PM Inaugurates M.S. Swaminathan Centenary Event

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Bharat Ratna Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Centenary International Conference at Pusa, New Delhi, honouring the legacy of the agricultural pioneer and reaffirming India’s dedication to sustainable farming, ensuring food security, and advancing farmer welfare.

Highlights:

• Conference dates: August 7–9, 2025 at Pusa campus, New Delhi.
• Theme: “Evergreen Revolution – The Path to Bio-Happiness”.
• Organised in collaboration with the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, ICAR, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, and the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
• Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired; NITI Aayog member Dr. Ramesh Chand and Dr. Soumya Swaminathan attended.
• Focus on linking agricultural science with farming, boosting productivity, and natural farming.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Bharat Ratna Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Centenary International Conference at Pusa, New Delhi. The three-day conference, held from August 7–9, 2025, marks the birth centenary of legendary agricultural scientist Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, celebrated as the father of India’s Green Revolution.

Organised in collaboration with the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), and the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the conference carries the theme “Evergreen Revolution – The Path to Bio-Happiness”.

Presiding over the ceremony, Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan praised Dr. M.S. Swaminathan’s lifelong service to society, noting how the Bengal famine of 1942–43 moved him to fight hunger. He recalled Dr. Swaminathan’s key role in 1966, crossbreeding Mexican wheat with Indian varieties, which raised production from 5 to 17 million tonnes in a single year.

Shri Chouhan credited Prime Minister Modi’s vision for initiatives like the Lab to Land programme, Krishi Chaupal, and the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, under which 2,170 teams of scientists have visited over 64,000 villages and connected with more than 1 crore farmers.

He noted India’s strong food security position, with surplus rice, self-sufficient wheat production, and robust storage infrastructure. Over 80 crore citizens are receiving free rations under government schemes. The Minister also stressed increasing per-hectare yields of pulses and oilseeds such as soybean, mustard, and lentils, and advancing natural farming through the National Mission on Natural Farming to ensure long-term soil health and sustainable production.

An exhibition at the venue showcased Dr. Swaminathan’s remarkable life and contributions. The event drew leading agricultural scientists, experts, farmers, and dignitaries, including NITI Aayog member Dr. Ramesh Chand and Dr. Swaminathan’s daughter, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan.