M. S. Swaminathan, widely recognised as the architect of India’s Green Revolution, passed away on September 28 at the age of 98. Swaminathan made indelible contributions to agriculture by spearheading the development of high-yielding varieties of paddy. His visionary efforts ensured that low-income farmers in India were able to significantly increase their crop yields.
- M S Swaminathan, often referred to as the “Father of India’s Green Revolution”, dramatically transformed India’s agricultural landscape.
- His invaluable work involved developing high-yielding varieties of paddy. This innovation greatly benefited low-income farmers by increasing their yield.
- Swaminathan’s efforts were instrumental in achieving India’s self-sufficiency in food grains. This accomplishment was monumental, given that in the 1960s, India was reliant on US wheat imports to satisfy domestic demand.
- Born in 1925 in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, Swaminathan embarked on his higher education journey at Thiruvananthapuram Maharaja’s College (now called University College) in the 1940s.
- He earned his graduation in Zoology and later pursued further studies at the Agricultural College in Coimbatore.
- Prior to the Green Revolution, India was in a precarious situation, having a ship-to-mouth existence and dependent on US aid. This vulnerability was exposed during the Bangladesh crisis when the US suspended economic assistance to India.
- In 1971, India decided to end its PL480 deal with the US, striving for self-sufficiency in food grain production.
Key figures in this endeavor were Dr. MS Swaminathan and Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug. They developed high-yielding wheat and paddy, and mobilised farmers for increased productivity. - Their efforts successfully prevented a potential famine in India.
- In 2004, the UPA government formed the National Commission on Farmers, appointing Swaminathan as chairperson. This commission aimed to enhance the lives of farmers.
- This group, often referred to as the ‘Swaminathan Committee’, recommended a minimum support price that farmers should receive for their produce. This price was suggested to be 50% higher than the total production cost.
- The committee’s recommendations have been widely supported by various farmer unions across India and have become a central election promise for many political parties.
- These recommendations gained substantial attention during the farmers’ protests in 2020-21, which took place on the outskirts of India’s capital.
- Besides these contributions, Dr. MS Swaminathan also served as a nominated member of Parliament from 2007 to 2013.
- Swaminathan held various positions during his career.
- He served as the Director of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute from 1961 to 1972.
- He took on the role of Director General of ICAR and Secretary to the Indian Government’s Department of Agricultural Research and Education from 1972 to 1979.
- He was the Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture in 1979-80.
- He held the position of Acting Deputy Chairman and later became a Member for Science and Agriculture in the Planning Commission from 1980 to 1982.
- He was the Director General of the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines from 1982 to 1988.
- In 2004, he was chosen to lead the National Commission on Farmers. The commission was founded to study the distress of farmers as suicide rates were alarmingly high.
- The commission presented its report in 2006. One of the key recommendations was that the Minimum Selling Price (MSP) should be at least 50 per cent higher than the average cost of production.
Awards & Recognition
- Swaminathan was awarded the first World Food Prize in 1987 following which he set up the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in Taramani, Chennai.
- Swaminathan has been conferred with the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan.
- He is also the recipient of the H K Firodia award, the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award and the Indira Gandhi Prize, apart from several international awards including the Ramon Magsaysay Award (1971) and the Albert Einstein World Science Award (1986).