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Change and Development in Rural Society

NCERT Class 12 · Sociology Based on NCERT Class 12 Sociology textbook · Free CBSE study kit

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Chapter Notes

Overview
This chapter examines the transformation of rural Indian society, focusing on the agrarian structure, land reforms, the Green Revolution, and the impact of globalisation. It explains how caste and class intersect to shape rural inequalities, and how agricultural modernisation has led to both development and distress. The one big idea a student must walk away with is that rural India is not static; it has undergone profound changes from colonial times to the present, but these changes have been uneven, often benefiting the rich while marginalising the poor, especially landless labourers, women, and lower castes.
Key Concepts (14)
Agrarian structure
The structure or distribution of landholding in rural society, which shapes the rural class structure because agricultural land is the most important productive resource.
e.g. In a village, a few families own large plots of land while 40-50% of families own no land at all, creating a highly unequal agrarian structure.
Dominant caste
A term coined by sociologist M.N. Srinivas to describe the most powerful group in a region, economically and politically, that dominates local society and is usually a major landowning caste.
e.g. Jats and Rajputs in Uttar Pradesh, Vokkaligas and Lingayats in Karnataka, Kammas and Reddis in Andhra Pradesh, and Jat Sikhs in Punjab.
Zamindari system
A colonial land revenue system in which the British granted property rights to local zamindars (landlords) who collected heavy land revenue from cultivators, leading to stagnation or decline in agricultural production.
e.g. Under this system, peasants often fled from oppressive landlords, and famines decimated the population.
Raiyatwari system
A colonial land revenue system in which the 'actual cultivators' (often landlords themselves) were directly responsible for paying tax to the British, giving them more incentive to invest in agriculture and leading to relative prosperity.
e.g. Areas under this system became more productive and prosperous compared to zamindari areas.
Land Ceiling Acts
Land reform laws that imposed an upper limit on the amount of land a family can own, with the state supposed to take surplus land and redistribute it to landless families, especially SCs and STs.
e.g. In practice, many landowners used loopholes like 'benami transfers' (divorcing wives to avoid the ceiling) to retain their land.
Green Revolution
A government programme of agricultural modernisation from the 1960s-70s, funded by international agencies, based on high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds, pesticides, fertilisers, and assured irrigation, targeted mainly at wheat and rice-growing areas.
e.g. Punjab, western Uttar Pradesh, coastal Andhra Pradesh, and parts of Tamil Nadu received the first wave of the Green Revolution package.
Differentiation
The process by which the rich grew richer and many of the poor stagnated or grew poorer as a result of the Green Revolution, because only medium and large farmers could afford expensive inputs.
e.g. Well-to-do farmers increased production and earnings, while tenant-cultivators were displaced and landless labourers faced worsening conditions.
Subsistence agriculture
A form of agriculture where farmers produce primarily for their own consumption and are unable to produce a surplus for the market; such farmers are termed 'peasants'.
e.g. A small farmer growing only enough rice for his family, with nothing left to sell in the market.
Commercialisation of agriculture
The shift from growing crops for self-consumption to growing crops primarily for sale in the market, often leading to increased dependence on markets and cash payments.
e.g. Cotton farmers in Maharashtra in the 19th century became directly linked to the world market.
Feminisation of agricultural labour force
The trend where women are emerging as the main source of agricultural labour, especially in areas where men migrate for work, but women earn lower wages than men and are largely excluded from land ownership.
e.g. In poor areas where male family members work outside the village, cultivation has become primarily a female task.
Contract farming
A system where farmers enter into contracts with multinational companies to grow specific crops (e.g., tomatoes for PepsiCo), with the company providing seeds, inputs, and know-how, and guaranteeing purchase at a fixed price.
e.g. Farmers in Punjab and Karnataka growing potatoes and tomatoes for multinational companies under contract.
Footloose labour
A term used by Jan Breman to describe migrant workers who circulate between their home villages and prosperous areas for seasonal work, but who lack rights, job security, and are often paid below minimum wage.
e.g. Thousands of workers from drought-prone regions migrate to Punjab and Haryana for harvesting, or to brick kilns and construction sites in cities.
Begar
A practice of forced or free labour prevalent in many parts of northern India, where members of low-ranked caste groups had to provide labour for a fixed number of days per year to the village zamindar or landlord.
e.g. Until recently, dalit labourers were required to work for free for the dominant caste landlord for a certain number of days each year.
Benami transfers
A strategy used by landowners to evade the Land Ceiling Act by transferring land to the name of unmarried women (e.g., divorcing wives but continuing to live with them) to avoid the ceiling limit.
