CHENNAI: The Union government on Friday awarded Bharat Ratna posthumously to agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan.
Dr Soumya Swaminathan, M S Swaminathan’s daughter and chairperson of M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, thanked the government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bestowing the honour on her father.
She said in a press statement, “It is a great honour, and recognition of the work he has done throughout his life to advance science to solve the problem of food and nutrition security in India and across the world. He was also an institution builder and a mentor to thousands of young scientists. “
“Swaminathan’s life embodies selflessness and service to humanity. He believed in using the power of science and technology to solve social problems. The recognition given to him now will serve to inspire and motivate the younger generation to believe that through thoughtful and humane use of science and technology, it is possible to solve the problems of society,” Dr Soumya Swaminthan said.
MS Swaminathan, who played a pivotal role in eradicating hunger for millions of Indians by spearheading the Green Revolution, passed away at the age of 98 at his Chennai residence on September 28, 2023.
Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan, fondly addressed as ‘MS’ by his friends and colleagues, was born in Kumbakonam on August 7, 1925, to MK Sambasivan, a surgeon, and Parvati Thangammal. With both his parents being nationalists and staunch followers of Mahatma Gandhi, his upbringing was rooted in social service.
Conferring the Bharat Ratna on Dr. MS Swaminathan is a matter of immense pride and joy for all of us. A long-awaited acknowledgement and recognition of his monumental contributions to our nation in agriculture and farmers’ welfare, making Bharat Atmanirbhar. Thanks to our Prime Minister, Thiru @narendramodi, for fulfilling the dream, said the Governor RN Ravi on X.
Though he was born in the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu, his motivation to pursue agricultural research came from Bengal. He was greatly impacted by reading about the Bengal famine and decided to pursue agriculture research after completing his undergraduation in Zoology in Travancore. Though he got a medical seat and his family wanted him to continue his father’s legacy, he joined the agriculture college in Coimbatore, which later grew into Tamil Nadu Agriculture University. He went on to pursue Ph.D. from Cambridge University, UK, in 1952 and then joined the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in 1954.