Bharat Ratna for MS Swaminathan, who brought food security to India

The central government announced Bharat Ratna, country’s highest civilian honour, for former MS Swaminathan, who brought food security to India.
“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.
He played a pivotal role in helping India achieve self-reliance in agriculture during challenging times and made outstanding efforts towards modernizing Indian agriculture.
“We also recognise his invaluable work as an innovator and mentor and encouraging learning and research among several students. Dr. Swaminathan’s visionary leadership has not only transformed Indian agriculture but also ensured the nation’s food security and prosperity. He was someone I knew closely and l always valued his insights and inputs.” he added.
Geneticist Swaminathan who led India’s push in the 1960s to become grain surplus, promoting the use of hybrid varieties and chemical fertilisers as the need of the hour, passed away at his residence at 98 on 28 September, 2023 in Chennai.
Swaminathan convinced the government that the high-yielding dwarf wheat which US scientist Norman Borlaug introduced in Mexico was the answer to India’s grain shortage. He adapted the seeds to suit Indian conditions and trained farmers in their cultivation. In Punjab alone, the wheat yield increased five-fold in five years – from 1.91 million tonnes in 1965-66 to 5.15 million tonnes in 1970-71.
For the world, MS Swaminathan was a geneticist and the ‘father of green revolution in India’. But to those close to him, he was much more. They looked up to him as a scientist steadfast in using knowledge and technology to better the lives of farmers and the rural poor, a policymaker and administrator, a champion of women’s causes, a mentor, and a father figure.
Source: Indiatimes