Model Answer
0 min readIntroduction
The Green Revolution in India, initiated in the mid-1960s, was a transformative period that fundamentally altered the country's agricultural landscape. Faced with chronic food shortages, a rapidly growing population, and dependence on food imports (often termed "ship-to-mouth" existence), India embarked on an ambitious program to modernize its agriculture. Spearheaded by Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, often called the "Father of the Green Revolution in India," and inspired by Norman Borlaug's work, this revolution introduced new farming technologies and practices to significantly boost food grain production, primarily wheat and rice. It marked a crucial shift from traditional, low-productivity farming to a science and technology-driven approach aimed at achieving food self-sufficiency and national food security.
Objectives of the Green Revolution in India
The Green Revolution had both immediate and long-term objectives that aimed to address India's pressing food crisis and lay the groundwork for a robust agricultural sector.Short-Term Objectives (Immediate Goals)
- Achieve Food Self-Sufficiency: The primary goal was to rapidly increase food grain production to eliminate dependence on imports and overcome severe food shortages and the threat of famine, which was particularly acute in the 1960s.
- Stabilize Food Prices: By increasing domestic production, the revolution aimed to stabilize volatile food prices, making essential food grains accessible and affordable for the masses.
- Build Buffer Stocks: Creating strategic reserves of food grains was crucial to guard against future droughts, crop failures, and other unforeseen calamities, ensuring national food security.
Long-Term Objectives (Strategic Goals)
- Modernize Agriculture: To transform traditional, subsistence-oriented farming into a modern, commercial, and efficient industry through the adoption of scientific techniques and inputs.
- Promote Rural and Industrial Development: By boosting agricultural output, the Green Revolution aimed to generate demand for agricultural machinery, fertilizers, and other industrial inputs, thereby stimulating industrial growth and rural infrastructure development.
- Increase Farmer Incomes and Rural Employment: Higher yields and commercialization were expected to improve the economic condition of farmers and create more employment opportunities in agricultural and allied sectors.
- Develop Drought-Resistant and Disease-Resistant Crops: Through scientific research and breeding, one objective was to develop crop varieties that could withstand adverse climatic conditions and common plant diseases, ensuring more resilient agricultural production.
- Strengthen Agro-Industrial Linkages: To foster stronger forward and backward linkages between agriculture and industries such as food processing, textiles (from cotton), and other agro-based sectors.
Components of the Green Revolution in India
The Green Revolution was a package of technological and institutional interventions designed to enhance agricultural productivity. Its key components include:- High-Yielding Variety (HYV) Seeds:
- The introduction of genetically improved, semi-dwarf varieties of wheat (e.g., Sonora 64, Lerma Rojo 64A) and rice (e.g., IR8, Jaya) from Mexico and the Philippines was central.
- These seeds were highly responsive to chemical fertilizers and irrigation, producing significantly higher yields compared to traditional varieties.
- M.S. Swaminathan played a pivotal role in adapting these varieties to Indian conditions.
- Improved Irrigation Facilities:
- HYV crops are water-intensive, necessitating a substantial expansion and modernization of irrigation infrastructure.
- This involved the construction of major and minor irrigation projects, including dams, canals, tube wells, and pump sets.
- Programmes like the Command Area Development Programme (CADP) launched in 1974 focused on improving water management and on-farm development.
- Chemical Fertilizers and Pesticides:
- Extensive use of chemical fertilizers (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium - NPK) was crucial to provide the necessary nutrients for HYV crops to achieve their high-yield potential.
- Pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides were used to protect crops from pests, diseases, and weeds, which could otherwise significantly reduce yields.
- Farm Mechanization:
- The adoption of modern farm machinery like tractors, power tillers, threshers, and harvesters became widespread, especially in prosperous regions.
- Mechanization aimed to reduce labor costs, increase efficiency, and enable timely agricultural operations over larger areas.
- Credit and Financing:
- To enable farmers to purchase costly inputs like HYV seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and machinery, access to institutional credit was expanded.
- Cooperative banks, commercial banks, and regional rural banks played a crucial role in providing loans at easier terms, reducing reliance on informal money lenders.
- Agricultural Research and Extension Services:
- Establishment and strengthening of agricultural universities and research institutions (like ICAR) for developing new crop varieties and farming techniques suitable for diverse agro-climatic zones.
- Extension services were vital for disseminating knowledge about modern farming practices to farmers.
- Land Reforms and Consolidation of Holdings:
- While not uniformly implemented, land reforms aimed at improving land tenure security and consolidation of fragmented land holdings were considered important to facilitate modern, large-scale farming.
- Rural Electrification and Infrastructure:
- Electrification of rural areas was essential to power irrigation pumps and agro-processing units.
- Improved rural roads and marketing infrastructure were crucial for efficient transportation and sale of increased produce, ensuring better returns for farmers.
- Minimum Support Price (MSP) and Procurement:
- The government introduced MSP for major crops, guaranteeing remunerative prices to farmers and providing an incentive for increased production.
- A robust public procurement and distribution system (PDS) was established to manage food grain stocks and ensure food security.
Conclusion
The Green Revolution was a monumental achievement for India, transforming it from a food-deficient nation to a self-sufficient, and at times, a surplus producer of food grains. It successfully addressed the acute food crisis of the 1960s, averted widespread famine, and bolstered national food security. The strategic adoption of HYV seeds, expanded irrigation, chemical inputs, and farm mechanization, coupled with supportive government policies like MSP and credit facilities, propelled agricultural growth. While it significantly increased productivity and farmer incomes in certain regions, it also led to regional disparities, environmental concerns, and the widening of the rich-poor farmer gap. Lessons from this period continue to shape India’s agricultural policy, emphasizing the need for a more sustainable and inclusive "Evergreen Revolution" to ensure long-term food security and ecological balance.
Answer Length
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