Question 1

Which one of the following has not been a part of the land reforms programme in India?

Accepted Answer

Agricultural holdings tax appears nowhere in India's land reform programme while ceiling on holding, consolidating of holdings and zamindari abolition are the main parts of land reform programme in Indian agriculture.

Question 2

Which one of the following has not been a part of land reforms programme in India ?

Accepted Answer

Land reforms were intended to reduce inequalities existing in land markets, where the poor farmers were exploited. Abolition of intermediaries, tenancy reforms and ceilings on land holdings were a part of these reform but imposition of land revenue was never a objective/part of this reform.

Question 3

Write a short note on change in volume and direction of India's foreign trade after Independence.

Accepted Answer

India&#8217;s foreign trade was largely determined by the strategic needs of the British colonial powers prior to its independence in 1947 Like other colonies, India too was a supplier of raw materials and agricultural commodities to Britain and other industrial countries and it used to import the manufactured goods from Britain.The dependence of colonial India on Britain for manufactured goods hindered the process of industrialization and obliterated the indigenous handicraft and cottage industries.As a part of the British strategy, India had to export more than its imports prior to World War II, so as to meet the unilateral transfer of payments to Britain by way of the salaries and pensions of the British officers, both military and civil, dividends on British capital invested in India, and interest on sterling loans.This helped India to achieve a favourable trade balance. In April 1946, India was able to build a huge sterling balance of Rs. 17.33 billion, even after paying of the sterling debt. However, the share of raw materials in India&#8217;s exports declined from 45 per cent in 1938-39 to 31 per cent in 1947-48 whereas the share of manufactured goods increased from 30 per cent in 1938-39 to 49 per cent in 1947-48.It was only after independence that India&#8217;s trade patterns began to change in view of its developmental needs. India, as a newly independent country, had to import equipment and machinery that could not be manufactured domestically, in order to create new production capacity and build infrastructure, known as developmental imports.It also had to import intermediate goods and raw material so as to make full use of its production capacity, known as maintenance imports.Moreover, as a newly developing country, it had to import consumer goods such as food grains that were in short supply domestically, in order to curb inflationary pressures. Such heavy dependence on imports adversely influences a country&#8217;s balance of trade. It necessitates the need to expand exports to finance its imports.

Question 4

Abolition of intermediaries and tenancy reforms are both parts of _________.

Accepted Answer

Land reforms in India includes the abolition of intermediaries so that farmers are not exploited: Change in land revenue reforms and ownership rights of the farmers in order to consider their interest and determining the ceiling of the land so that poor farmers can rent a plot to cultivate crops and earn a living.

Question 5

The 'Mahalanobis Committee' was set up to study _____________.

Accepted Answer

The Mahalanobis Committee was found to study the impact of first two five year plans. It was meant to study the income distribution to learn who all were benefitted as during these two plans there wasn't any substantial increase in per capita income.

Question 6

Which of the following is part of land reform?

Accepted Answer

Land reforms by the government includes the abolition of Zamindari so that farmers are not exploited by the zamindars: Change in land revenue system and ownership rights of the farmers in order to consider their interest and determining the ceiling of the land so that poor farmers can rent a plot to cultivate crops and earn a living.

Question 7

Zamindari or landlord system was introduced in ________.

Accepted Answer

Zamindari System (Permanent Land Revenue Settlement) Zamindari System was introduced by Cornwallis in 1793 through the Permanent Settlement Act.

Question 8

In India planning the strategy of industrial development of Prof Mahalanobis was based on which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Prasant Chandra Mahalanobis: The Architect of Indian Planning: Many distinguished thinkers contributed to the formulation of our five year plans. Among them, the name of statistician, Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis stands out. Planning, in real sense of the term, began with the Second Five Year Plan. The Second Plan, a landmark contribution to development planning in general, laid down the basic ideas regarding goals of Indian planning; this plan was based on the ideas of Mahalonobis. In that sense he can be regarded as the architect of Indian Planning.Mahalanobis was born in $1893$ in Kolkata. He was educated at the Presidency College in Kolkata and at Cambridge University in England. His contributions to the subject of statistics brought him international fame. In $1946$, he was made a Fellow (member) of Britain's Royal Society, one of the most prestigious organisations of scientists; only the most outstanding scientists are made members of this society.Mahalanobis established the Indian Statistical Institute(ISI) in Kolkata and started a jorunal, Sankhye, which still serves as a respect forum for statisticians to their ideas.

Question 9

Ryotwari system of tenancy was first introduced in _________.

Accepted Answer

Ryotwari system was introduced by Thomas Munro in 1820 , Madras in May. In this system the ownership rights were handed over to peasants.

Question 10

State another name for import substitution strategy.

Accepted Answer

Another name for import substitution strategy is inward looking trade strategy.