Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan, eminent geneticist and agricultural scientist who transformed Indian agriculture through the ‘Green Revolution’ was born on 7th August 1925 at Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. Read more on the father of the Green Revolution in India for the IAS exam.
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Facts about M S Swaminathan
- Swaminathan’s father M K Sambasivan was a surgeon and a follower of Mahatma Gandhi. He took part in the Swadeshi movement and the temple entry movement in Tamil Nadu. This instilled the idea of service into Swaminathan’s mind at a young age.
- After matriculating from a local school in his native town, he took admission in a medical school. But, the Bengal famine of 1943, in which about 3 million people starved to death, changed his mind and made him take up agricultural research.
- He completed a graduation course in zoology from the Maharaja’s College in Trivandrum before enrolling in the Madras Agricultural College. Here, he secured a bachelor’s degree in agricultural science. After this, he went to the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in New Delhi to pursue his post-graduation in plant breeding and genetics.
- After securing the PG, he cleared the UPSC exam and qualified for the IPS. He, however, chose to take up a UNESCO fellowship at the Wageningen Agricultural University in the Netherlands to continue his research on potato genetics.
- He then moved on to the Cambridge University School of Agriculture and earned a PhD in 1952. After this, he went to work as a researcher at the University of Wisconsin. However, he returned to India in 1954 to work here. He continued his research at the IARI.
- Between 1972 and 1979, he was the Director-General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). While there, he formed the National Bureau of Plant, Animal, and Fish Genetic Resources of India.
- He also played a role in the transformation of the Forest Survey of India (FSI).
- In 1979, he was appointed the Principal Secretary of the Agriculture Ministry of the Indian government.
- The Green Revolution refers to a series of steps and technology transfers to the agriculture sector that caused a great surge of farm productivity. The steps taken included developing high-yield varieties of grains, using fertilisers and pesticides, developing pest-resistant crops, using hybrid seeds with enhanced genetics, and so on. Although the green revolution was not limited to India and was applied to many developing countries, it was most successful in India. Worldwide, the father of the Green Revolution was American agronomist Norman Borlaug; in India, the honour is bestowed on Swaminathan, for his pioneering role in this field.
- Because of these gigantic efforts, India, where famines were commonplace during the Raj, has not seen a single famine since the application of the ‘green revolution’.
- From 1981 – 85, he was Independent Chairman of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
- From 1984 – 90, he was the President of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources).
- From 1988 – 96, he was the President of the World Wide Fund for Nature–India.
- In 2001, he was Chairman, Regional Steering Committee for the India – Bangladesh joint Project on Biodiversity Management in the Sundarbans World Heritage Site.
- He has held many posts in many international organisations. He also advised the Indian government on agriculture-related issues several times. He initiated the concept of trusteeship management of Biosphere reserves. He executed the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve Trust.
- He has won many international and national awards and honours.
- He received the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in 1961 for biological sciences. The GOI bestowed the Padma Vibhushan on Swaminathan in 1989.
- In 1971, he received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership. He also received the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Gold Medal in 1999.
- The government constituted the National Commission on Farmers (NCF) in 2004 with Swaminathan as the chairman, in order to address the pressing issue of farmers’ suicides in India.
- He founded the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, an NGO that develops and promotes economic growth strategies, especially for rural women.
- MS Swaminathan passed away on 28 September 2023, in Chennai aged 98.
Birth of M.S. Swaminathan – UPSC Notes:- Download PDF Here
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Frequently Asked Questions related to MS Swaminathan
Q1
Who is the father of Indian agriculture?
V Praveen Rao, Vice-Chancellor of Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU), has won the seventh Dr. MS Swaminathan Award for the period 2017-2019. This biennial national award was constituted by Retired ICAR Employees Association (RICAREA) and Nuziveedu Seeds Limited (NSL). It carries a prize of ₹2 lakh and a citation. Praveen Rao, the maiden VC of PJTSAU, handled 13 research and six consultancy projects on micro-irrigation in India, Israel, and South Africa.
Q2
What is the contribution of MS Swaminathan?
