| UPSC Relevance: Prelims: Green Revolution, Norman Borlaug, PL 480, Agricultural R&D in India. Mains (GS-3): Food security, Agricultural innovation, Science & Tech policy, Sustainable agriculture. |
Why in News
2025 marks the centenary year of M.S. Swaminathan, the pioneer of India’s Green Revolution, often called “the man who fed India.” A new biography, M.S. Swaminathan: The Man who Fed India by Priyambada Jayakumar, has brought renewed attention to his legacy and the lessons India must draw for its future scientific and agricultural journey.
Background
In the 1960s, India was struggling with serious food shortages. The country had to import wheat from the U.S. under the PL-480 programme. (This programme, called Public Law 480, was a U.S. food aid initiative that allowed developing countries to buy American farm products on concessional terms or receive them as aid.)
Frequent famines, low productivity, and dependence on imports created a major threat to India’s food security.
It was in this crisis that M.S. Swaminathan, together with scientist Norman Borlaug and leaders like Lal Bahadur Shastri and C. Subramaniam, spearheaded the Green Revolution.
👉 What was the Green Revolution?
The Green Revolution (mid-1960s onwards) was a set of agricultural reforms and innovations aimed at increasing food production. Its key features included:
- Introduction of High-Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds (especially wheat and rice).
- Greater use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
- Expansion of irrigation facilities.
- Adoption of modern farming techniques.
- Policy support in the form of Minimum Support Price (MSP), procurement, and distribution through PDS.
👉 Impact
- Food self-sufficiency: By the 1970s, India was no longer dependent on foreign imports for basic food grains.
- Avoidance of famines: Large-scale hunger crises were prevented.
- Agricultural transformation: Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh became the food bowl of India.
- Rural development: Farmers adopting new technology saw higher incomes, though regional imbalances also emerged.
Thus, the Green Revolution is remembered as a turning point in India’s agricultural history, ensuring that the country moved from ‘ship-to-mouth’ dependence to self-reliance in food grains.
Now, on Swaminathan’s 100th birth anniversary, it is a time not just to remember him, but also to reflect on how science and government policy worked together to transform India’s agriculture.
Scientific Collaboration and the Green Revolution
M.S. Swaminathan understood that scientific progress is never isolated; it thrives through global collaboration. His partnership with Norman Borlaug, the American scientist often called the “Father of the Green Revolution”, became a milestone in India’s agricultural history.
Together, they introduced Mexican dwarf wheat varieties that were:
- shorter in height,
- resistant to lodging (falling), and
- capable of producing much higher yields compared to traditional wheat.
With strong government backing, field trials proved highly successful. This led to the import of 18,000 tonnes of HYV wheat seeds in 1966 — the largest seed import in world history at that time.
By 1968, India achieved record wheat harvests, particularly in Punjab and Haryana. These bumper crops:
- reduced India’s dependence on food imports under the PL-480 programme, and
- marked a decisive turning point in India’s march towards self-sufficiency in food grains.
This collaboration between scientists and policymakers showed that global innovation, when adapted locally, could transform India’s agriculture and ensure long-term food security.
Role of Political Leadership
The success of the Green Revolution was not only a scientific breakthrough but also a testament to political vision aligning with scientific advice. Without strong leadership, the scientific innovations of Swaminathan and Borlaug would not have reached millions of Indian farmers.
A few leaders played a decisive role:
- C. Subramaniam trusted Swaminathan’s vision and allocated funds for large-scale farmer trials, ensuring that scientific ideas could be tested in real fields.
- Lal Bahadur Shastri, after personally visiting the experimental plots, approved the import of HYV seeds despite opposition from the Finance Ministry, Planning Commission, and ideological critics who feared dependency.
- Indira Gandhi carried this forward by giving consistent political backing, ensuring that the Green Revolution became a long-term national priority rather than a short experiment.
👉 Lesson for Today: The Green Revolution shows that for complex technical challenges, political leaders must directly engage with scientists and provide the courage, funding, and continuity needed to turn research into national transformation — rather than relying solely on bureaucratic mediation.
Challenges and Criticisms of the Green Revolution
While the Green Revolution succeeded in solving the immediate crisis of food scarcity, it also created new challenges that continue to affect Indian agriculture. The very technologies that boosted productivity brought unintended consequences.
Some key concerns include:
- Overuse of chemical inputs: Heavy reliance on fertilisers, pesticides, and intensive irrigation caused soil degradation and groundwater depletion, particularly in Punjab and Haryana.
- Regional imbalances: The benefits of high-yield seeds and government procurement were concentrated mainly in a few states, creating inter-state inequality in agricultural growth.
