The correct answer is option 2. Explanation & Key Takeaways: Commercialisation of agriculture: • The process of Commercialisation of Agriculture in India started with the stabilization of British Rule in India in the 19th century. • Before British rule, the production in Indian agriculture was largely based on self-consumption. • Cash Crops like - Cotton, Indigo etc - were promoted over food crops. • Loans were provided to the farmers growing cash crops for British merchants. • This promotes Capital agriculture. Hence, statement (a) is false. • The land became private property and was easily bought and sold in the market. • It affected the vulnerable sections like - landless farmers, small farmers and peasants, and tenants. • Cash crops like Indigo and Opium made land unfertile for food crops. • The traditional seasonal cropping pattern was disturbed which led to more hunger and poverty in rural areas. • The traditional knowledge of agriculture, which was developed over several years was lost to an extent. • Market-dependent agriculture increased vulnerability due to market volatility. • This exposed the erstwhile self-dependent rural areas to the volatile international markets. • Agricultural development suffered due to the paucity of resources which the farmer required for technological improvements. • The farmer, in fact, was made to bear repeatedly the burden of instability in prices. • Information about high market prices of agricultural products did not percolate down to the poor peasants. • Consequently, rising prices could not benefit the small farmer. He was reduced to a mere sharecropper or sub-tenant. Hence, statement (b) is false.