Module 3: Land Reform and the First Amendment

📖 Chapter 12 of 14 🧩 Module 3 of 6 ⏱️ ~2 min read 💡 6 MCQs

Topic Part 1 of 2

Concept

Subtopic 3.1: Land Reform and the First Amendment

Bihar was the first state after independence to pass a land reform law: the Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1950, to abolish zamindari.
The Maharaja of Darbhanga, Sir Kameshwar Singh, and other zamindars challenged it in the Patna High Court, which held that it violated Article 14 (equality).
The Centre then amended the Constitution and placed the law in the Ninth Schedule (protecting it from judicial review); this was the First Constitutional Amendment, 1951.
The bill was introduced by the then Revenue Minister Krishna Ballabh Sahay; some zamindars saw it as political vendetta, and the government faced legal hurdles for about a decade.

⭐ Key Points

📌 One-line Q&A

Question: Which was the first state after independence to pass a land reform (zamindari abolition) law? Answer: Bihar.
Question: Who challenged the Bihar Land Reforms Act in the Patna High Court? Answer: Maharaja Kameshwar Singh of Darbhanga.
Question: The Patna High Court held the Land Reforms Act violated which Article? Answer: Article 14.
Question: Bihar's land reform law led to which constitutional amendment? Answer: First Amendment, 1951.
Question: In which Schedule was the Bihar Land Reforms Act placed? Answer: Ninth.
Question: Which Revenue Minister introduced the land reform bill in Bihar? Answer: Krishna Ballabh Sahay.

Topic

Questions

MCQs

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Question 1: Which was the first state after independence to pass a land reform (zamindari abolition) law?

Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1950.

Question 2: Who challenged the Bihar Land Reforms Act in the Patna High Court?

Sir Kameshwar Singh, Maharaja of Darbhanga.

Question 3: The Patna High Court held the Land Reforms Act violated which Article?

Article 14 (equality).

Question 4: Bihar's land reform law led to which constitutional amendment?

The First Amendment added the Ninth Schedule.

Question 5: In which Schedule was the Bihar Land Reforms Act placed?

The Ninth Schedule.

Question 6: Which Revenue Minister introduced the land reform bill in Bihar?

K. B. Sahay.

Question 1 of 6

One-liners

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Which was the first state after independence to pass a land reform (zamindari abolition) law?

Bihar.

Who challenged the Bihar Land Reforms Act in the Patna High Court?

Maharaja Kameshwar Singh of Darbhanga.

The Patna High Court held the Land Reforms Act violated which Article?

Article 14.

Bihar's land reform law led to which constitutional amendment?

First Amendment, 1951.

In which Schedule was the Bihar Land Reforms Act placed?

Ninth.

Which Revenue Minister introduced the land reform bill in Bihar?

Krishna Ballabh Sahay.

Question 1 of 6