Page 106 - DECO303_INDIAN_ECONOMY_ENGLISH

Unit 6: Agriculture in the National Economy

6.6 Summary Notes

Agricultural growth has direct impact on poverty eradication.

It is also an important factor in containing inflation, raising agricultural wages and for
employment generation.
Indian agriculture has been the source of supply of raw materials to our leading industries.
Cotton and jute textile industries, sugar, flour mills vanaspati and plantations—all these
depend on agriculture directly.
In recent years, the significance of agriculture to industries is going down as many new
industries have come up which are not dependent on agriculture.
Under the Five-Year Plans, iron and steel industry, chemicals, machine tools and other
engineering industries, automobiles, information technology etc., have come up in a big
way.

However, in recent years, the importance of food processing industries is being increasingly
recognised both for generation of income and for generation of employment.
India should make an effort to bring down the seed costs by standardizing hybrid rice
seed production techniques. The Government should also provide hybrid rice seed at
subsidised rates to farmers.

6.7 Keywords

Agriculture: The science, art, or occupation concerned with cultivating land, raising crops, and
feeding, breeding, and raising livestock; farming.
Farming: The activity or business of growing crops and raising livestock.
Food Grains: Foodstuff prepared from the starchy grains of cereal grasses.
Green Revolution: A large increase in crop production in developing countries achieved by the
use of fertilizers, pesticides, and high-yield crop varieties.
Irrigation: It refers to the supply of water from Indian rivers, tanks, wells, canals and other
artificial projects for the purpose of cultivation and agricultural activities.

6.8 Review Questions

1. Briefly explain the concept of green revolution in concern with Indian agriculture.
2. Explain the essentials of agricultural development for economic growth.
3. What are the objectives of economic planning for the agricultural sector?

4. Discuss the pattern of investment in the agricultural sector.
5. Give a brief summary on agricultural progress under Five Year Plans.
6. Highlight the pattern of outlay on agriculture in the Tenth Plan.

Answers: Self Assessment

1. Agriculture 2. 60 per cent
3. National economy 4. Indicated

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