Geography
Indian Agriculture
Green Revolution
Green Revolution for CGPSC: IADP 1960 (Raipur), HYVP 1966, Borlaug and Swaminathan, gains and costs, BGREI, Evergreen Revolution and other colour revolutions.
Prerequisites
- Major Crops of India: wheat and rice, the two crops the Green Revolution changed most
- Irrigation in India: tube wells were the hidden engine of the revolution
- Planning in India: the Third and Fourth Plans and the food crisis of the 1960s
The Hook: Raipur Was in the First Seven
Connect
In 1960-61, the Government of India picked seven districts for a pilot that would test whether a full “package” of better seed, fertiliser, credit and advice could raise food output fast. The districts were Ludhiana (Punjab), West Godavari (Andhra Pradesh), Tanjore (Madras), Shahabad (Bihar), Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh), Pali (Rajasthan) and Raipur (then Madhya Pradesh, now Chhattisgarh). That pilot, the Intensive Agricultural District Programme, prepared the ground for the high-yielding seeds that arrived in 1966.
Yet half a century later, Ludhiana became the face of the Green Revolution (हरित क्रांति) and Raipur did not. What was the Green Revolution, why did it succeed where it did, and what did it cost?
Why it matters: Prelims asks the programmes and years, the people, the seeds and the “father of” questions. Mains GS-III asks for a balanced evaluation and for the case for a second Green Revolution in eastern India.
Background: The Food Crisis
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1943 | Bengal famine |
| 1950-51 | Foodgrain output about 51 million tonnes |
| 1956 | Food imports under the US PL-480 programme; India lived “ship to mouth” |
| 1959 | Ford Foundation team report, India’s Food Crisis and Steps to Meet It, recommends an intensive “package” approach |
| 1965 | “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan” (Lal Bahadur Shastri); Food Corporation of India and Agricultural Prices Commission set up |
| 1965 and 1966 | Two successive droughts cut output sharply and raised imports |
From Pilot to Revolution
timeline
title Road to the Green Revolution
1960-61 : IADP in 7 districts incl. Raipur
1964-65 : IAAP extends intensive approach to more areas
1965 : FCI and Agricultural Prices Commission set up
1966 : HYV Programme from kharif 1966
1968 : Term Green Revolution coined (William Gaud)
Early 1970s : Wheat output roughly doubles; imports fall| Programme | Year | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Intensive Agricultural District Programme (IADP, सघन कृषि जिला कार्यक्रम) | 1960-61 | “Package programme” in 7 districts: seed, fertiliser, credit, extension together |
| Intensive Agricultural Area Programme (IAAP) | 1964-65 | Extended the intensive approach to more areas, crop by crop |
| High Yielding Varieties Programme (HYVP) | Kharif 1966 (1966-67) | Spread high-yielding dwarf varieties of wheat and rice with fertiliser and irrigation; the true start of the Green Revolution |
The seeds
| Crop | Varieties | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Wheat | Lerma Rojo 64-A, Sonora 64; Indian selections such as Kalyan Sona and Sonalika | Mexican dwarf wheats bred under Norman Borlaug (CIMMYT, Mexico) |
| Rice | Taichung Native-1, then IR-8 | Taiwan; International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines |
Dwarf varieties respond to heavy fertiliser doses without falling over (lodging), so they give much higher yields, but only with assured water and nutrients.
The people
| Person | Role |
|---|---|
| Norman Borlaug | American agronomist who bred the Mexican dwarf wheats; Nobel Peace Prize, 1970; called the father of the Green Revolution worldwide |
| M. S. Swaminathan | Scientist who brought and adapted the dwarf wheats in India; called the father of the Green Revolution in India; later coined the idea of an “Evergreen Revolution”; died 2023; Bharat Ratna 2024 (posthumous) |
| C. Subramaniam | Union Agriculture Minister (1964–67) who pushed the new strategy politically; Bharat Ratna 1998 |
| William Gaud | USAID administrator who coined the term “Green Revolution” in 1968 |
The Package: Components of the New Agricultural Strategy
- HYV seeds of wheat and rice
- Assured irrigation, above all private tube wells
- Chemical fertilisers and pesticides
- Mechanisation: tractors, threshers, pump sets
- Institutional support: cheap credit, minimum support prices and procurement through FCI, extension through agricultural universities (the first, at Pantnagar, opened in 1960)
- Rural electrification
Impact
Gains
- Output: wheat production roughly doubled between the mid-1960s and the early 1970s; India ended dependence on PL-480 imports and built buffer stocks.
- Food security: foodgrain output rose from about 51 MT (1950-51) to a record 357.73 MT in 2024-25; India became a large rice exporter.
- Farm incomes and rural demand rose in the core regions, feeding agro-industry, tractor and fertiliser industries.
- Institutions that still matter today: FCI, MSP, agricultural universities, ICAR research network.