e.g. Rich farmers divorced their wives to claim a separate share for unmarried women, thus retaining surplus land.
How It Works
Land Reforms in Independent India
  1. Step 1: Abolition of the zamindari system — removed intermediaries between cultivators and the state, weakening zamindars' economic and political power.
  2. Step 2: Tenancy abolition and regulation acts — attempted to outlaw tenancy or regulate rents to give security to tenants, but were poorly implemented except in West Bengal and Kerala.
  3. Step 3: Land Ceiling Acts — imposed an upper limit on land ownership per family, with surplus land to be redistributed to landless families, but loopholes like benami transfers made them toothless in most states.
💡 Students often forget that the abolition of zamindari was the most effective land reform, while tenancy and ceiling acts largely failed due to poor implementation and loopholes.
Green Revolution and Its Social Consequences
  1. Step 1: Introduction of HYV seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, and assured irrigation in select areas (Punjab, western U.P., coastal Andhra, parts of Tamil Nadu).
  2. Step 2: Medium and large farmers with capital invested in expensive inputs and increased production, while small and marginal farmers could not afford them.
  3. Step 3: Rich farmers became richer, tenant-cultivators were displaced as landowners took back land for direct cultivation, and service caste groups were displaced by machinery.
  4. Step 4: Regional inequalities worsened — Green Revolution areas developed while others stagnated; mono-cropping replaced multi-crop systems, increasing risk.
  5. Step 5: In the second phase (1980s onwards), dry and semi-arid regions adopted Green Revolution practices, leading to increased commercialisation and livelihood insecurity.
💡 Students often think the Green Revolution benefited all farmers equally. The key point is that it led to 'differentiation' — the rich grew richer, the poor stagnated or grew poorer.
Transformation of Labour Relations (Patronage to Exploitation)
  1. Step 1: Pre-Green Revolution — hereditary, bonded labour relationships (patronage) between landlords and low-caste workers, with payment in kind (grain).
  2. Step 2: Post-Green Revolution — commercialisation led to a shift from payment in kind to cash, loosening of traditional bonds, and rise of 'free' wage labour.
  3. Step 3: Sociologist Jan Breman described this shift as 'from patronage to exploitation' — workers lost security and were paid below minimum wage.
  4. Step 4: Demand for labour increased but wages did not keep pace; migrant workers (footloose labour) were preferred by wealthy farmers because they were more easily exploited.
💡 The shift from patronage to exploitation is a key exam point. Students must understand that 'free' wage labour did not mean freedom — it meant insecurity and exploitation.
Circulation of Labour (Seasonal Migration)
  1. Step 1: Breakdown of traditional bonds and seasonal demand for labour in prosperous Green Revolution regions (e.g., Punjab) created a pattern of seasonal migration.
  2. Step 2: Workers from drought-prone, less productive regions migrate to farms, brick kilns, or construction sites for part of the year.
  3. Step 3: Wealthy farmers prefer migrant workers because they can be paid lower wages and are more easily exploited.
  4. Step 4: In some areas (e.g., sugarcane growing areas), local landless labourers move out while migrant workers are brought in — a peculiar pattern.
  5. Step 5: Effects include feminisation of agriculture (women left behind do the farming) and poor working/living conditions for migrants.
💡 Students often confuse 'footloose labour' with freedom. Jan Breman's study shows the opposite — these workers have few rights and are easily exploited.
Globalisation and Contract Farming
  1. Step 1: Liberalisation policies since the late 1980s opened Indian markets to imports, exposing farmers to global competition.
  2. Step 2: Multinational companies enter into contracts with farmers to grow specific crops (e.g., tomatoes for PepsiCo), providing seeds, inputs, and guaranteed purchase at a fixed price.
  3. Step 3: Contract farming appears to provide security but leads to dependence on companies, diversion of land from food grains to export-oriented elite items, and ecological unsustainability due to high fertiliser/pesticide use.
  4. Step 4: Multinationals also replace government agricultural extension agents as sellers of seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides, increasing farmer debt and ecological crisis.
💡 Students must note that contract farming disengages farmers from the production process and makes their indigenous knowledge irrelevant — a key sociological point.
Exam Traps — Don't Make These Mistakes
⚠ Confusing 'dominant caste' with 'highest caste'
✗ The dominant caste is always the highest caste, like Brahmins.
→ Brahmins are the highest caste in the ritual hierarchy, but they are not major landowners and fall outside the agrarian structure. Dominant castes are the major landowning groups (e.g., Jats, Vokkaligas), who are middle or high ranked but not necessarily the highest.
✓ The dominant caste is the most powerful group economically and politically in a region, usually a major landowning caste like Jats in U.P. or Vokkaligas in Karnataka, not necessarily the highest ritual caste like Brahmins.
⚠ Thinking the Green Revolution benefited all farmers equally
✗ The Green Revolution increased agricultural productivity and benefited all farmers.
