What effect incurred after independence on the requirement of foodgrains per head?
Answers
Indian agriculture has been initially completely dependant on the monsoons for the source of irrigation and any fluctuation in the monsoon remarkably affected the agricultural sector of India.
Even after independence for a long period of time with some minor gaps, India was dependent on importing the food grains and was not aptly self reliant. After independence, there was dreadful threat of famine, starvation, low productivity, higher prices, and lack of purchasing power i.e., circulation of money in the hands of people.
At the time of the partition, west Punjab which had well channelized and well structured irrigation system and canals went to the Pakistan. After independence, the planning commission considering self-sufficiency and economic growth aimed at self-reliance in terms of food grains and aimed at food security in India.
As partition had left India with a huge population around 82% of the total population but took away its cereal productivity on a comparative scale leaving it to only around 70 to 75 per cent. A huge chunk of population was living below poverty line and was suffering from malnutrition.