Green Revolution: History, Components, Phases & Impacts

At the time of independence, about 75 per cent of the country's population was dependent on agricultural income. Productivity in the agricultural sector was very low because of the use of old technology and the absence of necessary infrastructure for the vast majority of farmers. The decrease in agricultural production due to more emphasis on cash crops and commercial crops by the colonial rulers.

The father of the green revolution in India is M.S. Swaminathan. His contribution for spearheading the introduction and development of high-yielding wheat and rice varieties in the 1960s transformed India from a drought-stricken nation dependent on food imports into a self-sufficient agricultural powerhouse.

The Green Revolution refers to the transformation in agriculture in the mid-20th century and refers to the large increase in production of food grains resulting from the use of high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds, especially for wheat and rice. The use of these seeds required the use of fertilizer and pesticide in the correct quantities as well as a regular supply of water.

In the 1st phase of the green revolution between 1960s to 1970 in Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, the use of HYV seeds primarily benefited the wheat-growing regions. In the 2nd phase of the green revolution (mid-1970s to mid-1980s), the HYV technology spread to a larger number of states and benefited a wider variety of crops. The spread of green revolution technology enabled India to achieve self-sufficiency in food grains.

• The Green Revolution in India started in the middle of 1960s in response to food shortage, low agricultural productivity and reliability on food import. The government introduced the high yield variety (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation, rural credit and improved farming practices.
• In 1966, India imported Mexican HYV wheat seeds which were developed using the work of Norman Borlaug who was an American agronomist. In India, M. S. swaminathan adapted and promoted such varieties of seeds in India.
• Firstly, this programme has focussed on the wheat production primarily in the regions of Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh. As a result, the production of wheat increased rapidly which assured food security and reduced India's dependence on imports.
• Later, it was extended to rice growing regions as well. However, the benefits were specific to a few regions only. It was focussed among those farmers who had access to irrigation, credit and latest inputs. The excess use of fertilisers, pesticides and groundwater have resulted in some environmental issues.

The basis of the Green Revolution in India can be seen in the following points:

• High-yielding varieties (HYVs) - These genetically modified seeds yield 2 to 3 times more than regular crops.
  • They are dwarf varieties with dense canopies. Because they are very tender and fragile, they need more water, chemical fertilisers, and protection from pests and weeds.
  • It also requires on-farm activities like soil preparation. It has a short generation period and leads to greater production in a short period.
  • The short duration of growth means that land is used for the next crop, thus increasing cropping intensity.
• Irrigation Facilities - In 1960, India's net irrigated area was only 30 million hectares, and extending irrigation to the rest of India was daunting.
• Credit and Financing - This requires an excellent rural credit and microfinancing network to support farmers' needs.
• Commercialisation of Agriculture - The introduction of Minimum Support Prices for crops gave farmers an extra reason to grow crops.
• Farm Mechanization - It was required to increase crop production.
• Command Area Development Programme (CADP) - It was launched in 1974 by the Indian government to lessen the gap between the creation of irrigation potential and its actual utilization. It promotes efficient and equitable distribution of canal water, field channel construction, water management, levelling of land, and improved agricultural productivity. The programme encourages farmer participation through Water Users Association (WUA) and Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM). The Command Area Development and Water Management (CADWM) component has been implemented under Prime Minister Krishi Sichayee Yojana (PMKSY).
• Use of Chemical Fertilizers - Due to soil nitrogen deficiency, NPK fertilizers were applied in a standard ratio of 4:2:1, though the actual usage ratio was 8.2:4.2:1. The use of insecticides, pesticides, and weedicides was also common.
• Rural Electrification - This was essential for advancing farm mechanisation practices.
• Land Holding and Land Reforms - Landholding involved consolidating land, while land reforms included abolishing intermediaries, ending Zamindari, and implementing tenancy reforms.

• India needed an immediate food supply and self-sufficiency in food grain production.
• This phase was both crop-specific and region-specific because the agriculture infrastructure was well-developed in Punjab, Haryana, and Western Uttar Pradesh. Also, this region was free from natural hazards.
• This phase started with the Intensive Agriculture Development Program (IADP) and the Intensive Agriculture Area Programme (IAAP) on an experimental basis. Still, the main initiative was the HYV program during the Annual Plan of 1965-66.
• 1974, the Command Area Development Program reemphasised the Green Revolution in India.
• Food production in 1950-51 was merely 25 MT and 33 MT in 1965-66. 1980 it jumped to 100 MT, a threefold increase in 10 years.
  • It was more centralised towards wheat production, which increased by 2.5 times in 5 years. This was termed the Green Revolution.
• This provided India with self-sufficiency in food grain production, and the incidences of malnutrition, famine, poverty, and starvation were mitigated. India was successful in coming out of the 'Begging Bowl image'.

