SHIKHAR MAINS 2022- DAY 45 Model Answer English

Q1. भारत में भूमि सुधार के क्षेत्र में वांछित सफलता प्राप्त नहीं हुई, इसके क्या कारण थे? इसे और प्रभावी बनाने के लिए सुझाव दीजिए।

What were the reasons for not achieving the desired success in the field of land reforms in India? Give suggestions to make it more effective.

Approach:

·        Write about land reform in introduction.

·        Mention some of the efforts of the government to clarify the first statement.

·        Then state the reasons for the failure.

·        At the end, conclude the answer by giving suggestions.

Answer:

         Land reform refers to the distribution of surplus land between small farmers and landless cultivators by imposing limits on agricultural landholdings. Broadly, it includes regulation of ownership, operation, lease, sale and succession of land.

Significantly, since independence, the government started extensive efforts for land reforms. However, these efforts did not yield proper results. Except West Bengal, Kerala remained negative in rest of India. The reasons behind the failure of land reforms can be understood as follows-

·        There were shortcomings in the laws, rules made by the government. The absence of adequate land records made implementation of these acts difficult. ‘Personal cultivation’ was very loosely defined which led to not only those who tilled the soil, but also those who supervised the land personally or did so through a relative, or provided capital and credit to the land, to call themselves a cultivator.

·        Moreover, in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madras there was no limit on the size of the lands that could be declared to be under the ‘personal cultivation’ of the zamindar.

·        As land is a state subject, the laws could not be implemented as per the requirement of each state. The biggest mistake was the imposition of one type of rule for each state.

·        There is a lack of political will towards these reforms. Agriculture has not always been a priority sector under various governments.

·        At the individual level, people's attachment to their land hindered consolidation. The belief that lands belongs to those who cultivate it had a negative impact.

·        The zamindari trend going on since the British period hindered the change of perceptions related to land after independence.

·        The differences in the system of land records and land administration in tribal areas in the northeastern states also pose a challenge to land reforms.

Suggestion:

·        To provide adequate credit and capital to the cultivators who are actually cultivating the land.

·        Government regulation should eventually be phased out so that farmers can sell agricultural products directly in the market and market forces can control the prices of agricultural produce.

·        To encourage land leasing and contract farming.

·        Effective implementation of the Forest Rights Act by all the states.

·        To preserve especially fertile agricultural land for agricultural purposes.

Land reforms after independence were not successful in toto. Even today 5% farmers hold 32% of land holdings. We need second Land reform to achieve the goal of doubling farmer’s income.

Q2. आपदा प्रबंधन अधिनियम 2005 के प्रमुख बिंदुओं का उल्लेख कीजिये।

Mention important provisions of the Disaster Management Act 2005.

Approach:

·        Start with the background of Disaster Management Act, 2005.

·        Then, list the important provisions of the Act.

·        Conclude accordingly.

Answer:

The Disaster Management Act was passed by the government of India in 2005 for the ‘efficient management of disasters and preparation of mitigation strategies, capacity-building. However, it came into force in January 2006.

Important provisions of Disaster Management Act, 2005:

Nodal Agency:

·        The Act designates the Ministry of Home Affairs as the nodal ministry to conduct the overall national disaster management.

·        Institutional Structure: It maintains a systematic structure of institutions at the national, state and district levels.

Important Institutions of National Level:

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)

·        In December 2005, the Government of India enacted the Disaster Management Act, which also created a National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) headed by the Prime Minister and envisaged the establishment of State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) headed by the respective Chief Ministers. To lead and implement a holistic and integrated approach towards it.

National Executive Committee:

·        A National Executive Committee has been constituted under Section 8 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 to assist the National Authority in the performance of its functions.

·        This committee has been given the responsibility of acting as a coordinating and monitoring body for disaster management, national planning and implementation of national policy.

National Institute of Disaster Management:

·        This institute is responsible for conducting training and capacity development programs for the management of natural disasters.

National Disaster Response Force:

·        It is a trained professional unit capable of taking specialized action at the time of disasters.

State and District Level Institutions:

·        State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA)

·        Under the leadership of the Chief Minister of the concerned state, SDMA prepares policies and plans for disaster management in the state.

·        It is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the state plan, measures to be prepared for disaster mitigation and review of the plans of various departments of the state to ensure integration of prevention, preparedness and mitigation measures, etc.

District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA):

·        District Magistrate / District Collector / Deputy Commissioner is its head as the chairman.

·        Apart from this, the elected representative of the local authority is the co-chair, except in those tribal areas where the chief executive member of the district council of the autonomous district is appointed as the co-chair, etc.

·        Apart from this, in those districts where Zilla Parishad is present, its chairman will be the co-chairman of DDMA etc.

Finance:

·        The Act provides a financial mechanism for emergency response, National Disaster Response Fund and similar fund creation at the state and district levels.

Civil and criminal liability:

·        Any person refusing to comply with orders issued in times of calamity shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both, under section 51 of this Act, and shall, if the observance of this order, result in death. The person responsible may be imprisoned for up to two years.

The Disaster Management Act, 2005 has accelerated planning to deal with disasters, but unless it is effectively implemented, mere preparation of detailed plans on paper may not serve the purpose.