Green Revolution / हरित क्रांति

Green Revolution

Father of Indian Green Revolution dies

This topic is related to Current Affairs of IAS/PCS Prelims Exam and Main Exam General Studies Question Paper-3 Green Revolution.

October 04, 2023

In News:

  • Recently, MS Swaminathan, the father of Green Revolution in India, died on September 28, 2023 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu at the age of 98.

About MS Swaminathan:

  • MS Swaminathan was an Indian geneticist who is considered the father of India's Green Revolution.
  • MS Swaminathan's full name was Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan.
  • He was born on 7 August 1925 in Kumbakonam,Tamil Nadu.
  • Swaminathan was a graduate of both Zoology and Agriculture.

His major contributions in agriculture sector:

  • During the famine of 1960, Swaminathan, along with American scientist Norman Borlaug and many other scientists, also developed high yielding variety (HYV) seeds of wheat.
  • He played an important role in developing high yielding varieties of paddy.
  • Apart from this, in 1966, high quality wheat seeds were developed by hybridizing Mexican seeds with domestic varieties of Punjab.
  • MS Swaminathan, his groundbreaking work in agriculture changed the lives of millions of people and ensured food security for the country.
  • This helped ensure that India's low-income farmers produced more crops.

His major achievements:

Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan was honored with the following awards:

  • MS Swaminathan was awarded Padma Shri in 1967, Padma Bhushan in 1972 and Padma Vibhushan in 1989 by the 'Government of India' in the field of 'Science and Engineering'.
  • In 1965, Swaminathan was awarded the Mandal Memorial Medal from the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences.
  • Awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1971 and the Albert Einstein World Science Award in 1986.
  • Received the first 'World Food Prize' in 1987 and America's Tyler Award for environmental achievement in 1991.
  • Swaminathan was recognized by Time magazine as one of the twenty most influential Asians of the 20th century and one of only three from India, the other two being Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore.

His major roles:

  • MS Swaminathan served as Director of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute from 1961 to 72.
  • He was the Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research from 1972 to 1979 and the International Rice Research Institute from 1982 to 1988.
  • Considered the architect of India's Green Revolution, he played a major role in introducing and further developing high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice.
  • He was a member of the Planning Commission during the Sixth Five Year Plan (1980-85).
  • M S Swaminathan established a 'M S Swaminathan Research Foundation' in Chennai in the early 1990s for 'sustainable agriculture and rural development'.
  • The main objective of this Research Foundation was to promote a strategy for economic development in Indian villages that provides employment based on the development and dissemination of nature and women-friendly technology.
  • Swaminathan Commission was constituted on November 18, 2004. Actually, the name of this commission is National Farmers Commission and its chairman was MS Swaminathan. After understanding the problems of farmers for a long time, this commission had demanded many important reforms in the agricultural sector from the Centre.

About Green Revolution:

  • The term Green Revolution was first used by William Goud.
  • Norman Borlaug is the father of Green Revolution at the global level.
  • The Government of India started the Green Revolution in the year 1966, with the help of MS Swaminathan.
  • The period of Green Revolution in India was from 1967 to 1978.
  • Green Revolution is a process of increasing agricultural production with the help of modern equipment and technologies.
  • Green Revolution is related to agricultural production.
  • In the Green Revolution, modern technologies like use of high-yielding varieties of seeds, tractors, irrigation facilities, pesticides and fertilizers were adopted.
  • Until 1967, the government focused mainly on expanding agricultural sectors. But population increasing faster than food production demanded drastic and immediate action to increase production which came in the form of Green Revolution.
  • Green Revolution mainly focused on three basic elements:
  • Using seeds with improved genetics (high yielding variety seeds).
  • Double cropping in existing agricultural land and continuous expansion of agricultural areas
  • Schemes under Green Revolution
  • The umbrella scheme Green Revolution 'Krishnonnati Yojana' was approved by the Prime Minister for the agriculture sector with Rs 33,269.976 crore for a three-year period from 2017 to 2020.
  • The main objective of this scheme is to develop agriculture and allied sector in a scientific manner so that the income of farmers can be increased by increasing productivity, production and better returns on produce.
  • Strengthening production infrastructure, reducing the cost of production and marketing of agricultural and allied produce.
  • Presently, there are 11 schemes included under the Umbrella Scheme Green Revolution – Krishnannati Yojana:

Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture

  • Its objective is to promote comprehensive development of horticulture sector, increase production of horticulture sector, improve nutritional security.

National Food Security Mission

  • The objective of the scheme is to increase the production of wheat, pulses, rice, coarse grains and commercial crops, increase productivity and expand area in a suitable manner,
  • To enhance farm level economy, aims to restore soil fertility and productivity at individual farm level.
  • Its objective is to reduce imports and increase the availability of vegetable oils and edible oils in the country.

