Question

“Green Revolution has made India self-reliant with respect to food grains production.”

Justify the given statement with valid arguments.

Hint:

Give three points: output and productivity rose with HYV seeds, fertilisers and pesticides; food imports fell; buffer stocks gave food security. Together they show self-reliance in food grains.

Answer 1

Step 1: Understand the statement:
The statement says that the Green Revolution made India self-reliant in food grains. Self-reliant means India could meet its own food needs and no longer depended on imports.
The question carries 3 marks, so we give three connected arguments with proper reasons.

Step 2: Argument 1: Higher output and productivity:
The Green Revolution started in the late 1960s. Farmers began to use High Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilisers, pesticides and assured irrigation.
Wheat and rice benefited the most. The yield per hectare rose sharply, so the total food grain production also went up.

Step 3: Argument 2: Fall in food imports:
Before the Green Revolution, India imported food grains, mainly under foreign aid, to feed its people.
After the rise in output, the dependence on imports fell. India could meet most of its needs from its own farms.

Step 4: Argument 3: Buffer stocks and food security:
The government now buys the surplus grain from farmers at the minimum support price and keeps it as buffer stock.
This stock is used in years of poor harvest and for the public distribution system. So the country can feed its people even in a drought year.

Final Answer:
The Green Revolution raised production and productivity through HYV seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, cut food imports and built buffer stocks. So India became self-reliant in food grains.