Answer

Introduction

The success of the Green Revolution in India ensured food security through large-scale cultivation of paddy and wheat. However, this cropping pattern has gradually evolved into a fiscal and ecological burden, raising concerns over resource depletion, subsidy distortions and the sustainability of India’s agricultural system.

Body

Socio-Economic Impacts of Paddy–Wheat Fixation

• Rising Fiscal Burden on Government: Large procurement, storage and input subsidies for rice and wheat strain public finances.
  Eg: Under the MSP system in India and National Food Security Act, 2013, the government spends heavily on procurement and food subsidies.
• Distorted Cropping Incentives: Assured procurement discourages farmers from cultivating pulses, oilseeds and millets despite their nutritional and market value.
  Eg: Paddy and wheat occupy ~38% of India’s 220 million hectares of gross cropped area.
• Regional Agricultural Imbalance: Concentration of these crops in certain regions deepens inter-state agricultural disparities.
  Eg: States like Punjab and Haryana remain locked into rice-wheat monoculture.
• Market and Nutritional Distortions: Overproduction of cereals affects dietary diversity and causes import dependence.
  Eg: India remains a major importer of edible oils despite large cereal stocks.
• Reduced Farmer Income Resilience: Dependence on a narrow crop base increases vulnerability to price shocks, climate risks and policy shifts.

Environmental Impacts of Paddy–Wheat Fixation

• Severe Groundwater Depletion: Water-intensive paddy cultivation in semi-arid regions accelerates groundwater exhaustion.
  Eg: The Central Ground Water Board reports critical groundwater stress in Punjab and Haryana due to paddy irrigation.
• Excessive Fertiliser Use: Continuous cereal monoculture leads to heavy dependence on chemical fertilisers, degrading soil health.
• Soil Nutrient Imbalance: Repeated wheat-rice cycles deplete micronutrients and organic matter in soil.
  Eg: Government soil testing programmes under Soil Health Card Scheme reveal widespread nutrient imbalance.
• High Energy and Electricity Consumption: Free or subsidised electricity for groundwater pumping increases energy demand and fiscal pressure.
• Environmental Pollution: Paddy cultivation leads to stubble burning, contributing to air pollution in northern India.
  Eg: Crop residue burning in Punjab and Haryana aggravates winter pollution in Delhi.

Policy Measures for Effective Crop Diversification

• Reform MSP and Procurement Policies: Expand assured procurement to pulses, oilseeds and millets to create viable alternatives.
  Eg: Procurement of millets under the International Year of Millets 2023 initiative in India encouraged diversification.
• Promote Water-Efficient Crops: Encourage cultivation of coarse cereals, pulses and oilseeds suited to agro-climatic conditions.
• Rationalise Input Subsidies: Gradually reduce fertiliser, power and irrigation subsidies for rice-wheat while incentivising sustainable crops.
  Eg: Direct benefit transfer of fertiliser subsidy aims to improve efficiency and reduce misuse.
• Strengthen Value Chains for Diversified Crops: Improve processing, storage and market access for pulses, oilseeds and millets.
  Eg: Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme supports agro-processing clusters.
• Encourage Sustainable Farming Practices: Adopt crop rotation, agro-ecological farming and water-saving technologies.
  Eg: The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana promotes micro-irrigation to conserve water.

Conclusion

The paddy–wheat dominated system that once ensured food security now demands structural reform to safeguard ecological sustainability and farmer prosperity. A calibrated transition towards diversified cropping, supported by market incentives, policy reforms and resource-efficient agriculture, will be essential for building a resilient and climate-compatible Indian farming system.

DOWNLOAD PDF