Throughout his life Dr. Swaminathan worked consistently toward a vision of a world in which there were no hungry or poor populations. He also did great work with the concept of sustainable development, especially with eco-friendly techniques of agriculture, food availability, and biodiversity conservationSwaminathan has been honored with numerous awards and prizes. Swaminathan has also been praised by many international organizations for spreading the benefits of his research work across geographical boundaries. He is known as the father of India’s Green Revolution, for his contributions to the development of high-yielding varieties of wheat. He founded the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, the pioneer organization behind the ”evergreen revolution”.
Q3
Who is the father of agriculture?
Norman Ernest Borlaug (25 March 1914 – 12 September 2009) was an American agricultural scientist, and humanitarian. He is considered by some to be the “father of modern agriculture” and the father of the green revolution. He won the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for his life’s work.
Q4
Who got first World Food Prize?
M.S. Swaminathan was named the first World Food Prize Laureate for developing and spearheading the introduction of high-yielding wheat and rice varieties into India during the 1960s when that country faced the prospect of widespread famine.
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I'm an expert in agricultural science and genetics, well-versed in the transformative impact of the 'Green Revolution' spearheaded by Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan. My depth of knowledge extends to the intricate details of his life, contributions, and the broader implications of the Green Revolution in India.
M.S. Swaminathan, born on August 7, 1925, in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, was a renowned geneticist and agricultural scientist who played a pivotal role in revolutionizing Indian agriculture. The Green Revolution, a series of measures and technology transfers to the agricultural sector, witnessed a significant increase in farm productivity. Swaminathan's contributions were instrumental in developing high-yield varieties of grains, introducing fertilizers and pesticides, creating pest-resistant crops, and promoting hybrid seeds with enhanced genetics.
Swaminathan's journey began with a background deeply rooted in service, inspired by his father's involvement in the Swadeshi movement and the temple entry movement. Despite initially pursuing medical studies, the Bengal famine of 1943 shifted his focus to agricultural research. He completed his education in zoology and agricultural science, followed by post-graduation in plant breeding and genetics at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute.
Notably, he declined a career in the Indian Police Service (IPS) after clearing the UPSC exam, opting instead for a UNESCO fellowship at Wageningen Agricultural University in the Netherlands to continue research on potato genetics. Further academic pursuits led him to Cambridge University School of Agriculture, where he earned a Ph.D. in 1952.
Returning to India in 1954, Swaminathan continued his research at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute. Between 1972 and 1979, he served as the Director-General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), making significant contributions to the National Bureau of Plant, Animal, and Fish Genetic Resources of India and transforming the Forest Survey of India (FSI). In 1979, he became the Principal Secretary of the Agriculture Ministry of the Indian government.
The Green Revolution, led by Swaminathan, resulted in a remarkable increase in farm productivity, eliminating famines in India since its implementation. Internationally, the title of the father of the Green Revolution is often associated with American agronomist Norman Borlaug, while in India, it rightfully belongs to Swaminathan.
Swaminathan's influence extended beyond India, as evidenced by his roles as Independent Chairman of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) from 1981 to 1985, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) from 1984 to 1990, and President of the World Wide Fund for Nature–India from 1988 to 1996.
His numerous accolades include the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in 1961, the Padma Vibhushan in 1989, the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 1971, and the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Gold Medal in 1999.
In 2004, Swaminathan chaired the National Commission on Farmers (NCF) to address the critical issue of farmers' suicides in India. He also founded the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, an NGO dedicated to developing and promoting economic growth strategies, particularly for rural women.
Regrettably, M.S. Swaminathan passed away on September 28, 2023, in Chennai at the age of 98, leaving behind a legacy of unparalleled contributions to Indian agriculture and sustainable development. His impact resonates in the continued success of the Green Revolution and the advancements in agricultural practices worldwide.
For those preparing for competitive exams like the UPSC, understanding the life and work of M.S. Swaminathan is essential. His legacy serves as a source of inspiration and knowledge in the realms of agriculture, genetics, and sustainable development.
