2013 · GS Paper 1 · Q6 · 10 marks
Critically discuss the objectives of Bhoodan and Grain-dan Movements initiated by Acharya Vinoba Bhave and their success.
In short
Bhoodan and Gramdan aimed to redistribute land through a voluntary change of heart and to build Gram Swaraj, and succeeded morally but not materially. Over four million acres were pledged after the 1951 Pochampally gift, yet only a fraction, often barren or disputed, reached the landless.
Model answer
Ghissu Editorial · Verified 4 Oct 2026 · 288 words
Change of heart
Vinoba asked to be treated as every landlord's sixth son and given one-sixth of his land, aiming at 50 million acres through persuasion rather than force or law.
Trusteeship and Gram Swaraj
Rooted in Gandhi's trusteeship and Sarvodaya, Gramdan, which began at Mangroth in Uttar Pradesh in 1952, vested the whole village's land in the gram sabha so that the community, not the landlord, decided its use.
Moral climate
Over four million acres were pledged, Jayaprakash Narayan joined through Jeevandan in 1954, and states such as Bihar passed Bhoodan Acts.
Peaceful alternative
The movement offered a non-violent counter to the Telangana armed struggle and kept land reform on the agenda.
Poor delivery
Much gifted land was barren or disputed, and only a fraction reached the landless for want of distribution machinery.
Gramdan's limits
Gramdan spread mainly in tribal areas such as Koraput, where land was already communal, and faded after the 1960s.
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Question from the official UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2013 paper. Answer written by Ghissu's engine and checked against our editorial standards. Found an error? Tell us and we correct it within 48 hours.