Diplomat Correspondent
New Delhi: Prime Minister, Narendra Modi today inaugurated the Bharat Ratna Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Centenary International Conference at Pusa in New Delhi.
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, chaired the ceremony.
The conference, organised from August 7–9, 2025, at the Pusa campus in New Delhi, commemorates the birth centenary of Prof. Dr. M.S. Swaminathan — an iconic figure in agricultural science and a pioneer of food security.
The event is being held in collaboration with the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), and the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The theme of the conference is ‘Evergreen Revolution – The Path to Bio-Happiness’.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Shivraj Singh emphasised the true meaning of life, saying that “living for others is the real essence of life — those who live for the nation, for society, and for others truly give meaning to their existence”.
Dr. Swaminathan, the Minister said, was such a personality who dedicated his life in service to others. Following the path laid out by Dr. Swaminathan, “we will ensure that neither India nor the world faces hunger or deprivation”, he added.
Recalling Dr. Swaminathan’s contribution, the Union Minister shared that the Bengal famine of 1942–43, which pushed millions to the brink of starvation, deeply moved him. Following that, Dr. Swaminathan devoted his life to agriculture, farmers, and eradicating hunger. Shri Chouhan recalled that in 1966, 18,000 tonnes of Mexican wheat were imported, which were crossbred with local varieties in Punjab, resulting in a new hybrid variety. Thanks to this, wheat production surged from 5 million tonnes to 17 million tonnes within a year. Dr. Swaminathan was the father of the Green Revolution, and the agricultural research systems he helped build continue to function effectively today, Shri Chouhan said.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to agricultural development and farmers’ welfare, Chouhan said that every word said by Prime Minister, Modi is like a guiding mantra.
He noted that a year ago, during a visit to Pusa, Prime Minister Modi had advised them to “connect lab to land”, stating that farming cannot move in the right direction until science and agriculture are integrated. Inspired by this, several campaigns have been launched, including the ‘Lab to Land’ initiative, the ‘Krishi Chaupal’, and the ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’.
Chouhan further informed that a total of 2,170 teams of scientists were formed under the ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’. These teams visited over 64,000 villages and engaged directly with more than 1 crore (10 million) farmers.
Speaking on food production, Chouhan highlighted that India’s foodgrain stock has significantly improved. “The country has surplus rice, is self-sufficient in wheat, and is building robust food grain storage systems”, he said. Under the leadership of the Prime Minister, 80 crore (800 million) people are currently being provided free ration.
He also emphasised on increasing per-hectare productivity of pulses and oilseeds. The Minister said efforts are underway to boost the production of soybean, groundnut, mustard, sesame, chickpea, lentils, urad, and arhar under the guidance of the Prime Minister.
Concluding his address, Chouhan said that under the leadership of the Prime Minister, a ‘National Mission on Natural Farming’ has been launched. The mission aims to ensure that the earth continues to yield grains, fruits, and vegetables for future generations, and scientific approaches are being applied seriously to achieve this.
Shivraj Singh also visited an exhibition showcasing Prof. Swaminathan’s life journey and invaluable contributions.
The event was attended by NITI Aayog member Dr. Ramesh Chand, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan (Dr M.S. Swaminathan’s daughter), agricultural experts, scientists, farmers, and other distinguished guests.DD
