Father Of India's Green Revolution, MS Swaminathan Passes Away At 98

MS Swaminathan, renowned as the father of India's Green Revolution, passed away at the age of 98 on Thursday (28 September). His pivotal contributions include the development of high-yielding varieties of paddy, significantly impacting the productivity of India's low-income farmers.

Throughout his distinguished career, Swaminathan held various key roles across different departments. Notably, he served as the Director of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (1961-72), Director General of ICAR and Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (1972-79), Principal Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture (1979-80), Acting Deputy Chairman and later Member (Science and Agriculture), Planning Commission (1980-82), and Director General, International Rice Research Institute, the Philippines (1982-88).

In 2004, Swaminathan assumed the role of the chair of the National Commission on Farmers, established to address farmer distress and rising suicide cases. The commission, which presented its report in 2006, recommended, among other measures, that the Minimum Selling Price (MSP) should be at least 50 percent higher than the weighted average cost of production.

In recognition of his exceptional contributions, Swaminathan was honored with the first World Food Prize in 1987. Subsequently, he established the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in Taramani, Chennai.

Over the years, Swaminathan received numerous accolades, including the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan. He was also the recipient of awards such as the HK Firodia Award, the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award, and the Indira Gandhi Prize. Internationally, he was recognized with the Ramon Magsaysay Award (1971) and the Albert Einstein World Science Award (1986).

MS Swaminathan is survived by his three daughters, Soumya Swaminathan, Madhura Swaminathan, and Nitya Swaminathan. His wife, Mina, passed away in 2022.