RAS question
The Green Revolution in India was led by:
Correct answer: (C) M.S. Swaminathan.
The Green Revolution in India was led by M.S. Swaminathan, who is recognised as the architect and scientific leader of India’s Green Revolution movement.
Explanation
M.S. Swaminathan led the Indian Green Revolution, the programme in which better-yielding wheat and rice seeds were taken to farmers’ fields from the 1960s onwards. The PIB account identifies Prof. Swaminathan as the architect of India’s Green Revolution and says the programme led by him made India self-reliant in foodgrain in less than 25 years. Swaminathan is known as the Father of the Green Revolution in India, while Norman Borlaug is associated with the global Green Revolution. India-specific leadership of the movement is distinct from the wider global history of high-yielding varieties.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) C. Subramaniam supported the Green Revolution as Agriculture Minister, but India-specific scientific leadership belonged to M.S. Swaminathan.
- (B) Norman Borlaug is associated with the global Green Revolution, whereas the Indian Green Revolution was led by M.S. Swaminathan.
- (D) Verghese Kurien is linked with the White Revolution in dairy, not the Green Revolution in foodgrain production.
Concept
Post-Independence agricultural transformation involved political support, scientific leadership and sector-specific revolutions. Food security, agricultural productivity and named reform leaders are core Indian Economy themes in RAS.