Chennai (Tamil Nadu): Legendary agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan and the driving force behind the nation's 'Green Revolution,' passed away here on Thursday. He was undergoing treatment for age-related illness for quite some time. Born on August 7, 1925, in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district, Swaminathan was instrumental in developing high-yielding varieties of paddy that helped ensure India’s low-income farmers produce more yield.
He was known as the "Father of Economic Ecology" by the United Nations Environment Programme. Swaminathan is survived by his three daughters Soumya Swaminathan, Madhura Swaminathan, and Nitya Swaminathan. In 1987, Swaminathan was awarded the first World Food Prize in recognition of his monumental contributions. He was also awarded by Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1971 and the Albert Einstein World Science Award in 1986.
According to M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) established in 1988, acclaimed by TIME magazine as one of the twenty most influential Asians of the 20th century and one of the only three from India, MS Swaminathan has been described by the United Nations Environment Programme as “the Father of Economic Ecology” because of his leadership of the ever-green revolution movement in agriculture.
He was Chairman of the UN Science Advisory Committee set up in 1980 to take follow-up action on the Vienna Plan of Action. He has also served as Independent Chairman of the FAO Council (1981-85) and President of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (1984-90). He was President of the World Wide Fund for Nature (India) from 1989-96. He also served as President of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs (2002-07), President of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (1991-96 and 2005-07) and Chairman, National Commission on Farmers (2004-06). He was a trustee of Bibliotheca Alexandrina in its formative years.
He served as Director of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (1961-72), Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (1972-79), Principal Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture (1979-80), Acting Deputy Chairman and later Member (Science and Agriculture), Planning Commission (1980-82) and Director General, International Rice Research Institute, the Philippines (1982-88).
