Why did the Green Revolution in India virtually by-pass the eastern region despite fertile soil and good availability of water?

The Green Revolution was concentrated in the North-Western parts of India, while ignoring the North-East along with the rest of India. The Green Revolution in India focused on areas in India that were already better placed from the agricultural point of view. One of the major goals of the Green Revolution was for India to achieve self-sufficiency, which is why the focus was on crops such as wheat which India was in dire need of in order to feed its rapidly increasing population. Therefore, it was appropriate to choose areas that already produced the crops in question, and increase their yield and productivity.

The North-East, along with certain avenues for traditional forms of agricultural activities, has enormous potential for animal husbandry, horticulture and fisheries. These areas of agriculture were, however, largely ignored in the Green Revolution.

Irrigation formed a major component of the Green Revolution, which is why Punjab, the land of the rivers, is the most successful instance of the Green revolution. The North-East posed its own set of unique challenges which would need to be addressed in addition to the common agricultural challenges. A combination of these factors led to the bypassing of the North-East in the Green Revolution in India.

Topics: GS-III: Major Crops Cropping Patterns in Various Parts of India