Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan

M. S. Swaminathan was a renowned Indian agronomist, agricultural scientist, plant geneticist, administrator, and humanitarian who played a leading role in India's Green Revolution program that made the country self-sufficient in wheat and rice production. He was inspired by his father who was a surgeon and social reformer and by the Bengal famine of 1943 that caused widespread hunger and death. He studied zoology and agricultural science at the University of Kerala and the University of Madras and obtained his PhD in genetics from the University of Cambridge in 1952. He also did postdoctoral research at the University of Wisconsin. He began his career by joining the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in New Delhi in 1954 and became its director in 1961. He introduced the Mexican semi-dwarf wheat varieties to India that had higher yield potential and resistance to rust diseases. He also developed new rice varieties that were suitable for different agro-climatic zones and water regimes. He collaborated with Norman Borlaug, the father of the global Green Revolution, and other scientists to disseminate the improved seeds and technologies to farmers across India and other developing countries. He was instrumental in averting famine-like situations in India and Pakistan in the 1960s and enhancing food security for millions of people. He served as the director general of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) from 1972 to 1979 and as the principal secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture from 1979 to 1980. He was also the director general of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines from 1982 to 1988 where he initiated several research programs on rice biotechnology, genetic resources conservation, and sustainable agriculture. He was a pioneer in advocating for the integration of ecological principles and social equity in agricultural development. He founded the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in 1988 with the vision of harnessing science and technology for sustainable and equitable development. The foundation has been involved in various projects on biodiversity conservation, coastal zone management, biovillage development, biotechnology applications, farmer participatory research, women empowerment, and rural education. He also chaired the National Commission on Farmers from 2004 to 2006 that recommended several measures to improve the livelihoods and welfare of farmers in India. He was a recipient of numerous awards and honors for his contributions to agriculture and humanity. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1967, the Padma Bhushan in 1972, and the Padma Vibhushan in 1989 by the Government of India. He also received the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1971, the World Food Prize in 1987, the Albert Einstein World Science Award in 1998, and the Indira Gandhi Prize in 2017 among others. He was named by Time magazine as one of the 20 most influential Asians of the 20th century in 1999. He was a member of several national and international scientific and policy bodies and a prolific writer and speaker on various topics related to agriculture, environment, and development. He was a strong advocate for the rights of farmers, women, and the poor and a visionary leader who inspired generations of scientists and social workers. He passed away on 28 September 2023 at the age of 98 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. He is survived by his three children and several grandchildren. He is widely regarded as the father of the Green Revolution in India and one of the greatest agronomists of all time.