National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture

  • It aims to promote sustainable agricultural practices that are best suited to specific agro-ecologies, focusing on integrated farming, proper soil health management and coordination of resource conservation technology.

Sub-Mission on Agricultural Extension

  • The objective of the scheme is to strengthen the ongoing extension mechanism of State Governments, local bodies etc., achieve food security and socio-economic empowerment of farmers, create effective linkages and coordination among various stakeholders, institutionalize the program scheme.

Sub-Mission on Seeds and Planting Materials

  • It aims to increase the production of quality seeds, upgrade the quality of agro-protected seeds, strengthen the seed multiplication chain and promote new methods and technologies in seed production, processing.

Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization

  • Aims to increase the reach of farm mechanization to small and marginal farmers and areas where farm power availability is low, by promoting 'Custom Hiring Centres' to overcome the diseconomies of scale that arise.

Scheme for Plant protection

  • The objective of the scheme is to reduce the damage caused to the quality and yield of agricultural crops by insects, pests, weeds etc., so as to protect our agricultural bio-security from invasion and spread.
  • To facilitate export of exotic species, Indian agricultural commodities to global markets and promote good agricultural practices especially with regard to plant protection strategies and tactics.

Integrated Plan on Agricultural Census, Economics and Statistics

  • Its objective is to conduct agricultural census, conduct research studies on agro-economic problems of the country,
  • To study the cost of cultivation of major crops, fund conferences, workshops and seminars.
  • To engage eminent agricultural scientists, economists, experts to conduct short-term studies, improve agricultural statistical methods and create a hierarchical information system on crop status and crop production from sowing to harvest.

Integrated Plan on Agricultural Cooperation

  • The objective of this scheme is to provide financial assistance to improve the economic condition of cooperative societies,
  • Removing regional imbalances,
  • To accelerate cooperative development in agricultural processing, storage, marketing, computerization and weaker section programmes;
  • To ensure supply of quality yarn at reasonable rates to decentralized weavers and to help cotton growers get remunerative prices for their produce through value addition.

Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Marketing

  • The objective of the scheme is to develop agricultural marketing infrastructure;
  • Promoting innovative technologies and competitive alternatives in agricultural marketing infrastructure;
  • To provide infrastructure for grading, standardization and quality certification of agricultural produce;
  • Establishing a nationwide marketing information network;
  • To integrate markets through a common online market platform to facilitate pan-India trading.

National e-Governance Plan

  • The scheme aims to bring farmer-centric and service-oriented programmes;
  • Improve farmers' access to information and services throughout the crop cycle and increase the reach and impact of extension services;
  • To leverage, and integrate, existing ICT initiatives of the Center and States;
  • To enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of programs by providing timely and relevant information to farmers to increase their agricultural productivity.
  • Impact of Green Revolution in India

Positive impact

  • Green Revolution has significantly increased agricultural production. India saw a huge increase in food grain production. This revolution resulted in maximum production of wheat. Wheat production had increased to 55 million tonnes in the initial phase.
  • The revolution was not limited to agricultural production only but the yield per acre also increased. In the initial phase of the Green Revolution, the per hectare yield of wheat increased from 850 kg per hectare to 2281 kg/hectare.
  • With the beginning of the Green Revolution, India reached the path of self-reliance and became less dependent on imports. Production in the country was sufficient to meet the demand of the growing population and to stock up for emergencies. Instead of relying on importing food grains from other countries, India started exporting its agricultural produce.
  • Employment increased in rural areas. Tertiary industries like transportation, irrigation, food processing, marketing etc. created employment opportunities for the workforce.
  • The Green Revolution in India saw a significant increase in the income of the country's farmers. The Green Revolution enabled farmers to shift from subsistence farming to commercial farming.

Negative impact

  • The Green Revolution had created regional disparities economically. The benefits of the Green Revolution remained concentrated in areas where new technology was used. Moreover, since the revolution was limited to wheat production for many years, its benefits went mostly to wheat-growing areas.
  • Inequalities between large and small scale farmers increased. The new technologies introduced during the Revolution required substantial investment that was beyond the capacity of most small farmers.
  • Farmers with larger agricultural lands continued to earn higher absolute returns in income by reinvesting earnings in agricultural and non-agricultural assets, by purchasing land from small farmers, etc.
  • The biggest negative impact of this revolution was on the middle and marginal farmers.

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Mains Exam Question

Recently the father of Indian Green Revolution has passed away. In this context, discuss the main impacts of Green Revolution in India.