A file photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan, in New Delhi.
Credit: PTI Photo
Chennai: The M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) here has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for announcing that the Bharat Ratna would be awarded to globally renowned plant geneticist and the father of the Green Revolution in India M S Swaminathan.
The gesture is a great recognition for his untiring work to ensure food nutrition and livelihood security for all, the foundation said on Friday.
".@mssrf @cabcmssrf @bptabc_mssrf @Fishforallmssrf thank the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India Shri @narendramodi for announcing the well-deserved Bharat Ratna for #MSSwaminathan," the foundation said in a post on social media platform X, posting Modi's announcement on Friday.
"It's a great recognition for his untiring work to ensure #food #nutrition & livelihood security for all," it added.
Swaminathan, who died last year on September 28 at age 98, is most widely known for transforming India from a drought-stricken country dependent on the United States for foodgrain imports in the 1960s to being declared self-sufficient in food production in 1971.
His efforts involved introducing high-yielding genetic varieties of rice and wheat in India and the subcontinent, alongside American agronomist Norman Borlaug. Swaminathan was awarded the first World Food prize in 1987 for his work.