→ Only medium and large farmers who could afford expensive inputs (HYV seeds, fertilisers, pesticides) benefited. Small and marginal farmers could not afford them, and tenant-cultivators were often displaced. The process led to 'differentiation' — rich grew richer, poor stagnated or grew poorer.
✓ The Green Revolution primarily benefited medium and large farmers who had capital to invest in expensive inputs, leading to increased inequality and displacement of tenant-cultivators and service castes.
⚠ Assuming land reforms were fully successful
✗ Land reforms in India successfully redistributed land to the landless.
→ Only the abolition of zamindari was effective. Tenancy acts and Land Ceiling Acts were poorly implemented due to loopholes like benami transfers, and most landowners escaped having surplus land taken over.
✓ Land reforms had limited success: zamindari abolition was effective, but tenancy and ceiling acts largely failed due to poor implementation and loopholes, leaving the agrarian structure highly unequal.
⚠ Confusing 'footloose labour' with freedom
✗ Footloose labour means workers are free to move and choose their work.
→ Jan Breman's study shows the opposite — footloose labourers are landless workers who have few rights, are not paid minimum wage, and are easily exploited by wealthy farmers who prefer them over local workers.
✓ Footloose labour refers to migrant workers who circulate seasonally but lack job security, rights, and are often paid below minimum wage — it does not imply freedom.
⚠ Thinking women have equal land rights in practice
✗ Women have equal rights to land because the law gives them an equal share of family property.
→ By law women are supposed to have an equal share, but in reality, due to patrilineal kinship and inheritance systems, women are usually excluded from land ownership and have only limited access as part of a male-headed household.
✓ Despite legal provisions, women are largely excluded from land ownership due to patrilineal kinship systems and cultural practices that privilege male rights.
Compare & Contrast
Land revenue administration under British colonial rule
Zamindari system
Raiyatwari system
In zamindari, the British granted property rights to zamindars who collected heavy taxes from cultivators, leading to stagnation; in raiyatwari, the 'actual cultivators' paid tax directly to the state, giving them more incentive to invest, leading to relative prosperity.
Purpose of production and market linkage
Subsistence agriculture
Commercial agriculture
Subsistence agriculture involves producing primarily for self-consumption with no surplus for the market (peasants), while commercial agriculture involves producing a surplus for sale in the market (farmers), linking them to wider markets and making them vulnerable to price fluctuations.
Exam Focus
Marks pattern: This chapter typically appears with 2-3 MCQs (1 mark each), 1-2 short answer questions (3 marks each), and 1 long answer question (5 marks). Total weightage: approximately 10-12 marks in the board exam.
Most asked: Agrarian structure and its link to caste and class · Land reforms: zamindari abolition, tenancy acts, Land Ceiling Acts — successes and failures · Green Revolution: social consequences, differentiation, regional inequalities · Transformation of labour relations: from patronage to exploitation · Feminisation of agriculture and circulation of labour · Globalisation and contract farming, farmers' suicides
Don't skip: Long answer question on the social consequences of the Green Revolution (differentiation, displacement, regional inequalities); Short answer on the relationship between caste and class in rural India; Question on land reforms — why they largely failed except zamindari abolition; Question on the shift from patronage to exploitation in labour relations
One-Line Revision (read aloud before the exam)
  1. Indian society is primarily rural, with 69% of people living in rural areas (2011 Census).
  2. Agrarian structure refers to the distribution of landholding, which shapes the rural class structure.
  3. The dominant caste, a term by M.N. Srinivas, is the most powerful landowning group in a region, e.g., Jats in U.P., Vokkaligas in Karnataka.
  4. Women are usually excluded from land ownership due to patrilineal kinship systems, despite legal equality.
  5. The zamindari system under British rule led to agricultural stagnation, while the raiyatwari system led to relative prosperity.
  6. Land reforms in independent India included zamindari abolition (most effective), tenancy acts, and Land Ceiling Acts (largely ineffective due to loopholes like benami transfers).
  7. The Green Revolution introduced HYV seeds, fertilisers, and irrigation, but led to 'differentiation' — rich grew richer, poor stagnated.
  8. The Green Revolution worsened regional inequalities, benefiting only areas with assured irrigation like Punjab and western U.P.
  9. Jan Breman described the shift in labour relations as 'from patronage to exploitation' as commercialisation increased.
  10. Footloose labour refers to migrant workers who circulate seasonally but lack rights and are easily exploited.
  11. Feminisation of agriculture means women are becoming the main source of agricultural labour, but earn lower wages and lack land rights.
  12. Contract farming ties farmers to multinational companies, increasing dependence and ecological unsustainability.
  13. Farmers' suicides since 1997-98 are linked to agrarian distress from liberalisation, high input costs, and withdrawal of state support.
  14. The agrarian structure remains highly unequal despite land reforms, constraining agricultural productivity and social justice.

