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Monkambu Sambasivan Swaminathan

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Nationality: Indian (India)

Known to be: Producer of High-yielding varieties of wheat in India

Born: August 7 1925 in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu

Monkambu Sambasivan Swaminathan did his graduation and post graduation in Botany from Madras University. He worked in different capacities in large number of institutions in India and abroad and developed his expertise in genetics and plant breeding.

After preliminary education in Tamil Nadu, Swaminathan obtained his Ph.D. from Cambridge University, UK, in 1952. After a two-year postdoctoral stint at the University of Wisconsin, USA, he returned to India and joined the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi. It was from IARI that the ‘wheat revolution’ was choreographed during the 1960s. He is known for his contributions in wheat, rice and potato genetics and conservation of plant genetic resources. Swaminathan has been at the helm of several national and international institutions and commissions, including IARI (1966–1972), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (1972–1979), International Rice Research Institute (1982–1988) and Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs (2002–2007). He was the President of the Current Science Association from 2001 to 2006. Swaminathan has been recognized with a number of national and international awards, including Padma Shri (1967), Padma Bhushan (1972), Padma Vibhushan (1989), the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership (1971), and the Albert Einstein World Award on Science (1986). He was the first laureate of the World Food Prize (1987) that is regarded as the Nobel Prize in Agriculture. Currently Swaminathan holds the UNESCO Chair in Ecotechnology at the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Chennai, which he set up with funds from the World Food Prize. At present he is also a nominated Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha).

The School of Cytogenetics and Radiation Research established at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) enabled Swaminathan and his team to develop short–duration high-yielding varieties of rice including scented Basmati. He is also known for the development of the concept of crop cafeteria, crop scheduling and genetically improving the yield and quality.

Swaminathan initiated collaboration with Norman Borlaug, which culminated in the ‘Green Revolution’ through introduction of Mexican varieties of wheat in India. This was highly recognized and appreciated. He is also the initiator of ‘Lab-to-Land’, food security and several other environmental programmes. He has been honoured with Padma Bhushan and several other prestigious awards, medals and fellowships by institutions of excellence.

Abha, 10+1 (Medical)

Wisdom World School

Kurukshetra, Haryana, India

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