M.S. Swaminathan - the Father of the Green Revolution in India, passed away at his residence in Chennai

Dr. Swaminathan passed away on September 28, 2023 at 11:20 a.m. at his home in Chennai. He was 98 and died due to age-related problems. Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan, often known as M.S. Swaminathan, was a renowned agricultural scientist who made significant contributions to the farming community, particularly to the community in the Wayanad hill area.

As part of the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, a non-profit NGO, Dr. Swaminathan established the Community Agro Biodiversity Centre (CAbC) in Puthur Vayal in 1997. The center's mission is to create and advance economic growth methods that specifically target greater employment of the underemployed in rural regions.

The center's main goals were preserving Western Ghats plant species that were on the verge of extinction and igniting an agricultural revolution at the same time. A scientist and a farm manager were on hand when the initiative was established on just 13 acres of property, which Dr. Swaminathan and his wife had contributed voluntarily. It has expanded across a 46-acre site that is located inside the municipal boundaries of Kalpetta 26 years later. A 48-person team dedicated to conservation and sustainable development, including scientists and young researchers, is also present in addition to cutting-edge infrastructure. They have been given the task of preserving biodiversity and fostering the State's farming community's sustainable growth, particularly among its tribal farmers.

The preservation of traditional crop types and landraces is always directly related to the population's ability to get enough food. Beginning with the Peoples Biodiversity Register in 1997 and continuing with the plethora of initiatives undertaken by MSSRF, all of these were motivated by Dr. Swaminathan's leadership and assistance.

The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmer's Rights (PPV& FR) Act, which was drafted in 2001 and created the PPVFR authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, was made possible in large part by Dr. Swaminathan.

Custodian farmers have received recognised as Plant Genome Saviours under this Act, both at the individual and communal levels. Numerous farmers in the area, especially tribal farmers, have received recognition as custodian farmers for their work preserving plant genomes.

Dr. Swaminathan is survived by three daughters: Soumya Swaminathan, a former top scientist at the World Health Organisation; Madhura Swaminathan, a professor in the economic analysis section at the Indian Statistical Institute in Bengaluru and a former chairwoman of the MSSRF; and Nitya Rao, the head of NISD at the University of East Anglia in the UK. His wife, Mina Swaminathan, who served as the Distinguished Chair for Gender and Development at the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), passed away in March 2022.