MCQs — 10 Questions with Answers

Q1. M.N. Srinivas coined the term 'dominant caste' to refer to which characteristic group in rural India?

  • A. The highest-ranked caste in the varna hierarchy.
  • B. The most numerically significant and economically powerful landowning caste in a region. ✓
  • C. The caste group with the largest population across all of India.
  • D. The caste that controls the village temple and performs all rituals.

Answer: B — Srinivas defined dominant caste as the most powerful group economically and politically in a local region, controlling land and society—not necessarily the highest-ranked varna.

Q2. In rural agrarian structure, what proportion of crop income do tenants typically pay as rent to landowners?

  • A. 20 to 30 per cent of the crop income.
  • B. 35 to 45 per cent of the crop income.
  • C. 50 to 75 per cent of the crop income. ✓
  • D. 80 to 90 per cent of the crop income.

Answer: C — The textual material explicitly states that tenants pay a substantial rent—often as much as 50 to 75 per cent of their crop income—leaving them with much lower incomes than owner-cultivators.

Q3. Which of the following statements about the relationship between caste and class in rural India is correct?

  • A. Caste and class correspond perfectly; the highest caste always owns the most land.
  • B. There is no relationship between caste and class in the agrarian economy.
  • C. While broadly upper castes own more land, there is not an exact correspondence; Brahmins, the highest caste, often fall outside the agrarian economy. ✓
  • D. Lower castes always own more land than upper castes in agricultural regions.

Answer: C — The chapter explains that while there is a rough correspondence, it is not straightforward—for example, Brahmins (highest-ranked) are not major landowners and fall outside the agrarian structure in most regions.

Q4. Which of the following is NOT a reason why SC/ST groups in rural India predominantly occupy the position of agricultural labourers or landless peasants?

  • A. Caste rules historically excluded them from owning land.
  • B. They deliberately chose agriculture as their preferred occupation for cultural reasons. ✓
  • C. Dominant landowning castes required a dependent labour force for intensive cultivation.
  • D. Systemic discrimination prevented them from accessing land resources.

Answer: B — SC/ST groups were systematically excluded by caste structures and economic coercion, not by their own deliberate choice; their position as labourers resulted from exclusionary practices of dominant castes.

Q5. What is meant by 'underemployment' in the context of rural agricultural labour?

  • A. Workers employed in jobs below their educational qualification level.
  • B. Daily-wage agricultural workers who lack consistent work throughout the year. ✓
  • C. Workers who refuse to work in the agricultural sector.
  • D. Workers employed by the government in temporary positions.

