Green Revolution in India: A Critical Analysis

Abstract
The Green Revolution in India began in the 1960s with the introduction of high-yielding
varieties of rice and wheat to increase food production to alleviate hunger and poverty. After the
Green Revolution, government initiatives doubled the production of wheat and rice, but the
production of other food crops such as indigenous rice varieties and millet declined. This results in
loss and extinction of indigenous crops independent of cultivation. This review discusses the impact
of the Green Revolution on indigenous crop production, its impact on society, environment, nutrient
intake, and per capita food availability, and methods that can be applied to revitalize indigenous
crops in cultivation. and to pass on knowledge to future generations.
Keyword: Production, Economy, Agriculture, Farmers, Indigenous varieties, India.
Introduction: India has the second largest agricultural land in the world with 20 agro-
climatic zones and 157.35 million hectares of land under cultivation. Thus, with 58% of rural
household’s dependent on agriculture, agriculture plays an important role even though India is no
longer an agrarian economy. A report by the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers
Welfare estimates that India's food grain production in the 2017-2018 crop year will be 279.51
million tonnes. Although India is self-sufficient in food production, its food production between
1947 and 1960 was so poor that there was a risk of famine. Therefore, the Green Revolution was
initiated in 1960 to increase food production, eradicate extreme poverty and malnutrition in the
country and feed millions of people. Despite these measures, India has one-fourth of the world's
hungry population with 195.9 million undernourished people lacking enough food to meet their daily
nutritional requirements; 58.4% of children under five are anemic, while 15–49-year-olds, 53% of
females and 22.7% of males are anemic; 23% of women and 20% of men are thin, and 21% of
women and 19% of men are obese.
The major crops cultivated in the pre-Green Revolution era were rice, millet, sorghum,
wheat, maize and barley and the production of rice and millet was higher than that of wheat, barley
and maize. But millet production has declined, and crops that were once eaten by every household
have been turned into fodder within just a few decades of the Green Revolution. Meanwhile, several
traditional rice varieties used before the Green Revolution have become non-existent and the
availability of local rice varieties has come down to 7000 and not all of these varieties are under
cultivation. Thus, India lost more than 1 lakh varieties of indigenous rice after the 1970s that took
thousands of years to evolve. This loss of species is mainly due to the focus on the production of
subsidized high-yielding hybrid crops and the government's emphasis on monoculture.
Steps taken by the government have increased production of rice, wheat, pulses and other
crops leading to food self-sufficiency in the country. But it also destroyed the diverse gene pool
available. Crop productivity is increased through the use of fertilizers, pesticides and groundwater
resources. However, due to mismanagement and excessive use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and
lack of crop rotation, land becomes infertile and groundwater loss becomes a common phenomenon

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in agricultural areas. These effects make the farmers more miserable
due to increased expenditure on cultivation of crops to overcome these
shortages.
This review focuses on the origins of the Green Revolution and
its impact and impact on domestic crops, society, environment, nutrient
intake and per capita food availability. Furthermore, methods that can be implemented to revive
indigenous crops in cultivation and pass on knowledge to future generations are also discussed in
detail.
What is the Green Revolution? The Green Revolution, or Third Agricultural Revolution
(following the Neolithic Revolution and the British Agricultural Revolution), was a period of
technology transfer initiatives that led to dramatic increases in crop yields and agricultural
production. These changes in agriculture began in developed countries after World War II and
continued worldwide until the late 1980s. In the late 1960s farmers started adopting new
technologies in agriculture such as high yielding varieties (HYVs) of cereals, especially dwarf wheat
and rice. Furthermore, agriculture began to move toward widespread use of chemical fertilizers,
pesticides, and new methods of farming, including a controlled water-supply (usually involving
irrigation) and mechanization. All of these together were seen as a 'package of practices' to overcome
and embrace 'traditional' technology as a whole.
Both the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation
were heavily involved in its early development in Mexico. A key
leader was agricultural scientist Norman Borlaug, the "father of the
Green Revolution", who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970.
He is credited with saving more than a billion people from
starvation. Key approaches were development of high-yielding
varieties of cereal crops, expansion of irrigation infrastructure, modernization of management
techniques, distribution of hybrid seeds, artificial fertilizers and pesticides among farmers. As crops
began to reach the highest possible improvement through selective breeding, genetic modification
technology was developed for continued efforts.
Background: Green Revolution in India: The Green revolution started in India started with
its introduction in Punjab in 1966. It was part of a development program that was issued by the
government of India along with international donor agencies. As a part of the larger initiative by
Norman Borlaug, M S Swaminathan founded the green revolution in India. Mankombu Swaminathan
is an Indian geneticist and the founder of the M S Swaminathan research foundation which aims at
eradicating hunger and poverty from the world. M S Swaminathan was the one to introduce and
develop high-yielding varieties of wheat in India.
Ford foundation sponsored a team of experts that were invited by India in the latter half of the
second five-year plan. This team was called to suggest means and ways for improving crop
production. Based on the recommendations of this team, the government of India implemented an
intensive program for agricultural development in seven districts from seven different states of India
in 1960. This program was called IADP (Intensive area development program).

