Why is the strategy of increasing cropping intensity important in a country like India?
The strategy of increasing cropping intensity is important because the scope for bringing in additional land under net sown area in India is limited. Thus, increasing cropping intensity is essential as a land-saving technology to increase the total output per unit area from all crops grown over one agricultural year.
Additionally, India is a land scarce but labour abundant country. A high cropping intensity is desirable for the fuller utilisation of land resource. Crucially, this strategy increases the demand for labour significantly, which helps in reducing unemployment in the rural economy.
Explanation
The answer is derived from the first paragraph of the provided context, which explicitly outlines the reasons for prioritizing cropping intensity. It highlights the geographical constraint of limited land availability and the demographic advantage of a labour surplus. The explanation connects these two factors to justify the strategy.