Search Post on this Blog

What do you mean by the Green revolution? Illustrate merits and demerits of the Green revolution in India.

 Question.

What do you mean by the Green revolution? Illustrate the merits and demerits of the Green revolution in India. ( UPPSC, 2020, 15 Marks)

Discuss the results of the Green Revolution in India. ( 65th BPSC Geography)

Answer.

During the 1960s-70s in India, by using high-yielding seeds, fertilizers, and improved irrigation facilities, the yield of various crops, mainly wheat and paddy, was increased, this phenomenon is known as the Green Revolution.

Merits of Green Revolution:

  • The Green Revolution saved millions of lives from hunger by increasing the yield.
  • The economic condition of the farmers improved with the Green Revolution.
  • The Green Revolution took India away from the risk of importing food grains and dependence on other countries.
  • India became self-sufficient in some food grains such as wheat and rice.


Demerits of Green Revolution:

Ecological consequences:
  • The intensive use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides is polluting the soil and water and reducing the productivity of the soil.
  • Intensive use of irrigation in the cultivation of paddy and wheat in rain shadow areas leads to over-exploitation of groundwater; As a result, it lowers the groundwater level and increases desertification.
  • The monocropping practice has reduced the quality of the soil.
Socio-economic Consequences:
  • The Green Revolution increases the cost of farming and it increases economic stress for the farmer due to crop failure and market uncertainty.
  • Initially, the Green Revolution was limited to irrigated areas such as Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu; these areas benefited from the Green Revolution and other areas did not benefit from the Green Revolution; As a result, regional inequality has increased.
  • Large farmers benefited the most from the Green Revolution and poor farmers were deprived of benefits; As a result, it further increased inequality in society.
  • The demand for labor in rural areas decreased due to the high use of technology like tractors, and insecticides; As a result, rural-to-urban migration increased.


You may like also:

Previous
Next Post »