The Complete Story of MS Swaminathan’s Bharat Ratna: The Originator of India’s Green Revolution

The highest civilian honor in the country, the Bharat Ratna, was bestowed to agricultural scientist Dr. MS Swaminathan on Friday. Swaminathan is renowned for being the father of India’s Green Revolution.

The former prime ministers Chaudhary Charan Singh and PV Narasimha Rao have also been named as recipients of the award.

“It is a matter of immense joy that the Government of India is conferring the Bharat Ratna on Dr. MS Swaminathan Ji, in recognition of his monumental contributions to our nation in agriculture and farmers’ welfare,” PM Modi wrote on his official X account.

He went on to say that Dr. Swaminathan made exceptional efforts to modernize Indian agriculture and that he was crucial in assisting India to become self-sufficient in agriculture during difficult times.

“We also acknowledge his essential contributions as a mentor and innovator who has inspired several students to study and do research. In addition to revolutionizing Indian agriculture, Dr. Swaminathan’s visionary leadership has guaranteed the prosperity and food security of the country. I knew him well, and I always appreciated his opinions and views,” he said.

in the age of 98, Dr. Swaminathan died away in his Chennai home on September 28 of last year.

DR. M S SWAMINATHAN: WHO WAS SHE?
The development of high-yielding rice varieties by Swaminathan has been instrumental in enabling farmers in India to increase production.

Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan, who was born on August 7, 1925, was inspired to end hunger and poverty worldwide. The United Nations Environment Programme has dubbed him “the Father of Economic Ecology” because of his support for environmentally friendly growth and the preservation of biodiversity.

The MS Swaminathan Research Foundation was established in Chennai by Swaminathan after his 1987 receipt of the inaugural World Food Prize.

Two bachelor’s degrees were held by Swaminathan. He had two degrees, one in Agricultural Science and the other in Zoology, but he decided to pursue agriculture after seeing the Bengal Famine in 1943. During India’s widespread food scarcity in 1960, scientists like Norman Borlaug and M. S. Swaminathan created the HYV (high yielding variant) wheat seeds.

From 1972 to 1979, he headed the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, and from 1982 to 1988, he headed the International Rice Research Institute. In 1979, Swaminathan also held the position of Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture.