far short of theexpected level. The most important achievementof the period was the attainment of selfsufficiency in food through Green Revolution.

Decentralisation of Power

We have been discussing centralisedplanning so far.Aren’t there some drawbacks?The benefit of planning that takes place in NewDelhi should reach the people of all villages inIndia. Decentralisation in administrative power,planning and development schemes has becomenecessary. Local self governing institutions wereneeded to plan and implement developmentschemes and to exercise power locally.

You have already discussed the activitiesof the Gramasabha in previous classes. It is thethree tier Panchayatiraj system which givesleadership to decentralised planning.Theyobtained constitutional status under the‘Panchayati Raj’ system in 1993 following aconstitutional amendment. Eventhough thereexisted Panchayat administrative system in Indiain various forms, elections were not heldsystematically and punctually. They were not freeto exercise authority. It was Rajiv Gandhi who

Jawaharlal Nehru, the chairman of planning commission and Gulsarilal Nanda,deputy chairman sign the draft of the third Five Year Plan.

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started this system in its present form in 1989.The local self governing institutions implementlocal development schemes from its own incomeand the plan fund (grant) from central and stategovernments.

Policy Changes

We often hear a lot about globalization. Letus examine the beginning of globalization in India.

There are arguments that India’s selfsufficient economy is not suitable to the new ageand development is impossible without foreigncapital. As the production capacity of Indianindustries was low, modern technology wasnecessary. As the government could not investmoney in public sector, privatisation was foundnecessary. It was on thesse grounds that the NewEconomic Policy was accepted in 1991. Thegovernment declared that this change of policyis to exploit the benefits of globalisation. Let usexamine its main features.

Commercial and Industrial regulations wereliberalised.

Import regulations were dropped

Aimed at the gradual privatisation of publicsector.

Industrial license policy was given up

The restrictions on multinationals were lifted.Foreign investment was encouraged

How does the New Economic Policy affectIndia? Organise a discussion with specialreference to Agriculture, Industry, Education andHealth. Record your findings in the discussionnote.

Summary

The formation of the planning commissionand the launching of the Five Year Plansformed the basis of development inIndependent India.

The Planning Commission aimed at mixedeconomy promoting the public sector andat the same time providing for the privatesector

Great progress was achieved in agriculturaland industrial sectors and self sufficiency infood was attained as a result of various fiveyear plans.

From 1991 onwards significant changestook place in the economy of India givingimportance to globalisation andliberalisation.

As a part of ensuring social justice variousgovernments of independent India tried toabolish Zamindari system, implementedtenancy laws and fixed the limit to possessland.

Several agrarian struggles were organizedin various parts of India to provide land tothe landless people.

The implementation of Panchayati Raj lawwas a notable achievement in the processof administrative decentralisation.

Several commission reports and agencieslike UG.C, NCERT and Literacy Missionhelped the development of education in freeIndia.

Independent India has won creditableachievements in the field of science andtechnology.

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Questions

Examine the features of the of IndianEconomy during the early stage of planning.

Assess how the peasant movements andland reformacts contributed to the GreenRevolution.

What are the basic changes brought aboutby the Panchayati Raj Act in theadministrative field?

Examine how achievements in the field ofscience help national development.