Answer: B — Underemployment in rural agriculture refers to the situation where labourers lack sufficient work days per year, working only as daily-wage earners without year-round employment security.

Q6. Which of the following best illustrates the concept of 'agrarian structure'?

  • A. The types of crops grown in different regions of India.
  • B. The seasonal pattern of agricultural work and festivals celebrated by farmers.
  • C. The distribution of landholdings and access to agricultural land among rural households, which shapes the rural class structure. ✓
  • D. The traditional knowledge systems used by farmers in different regions.

Answer: C — Agrarian structure specifically refers to the pattern and distribution of landholding, which determines access to resources and directly shapes rural class structure and income distribution.

Q7. According to the material, why are women usually excluded from land ownership in rural India despite legal entitlement to equal property share?

  • A. Women lack the physical strength to manage agricultural land.
  • B. The prevailing patrilineal kinship system and mode of inheritance exclude women from independent ownership. ✓
  • C. Women voluntarily choose not to own land to maintain family harmony.
  • D. The government does not issue land deeds to women farmers.

Answer: B — The chapter states that patrilineal inheritance systems—where property passes through the male line—prevent women from independent land ownership, despite their legal rights.

Q8. Read the following two statements: Assertion (A): In rural India, higher castes always own the most land and occupy the top positions in the agricultural economy. Reason (R): The relationship between caste and class in agrarian structure is perfectly uniform across all regions of India. Which of the following is correct?

  • A. Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
  • B. Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
  • C. Both (A) and (R) are false. ✓
  • D. (A) is true, but (R) is false.

Answer: C — Both statements are false: the caste-class relationship is not uniform (varies by region) and not perfectly aligned (Brahmins, highest-ranked, often fall outside the agrarian economy).

Q9. Give an example of a dominant caste in a region mentioned in the chapter and explain how its control of land translates to local power.

  • A. Brahmins in Karnataka control the textile industry and dominate local administration.
  • B. Vokkaligas in Karnataka are a major landowning group that is economically and politically powerful in their region. ✓
  • C. Dalits in Punjab form the largest agricultural workforce and control government policies.
  • D. Merchants in Tamil Nadu own most of the land and determine caste rankings in villages.

Answer: B — Vokkaligas are explicitly cited in the chapter as a dominant landowning caste in Karnataka; dominant castes translate land control into economic power and political dominance of local society.

Q10. Which scenario best demonstrates the interlocking nature of caste and class inequality described in the chapter?

  • A. A Brahmin priest performs rituals for all castes without receiving payment.
  • B. An SC family is both landless (due to historical exclusion from land ownership) and dependent on agricultural labour (with insecure employment and below-minimum wages) for their livelihood. ✓
  • C. A wealthy merchant family converts from one religion to another to improve their social status.
  • D. A farmer in Punjab adopts new agricultural technology to increase crop yields.

Answer: B — This scenario demonstrates interlocking inequality: SC communities face both caste-based exclusion from land ownership AND class-based exploitation as poorly-paid labourers, creating compounded disadvantage.

Flashcards

What is agrarian structure?

The distribution and pattern of landholding, which shapes rural class structure by determining access to agricultural resources and income from cultivation.

Define dominant caste with an example.

The most powerful, numerically significant landowing caste in a region that controls both economy and politics locally; examples are Jats in UP, Vokkaligas in Karnataka, and Jat Sikhs in Punjab.

Why are most agricultural labourers in the SC/ST category?

Historically, Dalit and tribal communities were excluded from land ownership by caste rules and provided most of the labour force for dominant landowning groups.

How much of their crop income do tenants typically pay as rent?

Tenants pay 50 to 75 per cent of their crop income as rent to the landowner, leaving them with much lower income than owner-cultivators.

What is underemployment in rural agriculture?

The situation where agricultural labourers are daily-wage workers without consistent work throughout the year, resulting in irregular and insufficient income.

Name three occupations that have declined in rural India since colonial times.

Potters, weavers, and ironsmiths; their traditional village economy roles declined due to influx of manufactured goods replacing handmade products.

Does caste always correspond to class in rural India?

No; while dominant landowning groups are usually upper castes, the highest-ranked Brahmins often fall outside the agrarian economy and are not major landowners.

