Father of Green Revolution passes away
Internationally famous agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan, hailed as the father of the Green Revolution in India, passed away earlier today in Chennai. He was 98.
In the 1960s, when India was on the verge of a mass famine leading to a shortage of food grains, Along with Norman Borlaug and other scientists, he developed high-yielding varieties of wheat. This development marked a transition from traditional to high-yielding agricultural practices. Leading to the Green Revolution.
During his tenure with the government of India, he served in various capacities, including director of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, director-general of Indian Council of Agricultural Research, secretary to the Government of India and, on deputation, director-general of the International Rice Research Institute, the Philippines.
He was awarded the first World Food Prize in 1987, following which he set up the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF). His other well-known international awards are the Ramon Magsaysay Award and the Albert Einstein World Science Award. Among his Indian awards are the top civilian awards of Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, HK Firodia Award, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award and Indira Gandhi Prize.
