Swaminathan commission for agriculture Development
The National Commission on Farmers (NCF) was constituted on November 18, 2004 under the chairmanship of Professor M.S. Swaminathan. The Terms of Reference reflected the priorities listed in the Common Minimum Programme. The NCF submitted four reports in December 2004, August 2005, December 2005 and April 2006 respectively. The fifth and final report was submitted on October 4, 2006. The reports contain suggestions to achieve the goal of “faster and more Growth-3/”>Inclusive Growth” as envisaged in the Approach to 11th Five Year Plan.
The NCF was mandated to make suggestions on issues such as:
- a medium-term strategy for food and Nutrition security in the country in order to move towards the goal of universal Food Security over time;
- enhancing productivity, profitability, and sustainability of the major Farming Systems of the country;
- policy reforms to substantially increase flow of rural credit to all farmers;
- special programmes for dryland farming for farmers in the arid and semi-arid regions, as well as for farmers in hilly and coastal areas;
- enhancing the quality and cost competitiveness of farm commodities so as to make them globally competitive;
- protecting farmers from imports when international prices fall sharply;
- empowering elected local bodies to effectively conserve and improve the ecological foundations for Sustainable Agriculture.
Findings and Recommendations
Farmers’ distress
Agrarian distress has led farmers to commit suicide in recent years. The major causes of the agrarian crisis are: unfinished agenda in land reform, quantity and quality of water, technology fatigue, access, adequacy and timeliness of institutional credit, and opportunities for assured and remunerative Marketing. Adverse meteorological factors add to these problems.
Farmers need to have assured access and control over basic Resources, which include land, water, bioresources, credit and insurance, technology and knowledge management, and markets. The NCF recommends that “Agriculture” be inserted in the Concurrent List of the Constitution.
- Distribute ceiling-surplus and waste lands;
- Prevent diversion of prime agricultural land and forest to corporate sector for non-agricultural purposes.
- Ensure grazing rights and seasonal access to forests to tribals and pastoralists, and access to common property resources.
- Establish a National Land Use Advisory Service, which would have the capacity to link land use decisions with ecological meteorological and marketing factors on a location and season specific basis.
- Set up a mechanism to regulate the sale of agricultural land, based on quantum of land, nature of proposed use and category of buyer.
Out of the gross sown area of 192 million ha, rainfed agriculture contributes to 60 per cent of the gross cropped area and 45 per cent of the total agricultural output. The report recommends:
- A comprehensive set of reforms to enable farmers to have sustained and equitable access to water.
- Increase water supply through rainwater harvesting and recharge of the aquifer should become mandatory. “Million Wells Recharge” programme, specifically targeted at private wells should be launched.
- Substantial increase in Investment in irrigation sector under the 11th Five Year Plan apportioned between large surface water systems; minor irrigation and new schemes for groundwater recharge.
Credit and Insurance
Timely and adequate supply of credit is a basic requirement of small farm families.
The NCF suggests:
- Expand the outreach of the formal credit system to reach the really poor and needy.
- Reduce rate of interest for crop loans to 4 per cent simple, with government support.
- Moratorium on debt recovery, including loans from non-institutional sources, and waiver of interest on loans in distress hotspots and during calamities, till capability is restored.
- Establish an Agriculture Risk Fund to provide relief to farmers in the aftermath of successive natural calamities.
- Issue Kisan Credit Cards to Women farmers, with joint pattas as collateral.
Food Security
The Mid-term appraisal of the 10th Plan revealed that India is lagging behind in achieving the Millennium Development Goals of halving hunger by 2015. Therefore, the decline in per capita foodgrain availability and its unequal distribution have serious implications for food security in both rural and urban areas. The proportion of households below the POVERTY line was 28% in 2004-05 (close to 300 million persons). However, in 1999-2000, the Percentage of Population consuming diets providing less than 2400 kcal (underlines definition of below Poverty Line) per capita per day was almost 77% of the rural population. Several studies have shown that the poverty is concentrated and food deprivation is acute in predominantly rural areas with limited resources such as rain-fed agricultural areas.
The report recommends:
- Implement a universal Public Distribution System. The NCF pointed out that the total subsidy required for this would be one per cent of the Gross Domestic Product.
- Reorganise the delivery of nutrition support programmes on a life-cycle basis with the participation of Panchayats and local bodies.
- Eliminate micronutrient deficiency induced hidden hunger through an integrated food cum fortification approach.
- Promote the establishment of Community Food and Water Banks operated by Women Self-help Groups (SHG), based on the principle ‘Store Grain and Water everywhere’.
- Help small and marginal farmers to improve the productivity, quality and profitability of farm enterprises and organize a Rural Non-Farm Livelihood Initiative.
Prevention of Farmers’ Suicides
In the last few years, a large number of farmers have committed suicide. Cases of suicides have been reported from states such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh. The NCF has underlined the need to address the farmer suicide problem on a priority basis.
