The Green Revolution was a period that started in the 1960s and saw the transformation of Indian agriculture into a contemporary industrial system through the application of technology, including the employment of high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds, mechanized farm equipment, irrigation systems, pesticides, and fertilizers. This phase was a part of the greater Green Revolution initiative started by Norman E. Borlaug, which used agricultural science and technology to boost agricultural output in the developing world, and was primarily directed by agricultural scientist M. S. Swaminathan in India. This article will explain to you about Green Revolution which will help prepare the Agriculture Syllabus for the UPSC Civil Service exam.

What is Green Revolution in India?

• The term "green revolution" describes the dramatic rise in food grain output, particularly for wheat and rice, that began in the middle of the 20th century and was largely attributed to the introduction of new, high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds into developing nations.
• The goal of the green revolution was to produce enough food grains on its own.
• Large-scale alterations were made to conventional farming methods starting in the 1960s.
• Dr. M. S. Swaminathan, the advisor to India's minister of agriculture, extended an invitation to Norman Borlaug to visit.
• In India, M.S Swaminathan is regarded as the father of the Indian Green Revolution.
• The Green Revolution in India began in 1968, led by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and resulted in an increase in food grain output, particularly in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
• The development of new synthetic insecticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers occurred during this time. It solved India's issue of food insecurity.
• A number of institutional support programmes were put into place, including minimum support prices for food grains and procurement as well as public grain distribution (mostly rice and wheat).
• India began to export grains for food as a result. India is presently the second-largest producer of both rice and wheat in the world, as well as the biggest exporter of rice.

Green Revolution - Objectives

• Short Term: During the second Five Year Plan, the revolution was started to address India's famine crisis.
• Long Term: A broad modernization of agriculture was one of the long-term goals, based on infrastructure, raw materials, industrial development, and rural development.
• Employment: To give both agricultural and industrial people employment.
• Scientific Studies: Growing plants that are more resilient to disease and harsh weather.
• Globalization of the Agricultural World: By establishing several firms in important agricultural regions and transferring technologies to less-industrialized countries.

Components of Green Revolution

High Yielding Variety (HYV) Seeds

• The High Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds were possibly the single most significant component of the Indian Green Revolution. All other inputs were connected to HYV.
• Their primary feature is improved responsiveness to chemical fertilizers, and their quick maturation aids in double cropping.
• Additionally, their short stems can readily carry a load of fertilizer and resist wind damage, and their broad leaf surface aids in photosynthesis.

Irrigation

• After HYV seeds, irrigation is the second-most crucial element of Green Revolution technology.
• Crops need a consistent supply of water to grow, and this ensures both increased yield and production stability.
• Due to the unpredictable, erratic, and seasonal nature of Indian rainfall, it is urgently necessary to increase irrigation potential to comply with the Green Revolution strategy.
• Even in places with high rainfall, irrigation is a must for the successful introduction of HYV seeds.
• The success of using HYV seeds depends on having access to water at the proper time and in the proper quantity, with groundwater being more important than surface water.
• A pump set or a tube well allows for push-button irrigation, which has the advantage of being entirely under the farmer's hands.
• However, when the rate of groundwater withdrawal exceeds the rate of replenishment, there is a serious hazard of depletion owing to over-exploitation.
• Groundwater is heavily exploited in various parts of Punjab and Haryana.

Use of Chemical Fertilizers

• For HYV seeds to produce great yields, a heavy amount of irrigation and fertilizer is required.
• The only way to expand food grain output further is through multiple crops, which significantly rely on the triad of essential inputs—HYV seeds, irrigation, and chemical fertilizers—because all arable ground has already been ploughed and there is little chance of adding any new regions to the farm.
• The cost of production for urea and P&K fertilizers is currently lower than their selling prices; the difference, as determined by the government, is covered by subsidies.
• Although the usage of fertilizers has grown significantly over time, the influence of the Green Revolution is more noticeable in these regions.
• Punjab saw almost three-fold growth in consumption during the decade from 1971–1972 to 1981–1982, from 2,90,000 tonnes to 8,20,000 tonnes.
• Due to its size, Uttar Pradesh, which is the greatest consumer, saw an increase that was less than three times as large.