• Wet agriculture (mainly rice) was targeted during the 6th and 7th five-year plans.
• During the first phase, rice production increased merely 1.5 times. Regions with more than 100 cm of rainfall, such as West Bengal, Bihar, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Assam, and coastal plains, were targeted.
• These plans met with partial success. The Krishna-Godavari delta and Cauvery basin yielded the coveted results.
• West Bengal also showed increased productivity, and in Bihar, Bhojpur experienced the fruits of the Green Revolution.
• However, the full potential of rice productivity was not realised due to institutional factors like land reforms, tenancy, etc.
• Land reforms should have been implemented in areas like UP, West Bengal, and Bihar, but they were not implemented at the right time.
• The traditional outlook of farmers was also a major limiting factor in the success of the Second phase of the Green Revolution.

• During the 8th and 9th five-year plans, dry land agriculture was targeted, and HYV was introduced into cotton, oilseeds, pulses, millets, etc. This met with partial success.
• The Integrated Watershed Management Programme was initiated to improve conditions in sub-humid and semi-arid regions of India.
  • However, it was unsuccessful except in the Narmada-Tapi doab, the Tungabhadra basin, and the Bhima-Krishna basin.
• After the 9th five-year plan ended, there was a paradigm shift in government policies.
• The ecological repercussions in the green revolution areas led to a relatively new concept of balanced Agriculture growth based on agricultural ecology, conservation methods, and sustainable development (10th five-year plan).
• The entire agricultural sector was addressed through what is known as the Rainbow Revolution.
• During the 1980s, this initiative encompassed several key revolutions:
  • the Yellow Revolution for oilseeds,
  • the Blue Revolution for fisheries,
  • the White Revolution for dairy,
  • the Brown Revolution for fertilisers, and
  • the Silver Revolution for poultry.
• The 11th Plan shifted the focus towards sustainable agriculture and balanced growth, which is now termed inclusive growth.

• The Green Revolution in India remained area- and crop-specific, culminating in regional disparities and increasing ethnic regionalism and consciousness.
• The economic advantages are perceptible, but the social disadvantages have been far more accentuated than the former.
• Capitalistic Farming led to marginal farmers selling land to large farmers who offered high prices, and thus, marginal farmers became labourers.
• Chemical fertilisers, pesticides, etc., have negatively affected the environment, ecology, soil, land, and water of North-western India.
• Thus, the Green Revolution in India was neither futuristic nor visionary and was unsustainable.

• Interpersonal disparity emerged, leading to differences between people due to differences in earning at different places.
• Inter-regional disparity emerged due to differences in crop production, e.g., between West UP and East UP.
• Interstate disparity emerged.
  • For example, in 1960, Punjab and Bihar contributed the same in crop production, but due to the Green Revolution, there became a huge gap in crop production between the two states by 1990.
• Due to the increase in informal credit services, labourers and cultivators fell into the vicious cycle of debt traps.

• Increased rural landlessness, smaller marginal farmers were rendered landless and became agricultural labourers, which led to rural handicaps and health hazards.
• Greater unemployment due to mechanisation.
• Patriarchy was strengthened, female discrimination, female foeticide, and dowry increased.

• Soil degradation due to unscientific farming methods led to salinisation, alkalisation, formation of reh, Kallar, etc.
• Excessive use of irrigation has led to the issue of water logging in Green Revolution areas.
• The Green Revolution in India led to the toxication of soil from unwanted chemicals, which was caused by the excessive use of fertilisers.
• The Green Revolution in India increased water pollution, degrading water quality in rivers, tanks, and reservoirs.
• Eutrophication is the enrichment of one element or nutrient that results in a boom of certain species-specific plants.
  • For example, excessive nitrogen in tanks and ponds leads to the growth of water hyacinths.
• Due to eutrophication, natural ecosystems die.
  • For example, the excessive growth of water hyacinths kills the pond ecosystem because Sun rays and oxygenation decrease in lower water layers.
• The Green Revolution in India led to large-scale deforestation, especially in the Punjab, Tarai, and Bhabhar regions, where forests were cleared for agricultural purposes.
• The Green Revolution in India also led to disruption in agricultural ecology by crop monoculture (E.g., due to crop monoculture of wheat, many people say India has only a wheat revolution), and the use of pesticides, fertilisers, and weedicides.