Previous Year Question

The approximate land-use classification of India during the period relevant to the question was:

• Net area sown—47%

• Area under forests—23%

• Area under other uses—30%

Therefore, option (d) is correct.

Net Area Sown

Net area sown is the land on which crops are cultivated at least once during an agricultural year.

• Even if more than one crop is cultivated on the same field during a year, that field is counted only once under net area sown.

• The proportion of net area sown is comparatively high in plains, alluvial regions and areas with developed irrigation.

• States such as Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have a high proportion because of intensive use of cultivable land.

Forest Area

In land-use statistics, forest area refers to the land classified as forest in government records.

• It need not be exactly identical to the actual tree cover or forest cover measured through satellite imagery.

• Land may be legally classified as forest even if it does not possess dense tree cover.

• Similarly, some tree cover may occur outside the officially recorded forest area.

Therefore, recorded forest area and actual forest cover are different concepts.

What is Included under Other Areas?

The approximately 30% classified under other areas principally includes:

• Land unavailable for cultivation

• Barren and uncultivable land

• Land under non-agricultural uses—settlements, roads and industries

• Permanent pastures and grazing land

• Land under miscellaneous tree crops and groves

• Culturable wasteland

• Current fallow and old fallow land

Related Important Concepts

Gross cropped area differs from net area sown. It also includes the area cultivated for a second or third time on the same land during a year.

Thus, the approximately correct representation was 47% net area sown, 23% forests and 30% other areas.