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10/10/2013
Originally published in The Hindu BusinessLine
New Delhi, Oct. 10, 2013:
Eminent agricultural scientist Dr. M.S Swaminathan, known as the father of Green Revolution, will be conferred the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration, it was announced today.
The Award for the year 2012 consisting of a citation and Rs 5 lakh will be presented to the 88-year-old scientist by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi at a function here on October 31, the death anniversary of Indira Gandhi, Member Secretary of the award committee Motilal Vora said.
Aruna Asaf Ali, P.N Haksar, M.S Subbulakshmi, A.P.J Abdul Kalam and Shankar Dayal Sharma are among some of the recipients of the Award which was also given to Rajiv Gandhi posthumously.
Winner of many a award, Swaminathan has served as Director of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi (1966-72), Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (1972-79).
A plant geneticist by training, Professor Swaminathan’s contributions to the agricultural renaissance of India have led to his being widely referred to as the scientific leader of the green revolution movement.
Dr. Swaminathan was the first World Food Prize Laureate in 1987, and is now the Chairman of the World Food Prize Laureate Selection Committee.