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Introduction

India’s Green Revolution, launched in the mid-1960s under the leadership of MS Swaminathan, transformed a ship-to-mouth economy dependent on U.S. food aid into the world’s second-largest food producer. While it ensured self-sufficiency in food grains, it also led to several long-term socio-economic and environmental challenges.

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Key Achievements of the Green Revolution

• Eradication of Food Dependency: It replaced PL-480-based food aid with domestic self-sufficiency in grains.
  Eg: Wheat imports under US aid were replaced by domestic production rising from 12 million tonnes (1960s) to 76 million tonnes (1990s).
• Boost in Productivity: Adoption of high-yielding varieties and irrigation systems raised yields significantly.
  Eg: Rice yields rose from 2 tonnes/hectare (1960s) to 6 tonnes/hectare (1990s), wheat yield also saw a multi-fold jump.
• Strategic Regional Focus: Punjab, Haryana, and Western UP became agricultural hubs through targeted resource deployment.
• Shift from Importer to Exporter: India transitioned from a food importer to a net exporter.
  Eg: By the late 1980s, India became self-sufficient and now exports over $52 billion worth of agricultural goods.
• Scientific Partnership with Farmers: Integration of research and field-level implementation enhanced acceptance and efficiency.
  Eg: Rust-resistant wheat varieties co-developed by scientists and farmers marked a participatory model.
• Agriculture as Diplomatic Strength: Agriculture evolved from a national weakness to a tool of global food diplomacy.
  Eg: India now negotiates tariffs with countries like the US, once its food donor.
  

Challenges Posed by the Green Revolution

• Regional Imbalance: Growth concentrated in select states, leaving other regions behind.
  Eg: Eastern and Central India saw limited benefits compared to Punjab-Haryana.
• Resource Depletion: Overuse of water and chemical inputs degraded land and water tables.
  Eg: A National Green Tribunal (NGT) monitoring committee announced recently that Punjab’s groundwater will drop below 300 metres by the year 2039.
• Smallholder Vulnerability: Most farms remained low-input, low-output, and risk-prone.
  Eg: Over 80% of Indian farms are still smallholder mixed-crop systems with minimal buffers.
• Neglected Crop Diversity: Focus on rice and wheat led to monocultures and dietary imbalance.
  Eg: High Yielding Variety Programme (HYVP) was restricted to only five crops like Wheat, Rice, Jowar, Bajra and Maize.
• Socio-Economic Inequity: Benefits accrued to large landowners, marginalising tenant and landless farmers.
  Eg: Technological access and subsidies were cornered by dominant agrarian elites.
• Export Vulnerability: Integration into global markets exposes farmers to protectionist shocks.
  Eg: US tariffs in 2025 threaten Odisha’s $170 million shrimp exports and other small-scale commodity producers.

Roadmap for Next Agricultural Transformation

• Diversification Beyond Cereals: Shift focus to pulses, oilseeds, and millets for nutritional and ecological balance.
  Eg: Revival of millets as part of UN-declared ‘International Year of Millets, 2023’ aligns with this vision.
• Strengthening Smallholders: Provide market access, risk insurance, and infrastructure for small producers.
  Eg: Targeting over 80% smallholder farmers with better logistics and input support with initiatives like National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGP-A).
• Agro-Ecological Innovation: Promote low-input sustainable models suited to varied geographies.
  Eg: Encourage traditional mixed farming with modern pest and water management.
• Resilient Trade Strategy: Build export capacity while insulating small farmers from shocks.
  Eg: Multi-country market access strategies to reduce overdependence on the US.
• Farmer-Scientist Partnership 2.0: Expand participatory research and local innovation through extension services.
  Eg: Emulate the Green Revolution’s success by pairing grassroots innovation with institutional science.
• Climate-Responsive Agriculture: Adapt cropping patterns and technology to climate uncertainties.
• Sustainable Input Use: Control chemical inputs and invest in soil health and water recharge.
  Eg: Promote organic inputs and crop rotation in over-farmed Green Revolution zones.

Conclusion

The Green Revolution was a defining chapter in India’s transformation from food insecurity to global food leadership. However, the current vulnerabilities of smallholders and export-dependence signal the need for a new revolution, one rooted in inclusivity, sustainability, and resilience. The need for the Evergreen Revolution was called out by Dr. M S Swaminathan, the Father of the Green Revolution in India.

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