Chennai : Renowned Indian agricultural scientist and driving force behind India’s Green Revolution has died aged 98. Known as “Father of India’s Green Revolution” , Swaminathan’s groundbreaking work of 1960s and 1970s revolutionised Indian agriculture and helped the country keep widespread famine at bay and broach on self-sufficiency in food production that would be achieved later.
Swaminathan’s pioneering efforts include development and introduction of high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice. The United Environment Programme titled him as the “Father of Economic Ecology.”. Swaminathan was awarded the first World Food Prize in 1987, the prize money of which he used to establish MS Swaminathan Research Foundation in Chennai. Other notable accolades include Ramon Magasaysay Award in 1971 and Albert Einstein World Scinece Award in 1986.
Swaminathan is survived by his wife Mina and their three daughters Soumya, Madhura and Nitya.
