MS Swaminathan, the highly acclaimed pioneer of the Green Revolution in India, passed away recently in Chennai on Thursday, find out the cause of death, full name and daughter
He founded the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) back in 1988, using the proceeds from his World Food Prize 1987.
MS Swaminathan passed away, death reason, full name, biography, age, family, wife, daughter, education
Dr. MS Swaminathan's steadfast commitment to revolutionising India's agriculture turned us into a food surplus country.
His legacy as the Father of the Green Revolution will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences go out to his loved ones during this time of loss. pic.twitter.com/9pgMxwh81M
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 28, 2023
Deeply saddened by the demise of Dr. MS Swaminathan Ji. At a very critical period in our nation’s history, his groundbreaking work in agriculture transformed the lives of millions and ensured food security for our nation. pic.twitter.com/BjLxHtAjC4
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 28, 2023
Throughout his lifetime, Swaminathan served as chairman for various prestigious international conferences including the 1974 United Nations World Food Congress.
MS Swaminathan bio and age
Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan was an agricultural scientist who is regarded as the father of the Green Revolution in India. He was born on 7 August 1925, in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu and passed away today, on 28 September 2023 aged 98. Aside from being a scientist, he was also a plant geneticist, administrator, and humanitarian and a global leader of the green revolution.
Swaminathan was born to general surgeon M. K. Sambasivan and Parvati Thangammal Sambasivan as their second son. However, at the young age of 11, his father passed away,and his father’s brother raised him. Swaminathan is regarded as the main architect of the green revolution in India. He led and introduced the development of high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice across India.
MS Swaminathan awards
Given below is a list of the awards that MS Swaminathan has won:
- Padma Shri (1967)
- Padma Bhushan (1972)
- World Food Prize 1987
- Albert Einstein World Award of Science 1986
- Padma Vibhushan (1989)
- Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership 1971
- Indira Gandhi Prize 1999
- Freedom from Want 2000
- Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration 2013
- CNN-IBN Indian of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award 2010
Education
Swaminathan obtained his early education at the Catholic Little Flower High School in Kumbakonam and matriculated aged 15. He then started off his higher education with zoology to fulfill his parents desire for him to become doctor. However, he chose agriculture and finished his undergraduate degree in zoology at Maharaja’s College in Trivandrum, Kerala.
He then attended the University of Madras (Madras Agricultural College, now the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University) from 1940 to 1944. From there heearned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Science.He then he moved to the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in New Delhi in 1947. There, he obtained a post-graduate degree with high distinction in cytogenetics in 1949.
Wife and children
MS Swaminathan was married to Mina Swaminathan from 1955–2022 and the couple had three daughters – Soumya Swaminathan, Madhura Swaminathan, and Nitya Swaminathan. His oldest daughter Dr. Soumya Swaminathan is now the Chairperson of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF). Prior to the new appointment, she was the Chief Scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO) from 2019 to 2022. She also previously served as the former Deputy Director General at the WHO.
MS Swaminathan cause of death
According to reports, MS Swaminathan passed away of natural causes. His daughter, Dr Soumya Swaminathan stated:
He was not keeping well for the last few days… His end came very peacefully this morning… Till the end, he was committed to the farmers’ welfare and to the upliftment of the poorest in society. On behalf of the family, I would like to thank everyone who has expressed their wishes.”
Dr Soumya Swaminathan further added how she hoped that she and her two sisters will continue the legacy left behind by her father and my mother, Mina Swaminathan. She shared how her father was one of the few people who recognized the neglect of women in agriculture. She shared that her father was most proud of his two contributions which were the Mahila Sashaktikaran Yojana, set up to support women farmers and adding a chapter on gender and environment in the Sixth Planning Commission.
Tributes and condolence messages
Following the news about the tragic death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote:
Deeply saddened by the demise of Dr. MS Swaminathan Ji. At a very critical period in our nation’s history, his groundbreaking work in agriculture transformed the lives of millions and ensured food security for our nation.”
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