Land reforms were considered a foundational component of rural development in India after independence, aimed at dismantling colonial agrarian structures, reducing inequality, and promoting social justice and agricultural productivity. The legacy of British rule had left Indian agriculture characterized by intermediaries, highly unequal land distribution, exploitative tenancy arrangements, and widespread rural poverty. In response, land reforms were adopted as a state responsibility under the Constitution, placing them in the State List and allowing states to legislate according to regional conditions. While the objectives were progressive and transformative, the outcomes have been mixed, reflecting both notable achievements and serious limitations. The abolition of intermediaries such as zamindars, jagirdars, and inamdars was the first major step in land reform. This measure sought to establish a direct relationship between the state and the cultivator, eliminate rent-seeking middlemen, and provide security to actual tillers. In many regions, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and parts of South India, intermediary rights were formally abolished, and ownership or occupancy rights were transferred to cultivators. This reform significantly weakened the feudal agrarian structure and increased state revenue. However, in practice, large landowners were often compensated generously, and loopholes allowed many intermediaries to retain control over land through benami transfers or manipulation of records. As a result, while intermediaries disappeared legally, their social and economic power often persisted. Tenancy reforms were another critical component, aimed at regulating rent, providing security of tenure, and, in some