Costs and limits (the Mains core)
| Problem | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Regional inequality | Gains concentrated in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, later coastal Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Rain-fed central and eastern India, including the Raipur region, gained far less |
| Crop bias | A wheat revolution first, rice later; pulses, oilseeds and millets were neglected, so their area and per-capita availability fell |
| Inter-personal inequality | Larger farmers who could afford tube wells, fertiliser and credit gained more in the early years |
| Groundwater depletion | Rice–wheat on tube wells drew down water tables in Punjab and Haryana |
| Soil degradation | Imbalanced use of N–P–K (too much urea), loss of organic matter, micronutrient deficiencies, salinity and waterlogging |
| Chemical residues and health | Heavy pesticide use; health concerns in parts of Punjab |
| Loss of genetic diversity | Thousands of traditional rice and wheat varieties were replaced by a few HYVs |
| Stubble burning | A by-product of the rice–wheat cycle with a short gap between crops |
Chhattisgarh angle: the rice-diversity debate
Rice scientist Dr R. H. Richharia argued for improving India’s own rice varieties rather than relying on a few imported dwarf types. He later collected thousands of local rice varieties in the Chhattisgarh region, a collection that underlies the large rice germplasm bank at IGKV, Raipur. Raipur, an IADP district in 1960, thus also became a centre of the counter-argument: yield and diversity both matter. See Rice Bowl of India: Cropping Pattern.
The Next Phase
Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI)
- Started in 2010-11 as a sub-scheme of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).
- Covered seven states: Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, eastern Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
- Aimed to raise the productivity of rice-based cropping systems through block demonstrations, shallow tube wells and pump sets, and better seed and input supply.
- Logic: eastern India has water and soil but low yields, while the north-west is running out of water.
Evergreen Revolution
M. S. Swaminathan’s term for raising productivity “in perpetuity” without ecological harm: integrated nutrient and pest management, water efficiency, conservation agriculture, crop diversification. He also chaired the National Commission on Farmers (2004–06), whose recommendation of an MSP of at least 50% above the weighted average cost of production is still debated. See Agricultural Economy.
Other “colour revolutions”
| Revolution | Sector | Key fact |
|---|---|---|
| White | Milk | Operation Flood (launched 1970) by the National Dairy Development Board under Verghese Kurien (father of the White Revolution); India became the world’s largest milk producer |
| Blue | Fisheries | Fish and aquaculture production; continued today under schemes such as PM Matsya Sampada Yojana |
| Yellow | Oilseeds | Technology Mission on Oilseeds (1986) |
| Golden | Horticulture (some sources: honey) | |
| Silver | Eggs and poultry |
Labels vary
Colour labels beyond Green, White, Blue and Yellow differ across sources (Golden, Pink, Round, Grey and so on). In a Prelims question, rely on the four standard ones and check the other options against them.
Memory Tricks
60, 64, 66: D-A-V
IADP 1960 → IAAP 1964 → HYVP 1966: the scale grows from District → Area → Varieties (D-A-V, like the DAV school).
Seven IADP districts: 'Little West Tiger Shook All Proud Rajas'
Ludhiana · West Godavari · Tanjore · Shahabad · Aligarh · Pali · Raipur.
Two fathers
Borlaug = the world (Mexico, Nobel 1970). Swaminathan = India (Bharat Ratna 2024). Kurien = milk.
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| IADP (1960-61): 7 districts, package approach | vs | HYVP (1966): high-yielding seeds, the real Green Revolution |
| Borlaug: Nobel Peace Prize 1970 | vs | Swaminathan: World Food Prize (first laureate, 1987), Bharat Ratna 2024 |
| C. Subramaniam: minister | vs | M. S. Swaminathan: scientist |
| IR-8: rice, IRRI (Philippines) | vs | Lerma Rojo 64-A, Sonora 64: wheat, Mexico |
| Green Revolution: wheat and rice | vs | Yellow Revolution: oilseeds |
| BGREI (2010-11): eastern India, rice systems | vs | Evergreen Revolution: sustainability idea, not a scheme |
Common Mistakes
Trap 1: The Green Revolution began with rice
It began as a wheat revolution in the north-west from 1966. Rice gains came later and more unevenly. Pulses, oilseeds and millets were largely left out.
Trap 2: Borlaug won the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Chemistry
Norman Borlaug received the Nobel Peace Prize (1970), for his contribution to world food supply.
Trap 3: Chhattisgarh was never part of the Green Revolution
Raipur was one of the seven original IADP districts (1960-61), and Chhattisgarh is one of the seven states under BGREI (2010-11). The region took part, but gains were far smaller than in Punjab because most of its farming stayed rain-fed.
Practice
All questions below are original practice questions written in CGPSC style. They are not previous-year questions.
Level 1: Foundation
- The High Yielding Varieties Programme began in the ________ season of ________.
- The term “Green Revolution” was coined in 1968 by ________.
- Operation Flood was launched in ________ under the leadership of ________.
Answers
- Kharif; 1966.
- William Gaud.
- 1970; Verghese Kurien (NDDB).
Level 2: Prelims MCQs
Q1. Consider the following statements:
- The Intensive Agricultural District Programme began in 1960-61 in seven districts, including Raipur.
- The Green Revolution initially had its greatest impact on pulses and oilseeds.
- Norman Borlaug was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
(c) 1 and 3 only. Raipur (then in Madhya Pradesh) was one of the seven IADP districts. Borlaug won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970. Statement 2 is wrong: the early impact was on wheat, then rice; pulses and oilseeds were neglected.
