Celebrating Dr. M.S. Swaminathan

Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan was born on August 7, 1925, in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, to M K Sambasivan and Parvati Thangammal. He spent his early years in Kumbakonam, completing his schooling at Catholic Little Flower High School. After losing his father at the age of 11, he was raised by his paternal uncle. Even as a child, Swaminathan displayed a deep curiosity about farming techniques, botany, and the challenges faced by farmers.

Initially, he pursued a degree in Zoology at Travancore University in 1944. However, the Bengal Famine of 1943 and the devastating food shortages following World War II profoundly influenced him. Determined to address agricultural challenges, he went on to earn a second Bachelor's degree in Agriculture from Coimbatore Agricultural College, Madras University, in 1947. This pivotal decision set him on a lifelong mission to improve the lives of farmers, uplift the poor, and champion the role of women in agriculture and beyond. 

An ever-green revolution implies the enhancement of productivity in perpetuity without associated ecological harm

• The Cytology and Genetics of the Potato (Solanum Tuberosum) and Related Species (1953)
• Building a national food security system (1981)
• Economic Ecologists of India (1982)
• Science and integrated rural development (1982)
• Rice in 2000 A.D (1984)
• Global aspects of food production (1986)
• From Stockholm to Rio de Janeiro (1991)
• Biotechnology in agriculture (1992)
• Sustainable Management of Coastal Ecosystems (1993)
• Wheat revolution a dialogue (1993)
• Ecotechnology and rural employment (1994)
• Farmer’s rights and plant genetic resources (1995)
• Sustainable agriculture (1996)
• Partnerships for Food and Livelihood (1998)
• Gender Dimensions in Biodiversity Management (1998)
• Towards a Hunger-Free World (2004)
• Feeding the one billion plus (2004)
• Technological change in food production (2004)
• Revolutions (2005)
• Evergreen Revolution in Agriculture (2012)
• Climate Change and Sustainable Food Security (2013)

Additional National Awards

• Charles Darwin International Science and Environment Medal (1993)
• Gangadharan Award for outstanding contributions to National Development (1997)
• Prof P N Mehra Memorial Award (1999)
• Fifth Panampilly Prathibha Puraskar (2012)
• “Yerarignar” Icon of Farm Research (2017)