Use of Insecticides and Pesticides

• Although the Green Revolution's extensive use of irrigation and fertilizers enhanced farm output, it also gave rise to a problem with pests such as insects, weeds, rodents, etc.
• The Green Revolution's monocultures are more susceptible to insects and other pests.
• Using the right amounts of insecticides, pesticides, and weedicides to control these pests, weeds, and illnesses should be a key component of crop production.
• Over a million hectares of harvested land in the nation are afflicted by numerous pests and diseases, which reduce agricultural output by 5 to 25% annually.
• The area covered by plant protection as well as the use of various biocides has increased significantly.
• The regional distribution demonstrates that the main pesticide consumers are those that have adopted Green Revolution technology.
• For example, in 2003–04, more than 55% of the nation's pesticides were consumed in Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.

Command Area Development (CAD)

• A centrally sponsored program called the Command Area Development Programme was introduced in January 1975.
• Its goal was to maximize agricultural production from the irrigated area by closing the gap between potential developed and utilized in chosen major/medium irrigation projects around the nation.
• The Program aimed to cover 133 project commands totaling 1.7 million hectares of cultivable command area.

Consolidation of Land Holdings

• One of the biggest challenges to India's agricultural development has been the country's small and dispersed land holdings.
• This issue has been addressed by consolidating the land holdings.

Land Reforms

• Land Reform was introduced in order to improve the nation's agricultural position, and land reforms needed to be implemented right away.
• Tenancy-at-will, sharecropping, and absentee landlordism all failed to pique farmers' enthusiasm for investing in modern farming technologies and inputs.
• In 1947, the Zamindari System, which placed 80% of the country's land in the hands of absentee landlords, applied to half of India.
• The Zamindar used to take advantage of the farmers who worked the land.
• The phrase "land to the tiller" was used shortly after independence, and actions were launched to abolish the Zamindari. Tenants consequently acquired land ownership.

Supply of Agricultural Credit

• The most important component of all agricultural development programs is credit.
• Technology, HYV seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation water, and machinery are some of the additional inputs that are dependent on financing availability.
• Small and marginal farmers in India make up a sizable portion of the farming population since they lack the financial means to devote themselves to the industry.
• The majority of their agricultural operations are supported by agricultural finance.
• They used to borrow money from a moneylender in the past, who would charge them an extremely high-interest rate.
• Farmers can now get loans from cooperatives, commercial banks, and regional rural banks under convenient conditions.

Rural Electrification

• One of the crucial components of the modern agricultural system is rural electrification.
• Studies conducted in 1970 revealed that electricity significantly contributes to the growth of agriculture.
• It is an inexpensive source of energy that may be utilized for a variety of farm tasks, including the irrigation of sprinkler systems, processing and preserving agricultural produce, and lifting water via tube wells or pump sets.
• Groundwater development, which is so important for the Green Revolution, demands uninterrupted, more affordable electrical supplies.

Rural Roads and Marketing

• For villagers to access nearby markets and other communities, rural highways are crucial.
• Unfortunately, there is still a significant disconnect between the need for and supply of village roads.
• Agriculture that is progressing needs marketing. Regulated markets give farmers the ability to sell their crops and buy household goods, farm equipment, pesticides, fertilizers, and other agricultural inputs.
• The farmer can travel to the market with his produce, sell it, and then return with the supplies needed for farming or daily life.
• The farmer can prevent unnecessary time, energy, and financial wastage as well as save money on his return transportation by doing this.
• Ideally, the market should be no more than 5 km away from the settlement.

Farm Mechanisation

• Farm mechanization is crucial to The Green Revolution's success.
• Mechanization speeds up farm activities and reduces the amount of labor required, increasing farm output and efficiency.