Q2. Match List I with List II:
| List I | List II |
|---|---|
| A. White Revolution | 1. Oilseeds |
| B. Yellow Revolution | 2. Fisheries |
| C. Blue Revolution | 3. Milk |
| D. Green Revolution | 4. Wheat and rice |
- (a) A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4
- (b) A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4
- (c) A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4
- (d) A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3
Answer and explanation
(b) A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4. White: milk (Operation Flood). Yellow: oilseeds (Technology Mission on Oilseeds, 1986). Blue: fisheries. Green: HYV wheat and rice.
Q3. Which of the following was not a component of the new agricultural strategy of the mid-1960s?
- (a) High-yielding varieties of seeds
- (b) Assured irrigation and chemical fertilisers
- (c) Minimum support prices and procurement
- (d) Organic certification of farm produce
Answer and explanation
(d). The package combined HYV seeds, irrigation, fertilisers, pesticides, credit, mechanisation and price support. Organic certification is a much later idea and runs opposite to the chemical-input model.
Q4. The “Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India” (BGREI) programme, launched in 2010-11, covered which of the following states?
- Chhattisgarh
- Punjab
- Odisha
- Jharkhand
Select the correct answer using the code below.
- (a) 1, 3 and 4 only
- (b) 1 and 2 only
- (c) 2, 3 and 4 only
- (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer and explanation
(a) 1, 3 and 4 only. BGREI covered Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, eastern Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Punjab was the core of the first Green Revolution and was not a BGREI state.
Level 3: Mains Answer Writing
Q1. (60 words) Why did the Green Revolution remain concentrated in north-west India?
Model answer outline
- Assured irrigation (canals plus tube wells on deep alluvium) and power.
- Wheat was the first crop with ready HYVs, and the north-west was the wheat belt.
- Larger holdings, consolidation of land, credit access and procurement centres.
- Rain-fed central and eastern India (including Chhattisgarh) lacked water control and rice HYVs suited to its uplands.
Q2. (150–200 words) “The Green Revolution solved India’s food problem but created an ecological one.” Critically evaluate, and suggest what eastern India, including Chhattisgarh, should take from the experience.
Model answer outline
- Intro: HYVP from 1966, after IADP 1960 (which included Raipur), ended “ship-to-mouth” dependence.
- Food problem solved: wheat output roughly doubled within a few years; buffer stocks; record 357.73 MT foodgrains in 2024-25; institutions such as FCI and MSP.
- Ecological problem: groundwater depletion; N–P–K imbalance and soil degradation; pesticide residues; loss of genetic diversity; stubble burning.
- Social and regional costs: concentration in Punjab, Haryana, western UP; neglect of pulses, oilseeds and millets; early gains to bigger farmers.
- Lessons for eastern India and Chhattisgarh:
- Raise rice yields with water control (BGREI, protective irrigation) but avoid the groundwater trap.
- Use balanced nutrients and soil-health cards; integrated pest management.
- Conserve traditional rice diversity (the IGKV Raipur germplasm) and diversify to pulses, oilseeds and millets.
- Conclusion: the goal now is Swaminathan’s Evergreen Revolution: productivity that lasts.
Quick Revision Table
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| IADP | 1960-61; 7 districts: Ludhiana, West Godavari, Tanjore, Shahabad, Aligarh, Pali, Raipur |
| IAAP | 1964-65 |
| HYVP | Kharif 1966 |
| Term coined | William Gaud (USAID), 1968 |
| Wheat seeds | Lerma Rojo 64-A, Sonora 64 (Mexico); Kalyan Sona, Sonalika |
| Rice seeds | Taichung Native-1 (Taiwan), IR-8 (IRRI, Philippines) |
| Borlaug | Nobel Peace Prize 1970 |
| Swaminathan | Father of GR in India; Evergreen Revolution; Bharat Ratna 2024 |
| C. Subramaniam | Agriculture Minister 1964–67; Bharat Ratna 1998 |
| FCI, APC | 1965 |
| Pantnagar | First agricultural university, 1960 |
| BGREI | 2010-11; 7 eastern states incl. Chhattisgarh |
| White Revolution | Operation Flood 1970; Verghese Kurien; NDDB |
| Yellow Revolution | Technology Mission on Oilseeds, 1986 |
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
- IADP (1960) tested the package; HYVP (1966) launched the Green Revolution.
- It was a wheat-first, north-west-first revolution built on tube wells, fertiliser and price support.
- Gains: food self-sufficiency and buffer stocks. Costs: groundwater, soil, diversity and regional inequality.
- Raipur was an IADP district and Chhattisgarh is a BGREI state; the region’s challenge is a sustainable rice revolution plus diversification.
- The policy goal now is Swaminathan’s Evergreen Revolution.
What’s Next
- Indian Agriculture — Quick Revision: the whole chapter on one page
- Agricultural Economy: MSP, procurement, credit and farm reforms
- Agricultural Science: HYV, hybrids, GM crops and soil science
- Agricultural Schemes in Chhattisgarh: the state’s crop-diversification push
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