Green Revolution in India

The Green Revolution in India :

• Period in which agriculture productivity in India increased due to improved method & technology.
• Started in the early 1960s Green revolution led to an increase in food  grain produciton especially in Punjab, Haryana and UP.
• Many scientists including Indian geneticist M. S. Swaminathan, American agronomist Dr. Norman Borlaug developed higher- yielding varieties of wheat which helped in higher production of food grains.
• The introduction of high-yielding varieties(HYV) of seeds and the increased quality of fertilizers and irrigation technique led to the increase in production to make the country self-sufficient in food grains, thus improving agriculture in India. The methods adopted included the use of high-yielding varieties (HYVs) of seeds with modern farming methods.
• Due to the rise in use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers there was a negative effect on the soil and the land such as land degradation.

Problems persistent during that time include

       Famine : Frequent famine during the period 1940s to 1970s, malnutrition and starvation was a huge problem.This was due to faulty distribution of food,  farmers did not receive the true value for their labour, the majority of the population did not get enough food.

       Finance : Farmers found it difficult to get  finance and credit at economical rate from the government and banks hence they became the prey to Zamindars  high interest rate and was not able to repay the loans. This created lot fo problems and miseries to the farmers of India.

       Self-Sufficency :Food grains were imported  due to traditional agricultural practices, low productivity, and a growing population. The government could maintain buffer stock and India can achieve self-sufficiency and self-reliability due to increased production by implementing Green revolution.

Defects :

The main defect of the green revolution is the cost of using HYV seeds, which demanded increase in irrigation systems and pesticides.  Many farmers have difficulty in paying for the expensive technologies, especially if they have a bad harvest.

The excessive use of chemical fertilizers decreased soil fertility and also the use of electric tube wells decreased groundwater table below the previous level.