Context:
M.S. Swaminathan, the agricultural scientist known as the father of the Green Revolution in India passed away.
About Dr. M.S. Swaminathan:
- Father of the Indian Green Revolution
- Agricultural scientist, plant geneticist, administrator, and humanitarian
- Leading a large-scale movement alongside farmers and fellow scientists, and with the support of public policies, helped avert famine-like situations in India and Pakistan during the 1960s.
- Served as the Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and headed the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines.
- The United Nations Environment Programme has called him “the Father of Economic Ecology”.
- Coined the term ‘Evergreen Revolution’ -“productivity in perpetuity without associated ecological harm”.
Swaminathan’s contribution to the Green Revolution:
- The Green Revolution was a period that began in the 1960s during which agriculture in India was converted into a modern industrial system by the adoption of technology
- High-yielding variety (HYV) seeds,
- Mechanized farm tools,
- Irrigation facilities, pesticides and fertilizers.
- This time period was mostly led by agricultural scientist M. S. Swaminathan in India.
- It was part of the larger Green Revolution project started by Norman E. Borlaug, which used technology and research in agriculture to boost agricultural productivity in developing countries.
- Swaminathan and Borlaug developed numerous rice and grain varieties.- Swaminathan and Norman Borlaug worked together to deliver supplies for various Mexican dwarf wheat cultivars to be crossed with Japanese kinds.
- Swaminathan focused on advanced agricultural instruments for farming.
- Dwarf strains have a higher Harvest Index – the plant puts more of its energy resources into seeds rather than leaves or other plant structures.
Honors and Awards:
- Padma Vibhushan
- First to get the World Food Prize
- Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award
- Ramon Magsaysay Award
- Albert Einstein World Science Award
- He was one of three Indians, along with Gandhi and Tagore, on Time’s list of the 20 most influential Asian people of the 20th century.
- Nominated to Rajya Sabha for one term (2007-2013)
About World Food Prize:
- An international award recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity, or availability of food in the world.
- Conceived by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Norman Borlaug
- Administered by the World Food Prize Foundation
Read more about the Green Revolution in India
Source: The Hindu
Previous year question
“System of Rice Intensification” of cultivation, in which alternate wetting and drying of rice fields is practised, results in:
1. Reduced seed requirement
2. Reduced methane production
3. Reduced electricity consumption
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2022 Prelims]
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (d)
System of Rice Intensification (SRI)
SRI was first developed in Madagascar during the 1980s and has since been adopted by various countries, including India.
SRI offers the potential to improve rice productivity, which has been stagnant for some time, while also reducing groundwater usage by 15 to 20%.
Additionally, by reducing water requirements, the electricity consumption required for irrigation is also decreased.
SRI allows for equal or greater productivity compared to traditional rice cultivation with fewer external inputs, including less water, seed, and chemicals, which can result in significant cost savings.
