Monkomb Sambasivan Swaminathan would be posthumously awarded India’s Highest Civilian Award for his monumental contributions to agriculture
He sought inspiration for agricultural research from freedom movements during Bengal famine and Gandhiji's call for the Quit India Movement
Swaminathan's research on high-yielding varieties and transfer of genes for fertilizer response played a vital role in crop productivity
He developed dwarf wheat varieties that revolutionized rice and wheat production by collaborating with Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug
American scientist Orville Vogel helped him develop a ‘dwarf wheat’ called Gaines with high yield to suit the Indian climate
Swaminathan’s initiatives in fertilizers and irrigation facilities made the Green Revolution possible in Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh in 1967-78
He also served for pioneering bodies like the IARI, ICAR, UN Millennium Project’s Hunger Task Force, International Rice Research Institute, etc
His efforts were recognized by the First World Food Prize (1987), Ramon Magsaysay Award, Albert Einstein World Science Award among others
He was pivotal in lifting India from a “ship-to-mouth existence” to self-sustainable food security for Indians
The 'Father of the Green Revolution' also advocated for farmers’ rights and introduced the concept of Minimum Support Price (MSP)