By Nandiraju Radhakrishna,
Eminent agronomist MS Swaminathan is credited as the father and chief architect of India’s Green Revolution. He introduced high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice. He proposed the concept that growth in agriculture should be measured not only by the increase in production but also by the increase in farmers’ income.
With the aim of increasing the yield of crops for the green revolution in the country, Swaminathan conducted experiments and researches, created new techniques and brought many changes in agricultural practices, the face of Indian agriculture changed and the yield increased greatly. Swaminathan has rendered immeasurable services to India as a scientist and Father of Green Revolution.
The second son of Dr. M.K. Sambashivan and Parvathi, Swaminathan (Mankombu Sambashivan Swaminathan) was born on August 7, 1925 in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. His father died at the age of 11 and MK Narayanaswamy (radiologist) took over the responsibilities. Father Sambasivan, a doctor, was a follower of Mahatma Gandhi. Sambashivan spearheaded movement to allow dalits into temples in Tamil Nadu as part of the freedom movement. Swaminathan, had a sense of service in his childhood due to the influence of his father’s initiatives.
Swaminathan did his early education at a local school and later completed his matriculation at the Catholic Little Flower High School in Kumbakonam. In the background of a medical family, he first entered medical education, was moved by the terrible famine of Bengal in 1943, and under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi decided to devote his life to the field of agriculture and turned from the field of medicine to the field of agriculture. After completing his undergraduate studies at Maharaja’s College, Trivandrum, Kerala, he studied zoology in the same college from 1940 to 44 and obtained his Bachelor of Science (BSc). As a young man he was influenced by the teachings of Ramana Maharshi.
He was student of the prestigious institution which include: Thiruvananthapuram H.H.M. University, University of Madras, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge and University of Wisconsin-Madison.
His efforts in the field of agriculture not only increased his fame but also gave him the opportunity to hold many respectable positions. From 1972 to 1979 he served as the Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and from 1979 to 1980 as the Principal Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture of India. He served as Director General of International Rice Research Organization from 1982 to 1988.
In 1988, he became the president of the International Union of the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. In 1999, Time magazine published his name in “Time 20”, a list of the most influential Asians of the 20th century. Professional life started in 1949 and brought to life the Agricultural (Green) Revolution for 65 long years.
Dr. M. S. Swaminathan worked with two Union agriculture ministers, C. Subramaniam (1964-67) Jagjivan Ram (1967-70 & 1974-77). This program paved the way for quantum jump. His research enabled to increase productivity and production of wheat and rice through chemical-biological technology adaptation. The invention of American agricultural scientist and 1970 Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug on wheat played an important role in this regard.
His research work on high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice in India is outstanding. He was flooded with awards for his talent. Padma Shri (1967), Ramon Magsaysay (1971), Padma Bhushan (1972), Albert Einstein World Award of Science (1986), Padma Vibhushan (1989), World Food Prize (1987), Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement (1991), Volvo Environmental Prize (1999), Indira Gandhi Peace Prize (1999) are some of them.
He met Meena in 1955 while studying at Cambridge in 1951 and they got married. They have three daughters and five grandsons. Meena passed away at the age of 88 on 14th March 2022 at her residence in Teynampet, Chennai.
Swaminathan is the eldest daughter of Dr. Dr Soumya Swaminathan is the Deputy Director-General of the World Health Organisation. The second daughter Madhura Swaminathan is a professor of economics at the Indian Statistical Institute, Bengaluru, and her third daughter Nithya Swaminathan is a senior faculty at the University of Northern Angolia.
Swaminathan, who lived in Chennai residence for a long time, breathed his last at the age of 98 on the morning of September 28 last year. The country is deeply indebted to the great creator Swaminathan who strove to end the human hunger. His service to India will always be remembered.
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