India’s great agricultural scientist Dr. MS Swaminathan
India’s great agricultural scientist Dr. MS Swaminathan said goodbye to the world at the age of 98. He died on 28 September 2023. Now the Central Government has announced to honor him with Bharat Ratna. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself gave this information by posting on ‘X’. Dr. Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan, the father of Green Revolution in India, has been honored with the Padma Bhushan Award. People used to fondly call MS Swaminathan as Gran Guru and also as MSS.
PM Modi said- I knew closely
Announcing the award of Bharat Ratna to MS Swaminathan, PM Modi said, “It is a matter of great pleasure that the Government of India is honoring Dr. MS Swaminathan ji with Bharat Ratna for his remarkable contribution to agriculture and farmers’ welfare in our country.” He played a vital role in helping India achieve self-reliance in agriculture during challenging times and made outstanding efforts towards modernizing Indian agriculture. We remember him as an innovator and mentor and inculcating learning and research among many students. The encouragers also recognize his invaluable work. Dr. Swaminathan’s visionary leadership has not only transformed Indian agriculture, but also ensured the country’s food security and prosperity. He was someone I knew closely And I always valued his insight and input.”
About MS Swaminathan-
MS Swaminathan was born on 7 August 1925. MS Swaminathan’s full name was Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan. He was born on 7 August 1925 in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. Swaminathan received his early education from there. His father MK Sambasivan was a medical doctor and his mother was Parvathi Thangammal. His father died when he was 11 years old. His elder brother taught him. He did his graduation from the University College, Thiruvananthapuram and later from the College of Agriculture (Tamil Nadu Agricultural University), Coimbatore. He did his MSc in Agricultural Sciences (specialization in genetics and plant breeding) from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in 1949 and his PhD from Cambridge University, UK in 1952.
Worked to bring green revolution in the country
Swaminathan, along with two agriculture ministers C Subramaniam and Jagjivan Ram, worked to bring about a green revolution in the country. The Green Revolution was a program that paved the way for a huge increase in the production of paddy and wheat through the use of chemical-biological techniques. He is known as the father of Green Revolution in India.
The most discussed suggestion in the report was that of MSP.
In the year 2004 when Congress’s UPA was in power. At that time, a commission was formed to know the condition of farmers, whose name was National Commission on Farmers (NCF). MS Swaminathan was made the head of this commission. The Commission submitted 5 reports to the government in two years, which is also known as the Swaminathan Report. In this report, many suggestions were given to the government, so that the condition of farmers could be improved. The biggest and most discussed suggestion in the report was that of MSP. It was said that farmers should get MSP (minimum support price) including 50 percent profit on the cost of the crop.
Swaminathan has been awarded many honors
Swaminathan received the first food award called the Nobel Prize in the field of agriculture in 1987. He was honored with Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. Swaminathan had received more than 40 awards in the field of agriculture. Dr. MS Swaminathan has received 81 doctoral degrees from universities around the world. Dr. Swaminathan was also a member of Rajya Sabha from 2007 to 2013 and here too he raised many issues related to farming. Swaminathan held many key positions during his tenure. He was appointed Director of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (1961–1972), Director General of ICR and Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (1972–79), Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture (1979–80).
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