Critically examine the constraints of land consolidation in India and the case for a Model Agricultural Land Leasing framework.
Subtopic: Agriculture · Land reforms
How to structure your answer
Introduction: Fragmented holdings — 86% small/marginal (Agri Census 2015-16); leasing legally restricted in many states; NITI Aayog Model Agricultural Land Leasing Act 2016 adopted by only a handful (UP, Uttarakhand, MP, AP).
Body: 1) Constraints — informal tenancy hides 25-30% leased area, locks credit, insurance access. 2) Existing consolidation — Punjab, Haryana, Western UP successes; eastern stagnation. 3) Land records — digitisation via DILRMP, geo-referencing under SVAMITVA, Bhulekh portals.
Way forward: Adoption of Model Land Leasing Act by states; recognise tenant rights without adversarial possession; integrate with KCC and PMFBY portability; National Spatial Data Infrastructure expansion.
Written within the word limit
235 words · target 250 words · 14 min
Introduction:
The 10th Agricultural Census (2015-16) recorded 86% of operational holdings as small or marginal, with an average size of 1.08 hectares; informal tenancy estimated at 25-30% of operated area remains legally hidden. The NITI Aayog Model Agricultural Land Leasing Act 2016 has been adopted by only Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh — leaving most farmers stranded between fragmentation and informal leasing.
Constraints in consolidation:
Tenancy restrictions in many states force concealed leasing, denying tenants access to KCC, PMFBY, and PM-KISAN. Cadastral records are outdated, with overlapping mutations and unrecorded inheritances. Consolidation has succeeded in Punjab, Haryana, and western UP but stalled across the eastern belt, where caste, political economy, and revenue-administration weakness constrain reform.
Case for a Model Leasing framework:
A statutory recognition of leasing without adverse-possession risk would formalise the 25-30% concealed tenant economy, unlock credit and insurance, and incentivise tenant investment. It would also enable landowners to lease out without fear of permanent forfeiture, encouraging consolidation of operational units even where ownership remains fragmented.
Digital land-records backbone:
SVAMITVA (April 2020) has drone-mapped 65,000+ villages, generating property cards. DILRMP integrates record-of-rights, registration, cadastral maps, and survey via Bhumi/Bhulekh portals in 30+ states. Geo-referenced records are the precondition for credible leasing.
Way forward / Conclusion:
Push Model Land Leasing Act adoption through a 16th Finance Commission incentive grant, complete DILRMP and SVAMITVA by 2027 under MoRD, integrate records with KCC and PMFBY, and recognise tenant rights without adversarial possession.
What an examiner expects to see
- 86% holdings small/marginal (Agri Census 2015-16)
- Model Land Leasing Act 2016 — NITI Aayog
- Informal tenancy 25-30%
- SVAMITVA — 65,000+ villages covered
- DILRMP digitisation
- Bhumi/Bhulekh portals in 30+ states
Concrete cases, schemes and judgments
- UP adoption 2018
- Karnataka Land Reforms Amendment 2020
- Madhya Pradesh tenancy
- Andhra crop e-Pattadar Pass