Some of measures suggested include:
- Provide affordable health insurance and revitalize primary healthcare centres. The National Rural Health Mission should be extended to suicide hotspot locations on priority basis.
- Set up State level Farmers’ Commission with representation of farmers for ensuring dynamic government response to farmers’ problems.
- Restructure microfinance policies to serve as Livelihood Finance, i.e. credit coupled with support Services in the areas of technology, management and markets.
Competitiveness of Farmers
It is imperative to raise the agricultural competitiveness of farmers with small land holdings. Productivity improvement to increase the marketable surplus must be linked to assured and remunerative marketing opportunities.
The measures suggested by NCF include:
- Promotion of commodity-based farmers’ organisations such as Small Cotton Farmers’ Estates to combine decentralised production with centralised services such as post-harvest management, value addition and marketing, for leveraging institutional support and facilitating direct farmer-consumer linkage.
- Improvement in implementation of Minimum Support Price (MSP). Arrangements for MSP need to be put in place for crops other than paddy and wheat. Also, Millets and other nutritious Cereals should be permanently included in the PDS.
- MSP should be at least 50% more than the weighted Average cost of production.
Structural change in the workforce is taking place in India albeit slowly. In 1961, the percentage of the workforce in agriculture was 75.9%. while the number decreased to 59.9% in 1999-2000. But agriculture still provides the bulk of employment in the rural areas.
The overall employment strategy in India must seek to achieve two things. First, create productive employment opportunities and second to improve the ‘quality’ of employment in several sectors such that real wages rise through improved productivity. The measures to do so include:
- Accelerating the rate of growth of the economy;
- Emphasizing on relatively more labour intensive sectors and inducing a faster growth of these sectors; and
- Improving the functioning of the labour markets through such modification as may be necessary without eroding the core labour standards.
- Encourage non-farm employment opportunities by developing particular sectors and sub-sectors where demand for the product or services is growing namely: (i) trade, (ii) restaurants and hotels, (iii) transport, (iv) construction, (v) repairs and (vi) certain services.
- The “net take home income” of farmers should be comparable to those of civil servants.
Bioresources
Rural people in India depend on a wide range of bioresources for their nutrition and livelihood security. The report recommends:
- Preserving traditional rights of access to Biodiversity-2/”>Biodiversity, which include access to non-timber forest products including medicinal Plants, gums and resins, oil yielding plants and beneficial micro-organisms;
- Conserving, enhancing and improving crops and farm animals as well as fish stocks through breeding;
- Encouraging community-based breed conservation (i.e. conservation through use);
- Allowing export of indigenous breeds and import of suitable breeds to increase productivity of nondescript animals.
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Introduction
The world is facing a Climate crisis. The evidence is all around us: rising sea levels, more extreme weather events, and a decline in biodiversity. We need to take action now to address this crisis and protect our planet.
One way to do this is to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, which are driving Climate Change. We need to transition to clean energy sources, such as solar and wind power, to reduce our emissions.
We also need to protect our forests. Forests play a vital role in absorbing carbon dioxide from the Atmosphere. We need to stop deforestation and plant more trees.
Finally, we need to educate people about climate change and the importance of taking action. We need to make sure that everyone understands the urgency of the situation and what they can do to help.
Background
The climate crisis is a global problem that is caused by human activity. The burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These gases trap heat, which causes the Earth’s temperature to rise.
The rise in Earth’s temperature is already having a significant impact on our planet. Sea levels are rising, Glaciers are melting, and extreme weather events are becoming more common. These changes are having a devastating impact on people and wildlife around the world.
Objectives
The objective of this ARTICLE is to raise awareness of the climate crisis and to encourage people to take action to address it. We need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, protect our forests, and educate people about the importance of taking action.
Recommendations
There are many things that we can do to address the climate crisis. Here are a few recommendations:
- Reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. We can do this by driving less, using public transportation, and investing in RENEWABLE ENERGY sources.
- Protect our forests. We can do this by planting trees, reducing deforestation, and supporting sustainable Forestry practices.
- Educate people about climate change. We can do this by talking to our friends and family, attending climate change events, and supporting climate Education initiatives.
Implementation
There are many ways to implement the recommendations above. Here are a few examples:
- We can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels by driving less, using public transportation, and investing in renewable energy sources. We can drive less by walking, biking, or taking public transportation whenever possible. We can use public transportation by taking the bus, train, or subway. We can invest in renewable energy sources by installing solar panels on our homes or businesses.
- We can protect our forests by planting trees, reducing deforestation, and supporting sustainable forestry practices. We can plant trees by planting a tree in our yard or community. We can reduce deforestation by buying products that are made from sustainably harvested wood. We can support sustainable forestry practices by buying products from companies that practice sustainable forestry.
