Father of India's 'Green Revolution,' MS Swaminathan, dies at 98
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Padma Vibhushan awardee and renowned agricultural scientist Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan died on Thursday morning at the age of 98 in Chennai.
Known as the "Father of the Green Revolution" in India and by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as the "Father of Economic Ecology," Swaminathan was a renowned agronomist and plant geneticist whose contributions to the country's agricultural sector are recognized globally.
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Swaminathan named TIME magazine's 20th century's 20 most influential Asians
The late icon, who also founded the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, was named one of the 20th century's 20 most influential Asians in 1999.
He was one of just three Indians, along with Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi.
He also received the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award and the Mahatma Gandhi Prize of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
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Padma Shri to Padma Vibhushan: List of Swaminathan's major honors
His other major honors include the Padma Shri in 1967, the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1971, the Padma Bhushan in 1972, and the Albert Einstein World Award for Science in 1986.
Swaminathan also received the first World Food Prize in 1987, which is widely viewed as the highest recognition in the field of agriculture, and India's second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, in 1989.
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Deeply saddened by Swaminathan's demise: PM Modi
Reacting to Swaminathan's passing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his condolences and lauded the late icon's "groundbreaking" work.
"Deeply saddened by the demise of Dr. MS Swaminathan Ji. At a very critical period in our nation's history, his groundbreaking work in agriculture transformed the lives of millions and ensured food security for our nation," Modi tweeted.
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Deeply saddened by the demise of Dr. MS Swaminathan Ji. At a very critical period in our nation’s history, his groundbreaking work in agriculture transformed the lives of millions and ensured food security for our nation. pic.twitter.com/BjLxHtAjC4
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 28, 2023
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Tamil Nadu CM reacts to Swaminathan's death
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) supremo MK Stalin also offered his condolences, tweeting, "Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of eminent agro scientist Thiru MS Swaminathan. His pioneering work in the field of sustainable food security has had a profound impact worldwide."
Notably, Swaminathan was born in Tamil Nadu's Thanjavur district on August 7, 1925.
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Green Revolution
In 1949, Swaminathan began his career studying the genetics of potatoes, wheat, rice, and jute.
Swaminathan, along with American agronomist Norman Borlaug and other scientists, developed a high-yield variety of wheat seeds when India was on the verge of a widespread famine during the mid-20th century.
He was instrumental in producing high-yielding paddy cultivars that enabled India's low-income farmers to produce a higher yield.