- Environmental stress: Declining soil fertility, loss of biodiversity, and monocropping practices raised long-term sustainability issues.
Recognising these problems, Swaminathan himself advocated an “Ever-Green Revolution” — a vision of productivity growth that is environmentally sustainable, equitable, and farmer-centric.
Relevance for Today: Science, Agriculture, and Viksit Bharat
India’s aspiration of becoming a Viksit Bharat (Developed Nation) by 2047 requires sustained investment in science, technology, and innovation, not just in agriculture but across all sectors. The experience of M.S. Swaminathan and the Green Revolution offers timeless lessons for policymakers and scientists today.
Key takeaways include:
- Global Collaboration: Scientists must be free to engage internationally, share knowledge, and adopt innovations without unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles.
- Political-Scientific Partnership: Effective decision-making should involve domain experts directly, rather than depending solely on generalist administrators or bureaucratic channels.
- Independent Monitoring: Ambitious scientific programmes should be supported by continuous review, feedback, and corrective measures to ensure long-term success.
Thus, Swaminathan’s legacy underlines that science-policy cooperation, global openness, and institutional accountability are essential pillars for India’s Viksit Bharat journey.
Current Challenges in Agricultural Research
Even as India celebrates Swaminathan’s centenary, the country’s agricultural research ecosystem faces serious gaps that could hinder progress toward food and nutritional security.
Some pressing issues include:
- Low investment: India spends only 0.43% of its agricultural GDP on research and development, which is barely half of China’s allocation.
- Global rankings: While China has 8 agricultural universities in the global top 10, India does not have a single institution in the top 200.
- Institutional weaknesses: Lack of autonomy in research bodies and limited emphasis on merit-based recruitment continue to weaken innovation capacity.
👉 To truly honour Swaminathan’s legacy, India must:
- Strengthen agricultural R&D through higher investment.
- Empower scientists with greater institutional autonomy.
- Prioritise climate-smart agriculture to tackle future challenges of sustainability and food security.
Way Forward
The Green Revolution, led by Swaminathan, proved how science and political will can change a nation’s destiny. But today’s challenges — climate change, soil degradation, and nutritional needs — demand a new vision.
Some key steps for the future include:
- Increase public funding for agricultural research to match global standards and ensure cutting-edge innovation.
- Encourage institutional autonomy in agricultural universities and research centres, backed by merit-based recruitment to attract the best talent.
- Promote sustainable farming practices such as crop diversification, water-use efficiency, and organic methods to tackle climate change and ecological pressures.
- Foster global scientific collaboration so that Indian agriculture remains resilient, competitive, and future-ready.
By combining scientific innovation, political vision, and ecological responsibility, India can move towards an Ever-Green Revolution, ensuring both food security and environmental sustainability for its Viksit Bharat journey.
Conclusion
The life and work of M.S. Swaminathan show that when science aligns with visionary political leadership, it has the power to transform nations. The Green Revolution was not just about higher crop yields — it secured India’s food self-sufficiency and became a shining example of aatmanirbharta in science and technology.
The true tribute to Swaminathan lies not in statues or memorials, but in:
- revitalising India’s agricultural research,
- ensuring food and nutritional security in an era of climate change, and
- advancing the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
In this way, Swaminathan’s legacy will continue to guide India toward an Ever-Green Revolution that balances productivity, sustainability, and equity.
UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
Q1. Consider the following statements about the Green Revolution in India:
- It was primarily associated with wheat and rice productivity enhancement.
- It was supported by the import of dwarf wheat varieties developed in Mexico.
- It eliminated the regional imbalances in agricultural productivity across India.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Ans-(B)
Q2. Which of the following correctly explains the PL-480 programme, often mentioned in the context of India’s food security in the 1960s?
- A. U.S. programme of providing concessional loans for agricultural machinery.
- B. U.S. programme of supplying wheat to India on concessional terms.
- C. UN initiative to support agricultural research in developing nations.
- D. FAO’s programme for global nutrition and food distribution.
Ans-(B)
Q3. In the context of agricultural research and development in India, consider the following:
- India spends less than 0.5% of its agricultural GDP on R&D.
- China has more institutions in the global top 10 for agricultural research compared to India.
- Agricultural universities in India enjoy complete autonomy in recruitment and governance.
Which of the above is/are correct?
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Ans-(A)
UPSC Mains Practice Questions
- The Green Revolution in India was a result of both scientific innovation and political leadership. Discuss the role of M.S. Swaminathan in this process and the key lessons it holds for present-day agricultural policy.(250, words)
- The Green Revolution solved India’s food shortage but created new ecological and socio-economic problems. How far do you agree with this view? Suggest measures for a sustainable “Evergreen Revolution.”
SOURCE- THE HINDU
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