- We can educate people about climate change by talking to our friends and family, attending climate change events, and supporting climate education initiatives. We can talk to our friends and family about climate change by sharing information about the climate crisis and what we can do to address it. We can attend climate change events by attending conferences, rallies, and other events that raise awareness about climate change. We can support climate education initiatives by donating to organizations that educate people about climate change.
Impact
The impact of taking action on climate change will be significant. By reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, protecting our forests, and educating people about climate change, we can help to mitigate the effects of climate change and protect our planet.
Conclusion
The climate crisis is a serious problem, but it is not too late to take action. By reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, protecting our forests, and educating people about climate change, we can help to mitigate the effects of climate change and protect our planet.
The Swaminathan Commission was a commission set up by the Government of India in 1976 to review the state of agriculture in the country and recommend measures for its development. The commission was headed by M. S. Swaminathan, a renowned agricultural scientist.
The commission submitted its report in 1978. The report made a number of recommendations, including:
- Increasing the production of food grains
- Diversifying agriculture
- Promoting agricultural research and development
- Providing better irrigation facilities
- Improving the marketing of agricultural produce
- Providing credit to farmers
- Providing education and training to farmers
The government accepted most of the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. As a result, there has been significant progress in the development of Agriculture In India since the 1970s.
Here are some frequently asked questions about the Swaminathan Commission:
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What was the purpose of the Swaminathan Commission?
The purpose of the Swaminathan Commission was to review the state of agriculture in India and recommend measures for its development. -
Who was the chairman of the Swaminathan Commission?
The chairman of the Swaminathan Commission was M. S. Swaminathan, a renowned agricultural scientist. -
When was the Swaminathan Commission set up?
The Swaminathan Commission was set up by the Government of India in 1976. -
When did the Swaminathan Commission submit its report?
The Swaminathan Commission submitted its report in 1978. -
What were the main recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission?
The main recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission were to increase the production of food grains, diversify agriculture, promote agricultural research and development, provide better irrigation facilities, improve the marketing of agricultural produce, provide credit to farmers, and provide education and training to farmers. -
What has been the impact of the Swaminathan Commission?
The government accepted most of the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. As a result, there has been significant progress in the development of agriculture in India since the 1970s. -
What are some of the challenges facing agriculture in India today?
Some of the challenges facing agriculture in India today include: -
Low productivity
- Lack of irrigation facilities
- Poor marketing Infrastructure-2/”>INFRASTRUCTURE
- High cost of inputs
- Low prices for agricultural produce
- Inadequate credit facilities
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Lack of education and training for farmers
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What are some of the measures that can be taken to address the challenges facing agriculture in India?
Some of the measures that can be taken to address the challenges facing agriculture in India include: -
Increasing investment in agriculture
- Improving irrigation facilities
- Developing better marketing infrastructure
- Reducing the cost of inputs
- Increasing the prices of agricultural produce
- Providing more credit facilities to farmers
- Providing more education and training for farmers
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The Swaminathan Commission was set up in 1976 to:
(a) Review the agricultural situation in India and suggest measures for its development.
(b) Examine the impact of the Green Revolution on Indian Agriculture.
(c) Suggest measures to increase agricultural productivity.
(d) All of the above. -
The Swaminathan Commission recommended the following measures for agricultural development:
(a) Increase in the use of Fertilizers and pesticides.
(b) Introduction of high-yielding varieties of seeds.
(c) Expansion of irrigation facilities.
(d) All of the above. -
The Green Revolution was a period of rapid agricultural growth in India that began in the 1960s. It was based on the introduction of high-yielding varieties of seeds, the use of fertilizers and pesticides, and the expansion of irrigation facilities.
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The Green Revolution had a number of positive effects on Indian agriculture. It led to an increase in agricultural production, a decrease in food prices, and an improvement in the standard of living of farmers.
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However, the Green Revolution also had a number of negative effects. It led to the overuse of fertilizers and pesticides, which caused environmental problems. It also led to the displacement of small farmers, who were unable to compete with large-scale farmers.
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The Swaminathan Commission was set up to address the problems caused by the Green Revolution. It recommended a number of measures to make agriculture more sustainable, including the use of Organic Farming methods and the promotion of small-scale farming.
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The Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations have been implemented to some extent, but there is still a long way to go. Indian agriculture is still facing a number of challenges, including the need to increase productivity, reduce the use of pesticides, and promote sustainable Farming practices.
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The future of Indian agriculture depends on the ability of the government to address these challenges. The government needs to invest in research and development, provide support to farmers, and promote sustainable farming practices.
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If the government is able to address these challenges, Indian agriculture has the potential to become one of the most productive in the world. This would have a number of benefits for India, including increased food security, reduced poverty, and improved economic growth.
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However, if the government fails to address these challenges, Indian agriculture will continue to face problems. This could lead to food shortages, increased poverty, and social unrest.