What percentage of rural households in some regions own no land at all?

In some parts of India, 40 to 50 per cent of rural families are landless and dependent on agricultural labour or other work for their livelihoods.

How does patrilineal inheritance affect women's land rights?

Women are usually excluded from land ownership because property passes through the male line; they have only limited access through male-headed households.

What is the connection between a harvest festival and agrarian structure?

Harvest festivals like Pongal, Bihu, and Baisakhi celebrate the agricultural season and reflect how deeply culture is tied to the agrarian way of life in different regions.

Important Board Questions

What is agrarian structure? Give one example of how it affects rural class hierarchy in India. [2 marks]

Define agrarian structure as distribution of landholding; then show how landlessness (SC/ST groups) → dependence on agricultural labour → lower income and insecurity, creating class inequality.

Explain the concept of 'dominant caste' as developed by M.N. Srinivas. How does dominant caste control both the economy and politics of a rural region? Provide two regional examples. [4 marks]

Define dominant caste as most powerful landowning group in a region (not highest-ranked varna); show how land ownership → economic power → political influence; cite two examples: Jats (UP), Vokkaligas (Karnataka), Kammas/Reddis (AP), or Jat Sikhs (Punjab).

Analyse the interlocking relationship between caste and class in rural agrarian structure. Why is the caste-class correspondence not uniform across all Indian regions? How does this create compounded disadvantage for SC/ST groups? [6 marks]

Explain rough correspondence (upper castes own land, lower castes landless) BUT note exception (Brahmins highest-ranked but outside agrarian economy); show how SC/STs face dual inequality—caste-based exclusion from land + class-based exploitation as underpaid labourers; use examples (tenants pay 50-75% rent, labourers earn below minimum wage, underemployment); conclude how region-specific landowning castes determine local power structures, creating different patterns across India.

Assertion-Reason Questions for Change and Development in Rural Society

Q1. Assertion (A):

In rural India, the distribution of landholdings is highly unequal among households, with some regions having 40-50 per cent families without any land ownership.

Reason (R):

Unequal land distribution creates a class structure where landless families depend entirely on agricultural labour or other occupations for livelihood.

Answer: A — Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A — Both the assertion and reason are true, and the reason correctly explains why unequal land distribution is significant – it creates economic inequality and class differentiation in rural society.

Q2. Assertion (A):

Women in rural India typically have equal rights to land ownership as stated in law.

Reason (R):

Although laws grant women equal property rights, patrilineal kinship systems and inheritance practices in reality limit women's access to land to only a household share through male heads.

Answer: C — A is true but R is false — The assertion is true (law grants equality) but the reason is incomplete – the material states women have only 'limited rights and some access to land.' The assertion oversimplifies legal reality.

Q3. Assertion (A):

Dominant castes in rural areas are always the highest-ranked castes in the traditional Brahmanical hierarchy.

Reason (R):

The Brahmins, though highest in caste ranking, are not major landowners in most areas and therefore fall outside the agrarian power structure despite being part of rural society.

Answer: D — A is false but R is true — The assertion is false – dominant castes are middle to upper castes, not always the highest (Brahmins are often excluded). The reason supports this by showing Brahmins' exception, making both statements correct in showing the assertion is wrong.

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Case-Based Questions (CBQ) for Change and Development in Rural Society

Case Study:

A government census of Mathura district in Uttar Pradesh reveals that 35 per cent of rural households own no land, 40 per cent own marginal plots (under 1 hectare), and 25 per cent own medium to large holdings. Among the 25 per cent of large landowners, 80 per cent belong to Jat communities, while among the landless, 70 per cent belong to Dalit castes. Agricultural labourers among the landless earn ₹150 per day and work only 180 days per year, while medium landowners earn approximately ₹60,000 annually from cultivation.

Q1. Based on the passage, what is the approximate annual income of an agricultural labourer working 180 days at ₹150 per day?

  • A. ₹27,000 ✓
  • B. ₹36,000
  • C. ₹45,000
  • D. ₹54,000

Answer: A

Q2. The data presented in the passage best illustrates which sociological concept?

