Agrarian Change in India

Despite its steady growth during the post-Independence period, agriculture in India has been progressively shrinking in terms of its contribution to the national income. However, it continues to provide a source of livelihood and employment to a large proportion of Indians. Its social worth even in 21st-century India remains far greater than its economic value. Given its demographic and social weight, it remains crucial for policy makers. Further, in countries like India and the larger universe of the Global South, agrarian economies function within a variety of complex relational structures, shaped by local histories and the broader processes of their political economies. Thus, the question of agrarian change is as much about social transformation as it is about economic growth. India presents a fascinating example of such a process. Despite a common political history, trajectories of agrarian change vary widely across regions of the country. Social science scholarship on the subject has also been extremely rich and varied.
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