Agricultural Universities

• The main focus of agricultural colleges and other institutes is doing agricultural research and disseminating the results to farmers.
• These universities' extensive research and extension efforts have had a significant positive impact on the agriculture sector.
• The work done by these colleges will play a significant role in the success of the Green Revolution.
• The best examples of this progress are in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.

Impact of Green Revolution

Positive Impacts

• Tens of millions more tonnes of grain are being harvested annually as a result of the high-yield variety seeds.
• In 1978–1979, the Green Revolution led to a record grain output of 131 million tonnes.
• India was now recognized as one of the top agricultural producers in the world.
• Between 1947 and 1979, the yield per unit of agricultural land increased by more than 30%.
• By building connected facilities like factories and hydroelectric power plants, the Green Revolution also generated a large number of jobs for industrial employees as well as agricultural laborers.

Negative Impacts

• India has not succeeded in implementing the idea of high-yield variety seeds across all crops or geographical areas.
• In terms of crops, it mostly focused on food grains and excluded other types of agricultural products.
• Only the states of Punjab and Haryana demonstrated the finest Green Revolution outcomes regionally.
• The Ganges River's eastern lowlands in West Bengal have produced some respectable outcomes. However, outcomes in other parts of India were less noteworthy.
• Environmentalists and others have studied the long-term repercussions of the green revolution and claim that it exacerbated sociological, economic, and environmental issues like farmer suicides, rural indebtedness, and droughts.
• According to reports, the usage of pesticides has deteriorated the soil, which has caused many agricultural systems to fail across the nation, harming the farmers' livelihoods as well as the food and water supplies.
• The disparity in farmer income increased inter-personal as well as inter-regional disparities/inequalities in India.
• A rise in the incidence of malaria as a result of waterlogging, a shift in balanced cropping patterns in favour of wheat and rice, pushing pulses, oilseeds, maize, and barley to the margins, and other negative effects.
• When the media, scholars, experts, and environmentalists raised concerns about it, neither governments nor the general public were convinced.

*To know more about the topic, click this link Impact of Green Revolution

Evergreen Revolution

• The term "Evergreen Revolution" was coined by Dr. M. S. Swaminathan to describe a strategy for improving output and productivity without compromising short- and long-term food production goals.
• The objective is to produce more using fewer resources—less water, less pesticide, and less land—and to achieve sustainable agriculture, there must be an evergreen revolution.
• The productivity of farms can be increased by introducing modern information and communication technology (ICT) to Indian farmers.
• Through networking on weather alerts, planting season, and produce prices, ICT projects can address important issues in the agricultural value chain.
• One of the pillars of the Digital India initiative, e-Kranti, focuses on technology for farmers and offers real-time pricing updates, online input ordering, and mobile banking for payment.

*To know more about the topic, click this link Evergreen Revolution

Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India

• The "Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India" is a program that was introduced in 2010–2011 to address the issues restricting the productivity of "rice-based agricultural systems" in eastern India.
• It focuses on seven States namely: Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Eastern Uttar Pradesh (Purvanchal), and West Bengal.
• As part of the program, assistance is given to the farmers with organizing cluster demonstrations of rice and wheat, seed production and distribution, nutrient management and soil ameliorants, integrated pest management, cropping system-based training, asset-building with things like farm machinery and tools, irrigation devices, site-specific activities, post-harvest & marketing support, etc.
• In accordance with the program, the Government of India distributes funds to the State, which then distributes them to the district.
• These systems already cover other crops like wheat, coarse-cum-Nutri cereals, pulses, and oilseeds.
• The initiative is now a part of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.

Conclusion

Overall, the Green Revolution offered India, a level of national food security that had never before been possible. It symbolized the effective transfer of the same agricultural scientific revolution that the industrialized nations had previously grabbed for themselves. The environment, underprivileged farmers, and their knowledge of such chemicals were given less attention than other considerations such as guaranteeing food security. Therefore, in order for the poor to benefit more directly from new technologies and for those technologies to be more environmentally friendly, governments must more precisely target the poor. Additionally, taking into account the lessons learned from the past, it must be made sure that such initiatives cover all of the beneficiaries across all regions rather than focusing only on a small area.

