IARI celebrates conferment of Bharat Ratna on M S Swaminathan

Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) on Tuesday organised a special celebration in recognition of the conferment of the prestigious Bharat Ratna award on farm scientist Late M S Swaminathan.

According to an official statement, Himanshu Pathak, Secretary of Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), highlighted the significant achievements of Swaminathan at the event.

ICAR-IARI Director A K Singh said it is a matter of great honour and pride for the nation that Professor M S Swaminathan was bestowed with the prestigious Bharat Ratna Award on Feb 9, 2024.

He highlighted Swaminathan's lifelong dedication and remarkable contributions to agricultural research, sustainable development, and food security.

Singh stressed on how Swaminathan's visionary leadership and innovative approach have significantly impacted the agricultural landscape of India and beyond.

Other dignitaries present on the occasion were Chairperson, Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Authority T Mohapatra, Chancellor, Central Agricultural University, Imphal R B Singh, and Founder Chairman of TAAS R S Paroda.

''M S Swaminathan, popularly known as the Father of India's Green Revolution, is credited with saving millions of people from starvation through his landmark work on enhancing productivity and production of wheat and rice crops during the 1960s-70s. He also provided a concept of transforming the 'Green Revolution' into an 'Evergreen Revolution','' the statement said.