Topic: Major crops cropping patterns in various parts of the country, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage
Q5. Analyse the structural causes behind continuing farm suicides in India. Examine the changing nature of rural distress in the context of declining farm viability and labour insecurity. Suggest a robust framework for sustainable agrarian transformation. (15 M)
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: DTE
Why the question
Persistent farm suicides and the rising share of agricultural labourers in such deaths highlight deepening structural distress in India’s rural economy amid climate stress, declining farm viability and livelihood insecurity.
Key Demand of the question
The question requires analysing the structural causes responsible for continuing farm suicides, examining the changing nature of rural distress due to weakening agricultural viability and labour insecurity, and suggesting a comprehensive policy framework for sustainable agrarian transformation.
Structure of the Answer:
Introduction
Briefly highlight the agrarian distress situation using recent NCRB trends and the shift from cultivator-centric distress to broader rural livelihood insecurity.
Body
- Structural causes of farm suicides: Mention factors such as indebtedness, fragmented landholdings, climate vulnerability, market instability and institutional gaps in risk protection.
- Changing nature of rural distress: Show the transition from cultivator distress to labour distress, increasing wage dependence, precarious rural employment and regional concentration of vulnerabilities.
- Policy framework for agrarian transformation: Suggest integrated reforms involving income security, climate-resilient agriculture, inclusive credit, rural diversification, social protection and institutional strengthening.
Conclusion
Emphasise the need to transform agriculture from a survival-based occupation into a resilient and remunerative rural livelihood system supported by sustainable and inclusive policies.
