Which of the following statements is correct with reference to Agriculture sector during 1950-1990?

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Indian agricultural productivity increased during this period
The proportion of GDP contributed by agriculture increased significantly.
The proportion of the population working/depending on agriculture declined significantly.
None of these

Answer 1

The correct answer is Indian agricultural productivity increased during this period.

Key Points

Agriculture sector during 1950-1990:

At independence, about 75% of the country’s population was dependent on agriculture.
Productivity in the agricultural sector was very low because of the use of old technology and the absence of required infrastructure for the vast majority of farmers.
The stagnation in agriculture induced as a result of colonial rule was permanently broken by the green revolution.
This refers to the large increase in the production of food grains resulting from the use of high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds, especially for wheat and rice.
The nation had immensely benefited from the green revolution.
Thus, by the late 1960s, Indian agricultural productivity had increased sufficiently to enable the country to be self-sufficient in food grains. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
Economists have found that as a nation becomes more prosperous, the proportion of GDP contributed by agriculture as well as the proportion of the population working in the sector declines considerably.
In India, between 1950 and 1990, the proportion of GDP contributed by agriculture declined significantly from more than 50% in 1950 to 34% in 1990. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
On the negative side, some 65% of the country’s population continued to be employed in agriculture even as late as 1990.
The population depending on agriculture declined slightly from 67.5 per cent in 1950 to 64.9 per cent by 1990. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.