Lessons from the Green Revolution: M.S. Swaminathan's Legacy for a Viksit Bharat
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Indian Economy (Green Revolution, Food Security), History (Post-Independence India), Science and Technology (Biotechnology), Personalities in News.
Mains:
General Studies Paper 1: Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.
General Studies Paper 3: Food security; Technology missions; Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life; Achievements of Indians in science & technology.
Key Highlights from the News
To achieve India's goals of Viksit Bharat (Developed India) and Aatmanirbharata (Self-Reliance), many lessons can be learned from the experiences of the Green Revolution led by M.S. Swaminathan.
The success of the Green Revolution was not solely the achievement of one scientist, but rather the result of international scientific collaboration. The dwarf wheat varieties developed by Norman Borlaug in Mexico were crucial in India.
The article points out that bureaucratic control is a major hindrance to scientific progress. It took two years for permission to invite Borlaug to India.
It is essential for scientists to have direct access to political leadership. The direct support of the then Agriculture Minister C. Subramaniam and Prime Ministers Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi played a crucial role in the success of the Green Revolution.
When there are differences of opinion among experts, the higher political leadership should make bold decisions and provide full support for them.
The long-term environmental consequences of the Green Revolution (overuse of water and fertilizers) need to be addressed.
Today, India lags significantly behind China in agricultural research. The main reasons for this are a lack of funding and institutional shortcomings.
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