MS Swaminathan, Father Of India’s Green Revolution, Dies At 98
Swaminathan led the programme that helped India's poor farmers adopt high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice.
Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan, iconic agricultural scientist who is considered the father of India’s Green Revolution, died on Thursday, the national broadcaster DD News said in a post on X. He was 98.
He was being treated for age-related illness for quite some time, PTI reported. He is survived by three daughters.
Swaminathan drove the scientific programme that helped India's poor farmers adopt high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice, making the nation self sufficient in staple foods in the 1960s and 70s.
He served as a member of Rajya Sabha; director of Indian Agricultural Research Institute; principal secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and member of the erstwhile Planning Commission, besides holding several other positions.
For his contribution, Swaminathan was conferred Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibushan. Among other honours, he also won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership, the Albert Einstein World Science Award, the First World Food Prize, the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development, the Mahatma Gandhi Prize of UNESCO and the Lal Bahadur Sastri National Award.
"Deeply saddened by demise of MS Swaminathan, his work in agriculture transformed lives of millions, ensured India's food security," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). "Swaminathan's unwavering commitment to research and mentorship left indelible mark on countless scientists, innovators: PM Narendra Modi."