FAQs

MCQs

1. Who is credited with leading the Green Revolution in India?

A) Mahatma Gandhi
B) Jawaharlal Nehru
C) M.S. Swaminathan
D) Norman Borlaug

2. Which of the following crops was most impacted by the Green Revolution in India?

A) Cotton
B) Wheat
C) Sugarcane
D) Maize

3. Which state in India was one of the key beneficiaries of the Green Revolution?

A) Bihar
B) Maharashtra
C) Punjab
D) Karnataka

4. Which of the following was NOT a consequence of the Green Revolution?

A) Increase in food grain production
B) Environmental degradation
C) Expansion of area under cotton
D) Rise in the use of chemical fertilizers

5. What was one of the major environmental concerns associated with the Green Revolution?

A) Soil conservation
B) Groundwater depletion
C) Biodiversity protection
D) Expansion of forest cover

GS Mains Questions and Answers

Q1: Discuss the impact of the Green Revolution on Indian agriculture, with a focus on its achievements and challenges.

Answer: The Green Revolution had a transformative impact on Indian agriculture by increasing food grain production, particularly of wheat and rice, and making India self-sufficient in food grains. It introduced high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and advanced irrigation techniques, leading to a sharp rise in crop yields. The Green Revolution helped reduce India's dependence on food imports and improved rural incomes, especially in states like Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. However, it also led to challenges such as regional disparities, environmental degradation, overuse of chemical inputs, and depletion of groundwater resources. These issues have raised concerns about the long-term sustainability of the Green Revolution model.

Q2: Analyze the role of M.S. Swaminathan in the Green Revolution and its significance for India's food security.

Answer: Dr. M.S. Swaminathan is widely regarded as the key figure behind the success of the Green Revolution in India. His efforts to introduce high-yielding varieties of seeds, combined with modern agricultural practices, led to a substantial increase in food grain production, particularly of wheat and rice. Swaminathan’s focus on agricultural research, extension services, and the adaptation of global scientific advancements to Indian conditions helped transform Indian agriculture. The Green Revolution not only made India self-sufficient in food grains but also laid the foundation for future agricultural advancements. However, the success of the Green Revolution also brought challenges such as environmental degradation and the neglect of non-cereal crops, which must be addressed to ensure long-term food security.

Q3: Evaluate the environmental and social consequences of the Green Revolution in India.

Answer: While the Green Revolution greatly enhanced food production, it also led to several environmental and social consequences. The over-reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides caused soil degradation, loss of soil fertility, and contamination of water bodies. The heavy use of water for irrigation led to groundwater depletion, particularly in Punjab and Haryana. Socially, the Green Revolution created regional disparities, as its benefits were concentrated in a few states with access to irrigation and better infrastructure. The uneven distribution of resources also widened the gap between large and small farmers. In the long term, the environmental sustainability of the Green Revolution remains a major concern, requiring the adoption of more sustainable agricultural practices.

Previous Year Questions on the Green Revolution

1. UPSC CSE Prelims 2020:

Question: Who is known as the father of the Green Revolution in India?

A) Norman Borlaug
B) Mahatma Gandhi
C) M.S. Swaminathan
D) C. Subramaniam

Answer: C

Explanation: Dr. M.S. Swaminathan is known as the father of the Green Revolution in India for his pioneering efforts in promoting high-yielding varieties of seeds and modern agricultural practices that significantly boosted food grain production.

2. UPSC CSE Mains 2019 (GS Paper 3):

Question: "The Green Revolution helped achieve food security but also led to several environmental and social challenges." Discuss.

Answer: The Green Revolution helped India achieve self-sufficiency in food grain production, particularly for wheat and rice. However, its over-reliance on chemical inputs and intensive irrigation practices caused environmental degradation, soil depletion, and groundwater scarcity. Socially, it led to regional disparities and widened the gap between large and small farmers. Moving forward, there is a need to adopt sustainable agricultural practices that balance productivity with environmental conservation and ensure equitable benefits for all farmers.