Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan (1925 – 2023) was an Indian geneticist and plant breeder, administrator and humanitarian.
He was the second son of general surgeon M. K. Sambasivan and Parvati Thangammal Sambasivan. Initially pursuing a path in zoology, Professor Swaminathan's direction was profoundly altered by the harrowing Bengal famine of 1943. Witnessing this devastation instilled in him a deep commitment to ensuring India's self-sufficiency in food.
This conviction led him to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Science from the University of Madras, followed by postgraduate studies in genetics and plant breeding at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI). His pursuit of knowledge extended internationally, encompassing a period in the Netherlands and culminating in a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Cambridge for his thesis on Solanum species. Further research in potato breeding was undertaken in the United States.
Upon his return to India in 1954, Professor Swaminathan embarked on a distinguished career, initially at the Central Rice Research Institute before joining IARI. His pivotal collaboration with Dr. Norman Borlaug proved instrumental in ushering in the Green Revolution in India. Through the introduction and advancement of high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice, their joint efforts played a critical role in averting famine-like conditions in India and Pakistan during the 1960s. TIME magazine recognised his immense influence by naming him one of the twenty most influential Asians of the 20th century.
Beyond the immediate impact of the Green Revolution, Professor Swaminathan was a visionary advocate for sustainable agriculture, coining the term "Evergreen Revolution" in 1990 to articulate his vision of "productivity in perpetuity without associated ecological harm". His leadership in this area led the United Nations Environment Programme to acclaim him as “the Father of Economic Ecology”.
Throughout his illustrious career, Professor Swaminathan held numerous key leadership positions, demonstrating his commitment to agricultural advancement and policy:
- Director of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (1961-72)
- Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (1972-79)
- Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (1972-79)
- Principal Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture (1979-80)
- Acting Deputy Chairman and later Member (Science and Agriculture), Planning Commission (1980-82)
- Director General, International Rice Research Institute, the Philippines (1982-88)
- Chairman of the UN Science Advisory Committee (1980s)
- Independent Chairman of the FAO Council (1981-85)
- President of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (1984-90)
- President of the World Wide Fund for Nature (India) (1989-96)
- President of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs (2002-07)
- President of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (1991-96 and 2005-07)
- Chairman, National Commission on Farmers (2004-06)
- Member of the Parliament of India (Rajya Sabha) (2007-13)
- Chaired the High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) for the World Committee on Food Security (CFS) (2010-13)
His remarkable contributions were recognised through numerous prestigious accolades, including the Ramon Magsaysay Award (1971), the Albert Einstein World Science Award (1986), and the first World Food Prize (considered to be an agricultural Nobel Prize) in 1987, the proceeds of which he used to establish the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in Chennai. He was also honoured with the Padma Shri (1967), Padma Bhushan (1972), and Padma Vibhushan (1989). In a final recognition of his unparalleled service to the nation, Professor Swaminathan was posthumously conferred the Bharat Ratna in 2024, India's highest civilian award.
Professor Swaminathan was deeply committed to leveraging science for societal benefit, championing gender equality in agriculture and pioneering initiatives such as the establishment of computer-aided rural knowledge centres in 1997. His vision extended to bridging the digital divide and ensuring that research informed decisions in the fields of hunger and nutrition.
Professor M. S. Swaminathan's enduring legacy continues through the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), which remains dedicated to the principles he championed: sustainable agriculture, nutrition security, and rural empowerment. His life stands as a testament to the transformative power of scientific inquiry coupled with a profound humanitarian spirit.