  • A. Complete absence of caste-class relationship
  • B. Dominant caste system where Jats control landholding and economic power ✓
  • C. Dalits having equal opportunities in land ownership
  • D. Agricultural productivity determines caste status

Answer: B

Q3. Given that the labourer earns ₹27,000 annually while medium landowners earn ₹60,000, by what percentage is the labourer's income lower?

  • A. 45 per cent
  • B. 55 per cent ✓
  • C. 60 per cent
  • D. 70 per cent

Answer: B

Q4. This situation of landlessness among Dalit populations reflects which aspect of rural agrarian structure described in the chapter?

  • A. Historical restrictions on land ownership for lower castes creating contemporary class inequality ✓
  • B. Dalit preference for non-agricultural occupations
  • C. Equal land distribution among all caste groups
  • D. Random economic inequality unrelated to caste

Answer: A

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Previous Year Questions (PYQ) for Change and Development in Rural Society

Real CBSE board exam questions from past papers — free to attempt.

CBSE 2026 · Set Sociology · 1 mark

Assertion (A): India is still largely an agricultural country. Reason (R): Very few people in India have access to secure jobs.

  • Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
  • Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
  • Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
  • Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

CBSE 2026 · Set Sociology · 4 marks

Jan Breman identified the change in the nature of relationship between landlords and agricultural workers.

Explain the meaning of the phrase 'from patronage to exploitation' stated by him.

CBSE 2026 · Set Sociology · 2 marks

The rural and urban population in India (1901–2011) shows that the urban population has been increasing its share steadily, from about 11% at the beginning of the twentieth century to about 28% at the beginning of the twenty-first century, an increase of about two-and-a-half times. It is not a question of numbers alone; processes of modern development ensure that the economic and social significance of the agrarian-rural way of life declines relative to the significance of the industrial urban way of life.

Rural-urban migration is preferred for 'social reasons'. Mention any two reasons.

CBSE 2025 · Set 62_Sociology · 1 mark

Assertion (A) : Often it is thought that imparting knowledge of 'scientific' farming methods will improve the conditions of Indian farmers. Reason (R) : The Indian farmers have been cultivating the land for centuries, much before the advent of the Green Revolution.

  • Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
  • Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
  • Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
  • Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

CBSE 2025 · Set 62_Sociology · 1 mark

Assertion (A) : Agriculture is the single most important source of livelihood for the majority of the rural population. Reason (R) : The rural is not just agriculture. Many activities that support agriculture and village life are also sources of livelihood.

  • Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
  • Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
  • Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
  • Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

CBSE 2025 · Set 62_Sociology · 2 marks

Many districts of colonial India were administered through the Zamindari system. What problems were faced by the peasants due to the Zamindari system ?

CBSE 2025 · Set 62_Sociology · 2 marks

One of the negative outcomes of the Green Revolution strategy was the worsening of regional inequalities. Give two reasons for your answer.

CBSE 2025 · Set 62_Sociology · 4 marks

From the 1950s to the 1970s, a series of land reform laws were passed — at the national level as well as in the states. What were the reasons behind these reforms ?

CBSE 2024 · Set 62_Sociology · 1 mark

Which of the following statements is not true for Green Revolution?

  • Green Revolution was a government programme of agricultural modernisation.
  • It was largely funded by international agencies.
  • The first wave of the Green Revolution package was received by Bihar, Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Telangana.
  • Green Revolution was targeted mainly at the wheat and rice growing areas.

CBSE 2024 · Set 62_Sociology · 2 marks

The state invested in the development of rural infrastructure, such as irrigation facilities, roads and electricity and on the provision of agricultural inputs. For regular agricultural growth, uninterrupted power supply to rural India is one of the necessities.

The state invested in the development of rural infrastructure, such as irrigation facilities, roads and electricity and on the provision of agricultural inputs. For regular agricultural growth, uninterrupted power supply to rural India is one of the necessities. Based on the given passage, answer the following question: A recently launched scheme is an effort of the Indian Government in this direction. Name the scheme. State the overall result of this scheme.

CBSE 2024 · Set 62_Sociology · 2 marks

To generate employment and self-employment the Government of India floated many schemes. Name any two schemes. What is the positive outcome of these schemes?

CBSE 2024 · Set 62_Sociology · 2 marks

Contract farming has sociological significance. Give two points to support this statement.

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