Chennai gathered top scientists, policymakers, and political leaders on Saturday to celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, the iconic figure known as the Father of India’s Green Revolution. The event took place at the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation in Taramani, drawing crowds eager to pay tribute to his groundbreaking work in agriculture and food security.
Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the foundation’s chairperson and Prof. Swaminathan’s daughter, kicked off the remembrance by sharing her father’s dream of a world without hunger and a future built on sustainable farming practices.
Tamil Nadu ministers K.N. Nehru, M.R.K. Panneerselvam, Raja Kannappan, and T.M.O. Anbarasan joined the event, but it was Chief Minister M.K. Stalin who stole the show with a heartfelt speech. He praised Swaminathan for changing millions of lives during India’s toughest times with hunger. “India will always remember M.S. Swaminathan—the man whose Green Revolution filled empty plates across the nation,” Stalin said.
Stalin highlighted Swaminathan’s down-to-earth style, noting how the scientist chatted with remote village farmers just as warmly as he did with world leaders. “To the world, he was the father of the Green Revolution,” the chief minister added. “But to us, he was a guardian of food security, a champion for the silent majority, and a model of true simplicity.”
The leader also spotlighted Swaminathan’s early warnings about the dangers of overusing chemical fertilizers and his push for nutrient-packed, eco-friendly crops—ideas that feel even more urgent today amid climate change challenges.
To keep Swaminathan’s legacy alive, Stalin announced exciting steps from the Tamil Nadu government. They’ve launched the Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Research Fund with an initial Rs 1 crore to boost agricultural innovations. The Poovir Wetland Green Park now carries his name, and the Agricultural College and Research Institute in Ichangottai, Thanjavur, will honor him too. Plus, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University students will receive an annual award in his memory.
Stalin wrapped up by committing to the state’s Dravidian Model goals: slashing carbon emissions by 2050—well ahead of India’s national target—and ramping up support for farmers and sustainable food security. “Prof. Swaminathan’s life and contributions will inspire us always,” he said.
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