M S Swaminathan, hailed as the father of India’s Green Revolution, passed away Thursday. He was 98. Swaminathan was instrumental in developing high-yielding varieties of paddy that helped ensure India’s low-income farmers produce more yield. He established the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in 1988 as a not-for-profit trust from the proceeds of the First World Food Prize which he received in 1987.
An official of the institute said that he passed away around 11am.Born in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district, he was named the first World Food Prize laureate for developing and spearheading the introduction of high-yielding wheat and rice varieties into India during the 1960s when that country faced the prospect of widespread famine. Swaminathan worked with late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to establish agricultural policies.