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 In the mid-1960s Professor Norman Borlaug of Mexico developed new varieties of high-
yielding wheat. India adopted this new agricultural strategy in 1966 during the Kharif season, and it
was termed as HYVP (High-yielding varieties program). This program started as a package as it
depended heavily on many things like:
 Adequate irrigation.
 Fertilizers.
 HYV seeds.
 Pesticides and insecticides.
Objectives of the Green Revolution: The objectives of the Green Revolution are as follows;
During the Second Five Year Plan, this revolution was launched with a specific goal, to solve India's
hunger crisis, which was its short-term objective. The long-term objective of the revolution was to
target the overall picture of rural development, industrial development and agricultural
modernization supported by infrastructure, raw materials etc. To create employment for agricultural
and industrial workers. Production of robust plants that can survive extreme weather conditions and
diseases. To increase the spread of technology in non-industrialized areas and to establish
corporations in major agricultural areas.
Important Components of Green Revolution in India: Some of the important components
of the green revolution in India are as follows:

1. High Yielding
3. Use of 4. Use of
Varieties
2. Irrigation fertilizers Insecticides
(HYV) of
(chemical) and Pesticides.
seeds.
5. Command
8. Supply of
Area 6. Consolidation
7. Land reforms. agricultural
Development of holdings.
credit.
(CAD)
9. Rural 10. Rural Roads 11. Farm 12. Agricultural
electrification. and Marketing. Mechanisation. Universities.
It must be noted that most components do not operate in isolation, rather they are closely
interrelated and heavily dependent on each other. For example, HYV seeds are highly responsive to
fertilizer application and equally vulnerable to pest attack and weed growth. They cannot develop to
their full potential without adequate water supply.
A short maturity period enables farmers to obtain multiple crops annually from the same
land. This requires speeding up the harvest so that the land is quickly ready for the second crop.
This will require mechanization of agriculture. To make the best use of farm inputs, the
farmer must know why, where, what, when and how much there is ample scope for each.
The Impact of the Green Revolution on India: HYVP was limited to only five crops –
wheat, rice, sorghum, millet and maize. Therefore, non-food crops are excluded from the scope of
the new strategy. Wheat has remained the mainstay of the Green Revolution for years. Thanks to the
new seeds, several million additional tons of grain are being harvested annually.

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 The Green Revolution led to a record 131 million tonnes of
grain production in 1978/79. This established India as one of the
largest agricultural producers in the world. Between 1947 (when India
gained political independence) and 1979, the yield per unit of
agricultural land increased by more than 30%. During the Green
Revolution, the area under crops of high-yielding varieties of wheat
and rice increased significantly.
The Green Revolution created a lot of employment not only for agricultural workers but also
for industrial workers by building associated facilities like factories and hydroelectric plants.
Deceleration in Agricultural Growth Rates in the Reform Period: The green revolution
adopted in our country since 1960 has paid huge dividends as the farmers of our country were able to
increase the country's food production not only to meet our needs but also to earn valuable foreign
exchange. India has achieved a remarkable growth in agriculture, with foodgrain production
increasing from 83 million tonnes in 1960-61 to around 252.7 million tonnes in 2014-15 (fourth
estimate). Fertilizer use has similarly shown a steady upward trend, with consumption of around 25.6
million tonnes in 2014-15 from less than 1 million tonnes of total nutrients in the mid-sixties. In a
document submitted to the committee, the Department of Agricultural Research and Education said
that fertilizers have played a prominent role in increasing the country's food grain production.
Fertilizer use has been responsible for almost 50 percent increase in
agricultural production since the Green Revolution. The ministry also
added that fertilizers continue to be an important input in the future in
view of the increasing food demand of the growing population and
inadequate availability of alternative nutrient sources. By 2025, the
country will need about 300 metric tons of food grains to feed its
millions of people. This will require about 45 metric tons of nutrients. While about 6-8 MT of
nutrients can be supplied through existing organic sources, the rest has to come from chemical
fertilizers. So, the fertilizer industry has to keep pace with the population growth and food demand in
the country. State-wise details of decadal growth rate of agriculture (food crop production) since
1960-61, Department of Agricultural Research and Education has submitted that the growth rate of
agriculture (food crop production) as compared to the decadal growth rate of 1960-61 The net area
sown in the country from is as follows: -
TABLE (1): State-wise decadal growth rate in food grain production (000' tonnes) from
1960 onwards

STATES 1960-70 1971-80 1981-90 1991-00 2001-02

Andhra Pradesh -0.53 3.78 1.93 2.26 4.61
Assam 2.75 1.37 2.17 1.59 1.99
Bihar 12.27 0.39 5.58 2.14 0.95
Chhattisgarh Na Na Na Na 3
Goa Na 0.45 47.73 2.55 -2.52
Gujarat 14.66 17.25 -10.89 -1.77 6.26
Haryana 14.59 4.96 4.54 3.82 3.39

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 Himachal Pradesh 5.17 1.32 3.18 -0.35 -0.42
Jammu and Kashmir 13.48 3.13 0.73 -1.55 1.22
Jharkhand Na Na Na Na 3.76
Karnataka 9.94 2.03 3.83 2.27 5.76
Kerala 4.3 -0.66 -2.56 -5.71 -2.26
Madhya Pradesh 11.08 -0.51 3.34 -2.09 2.99
Maharashtra 1.44 11.07 3.31 -0.56 2.74
Manipur -10.95 4.12 0.74 1.82 3.91
Meghalaya Na 3.15 -0.94 4.76 1.02
Mizoram Na -7.71 32.97 2.3 -9.98
Nagaland 1.35 -1.92 34.21 2.91 3.72
Odisha 4.78 1.46 5.28 -4.67 2.4
Punjab 14.49 6.01 3.88 2.54 1.64
Rajasthan 11.5 1.32 2.26 2.74 4.8
Sikkim Na Na 9.02 -1.01 1.29
Tamilnadu 4.62 -0.1 3.35 -0.07 5.09
Tripura 6.04 4.75 3.4 0.88 2.39
Uttar Pradesh 11.02 3.14 4.11 2.01 1.74
Uttarakhand Na Na Na Na 1.15
West Bengal 9.56 1.1 7.37 1.47 -0.39
All India 8.37 2.78 3.49 1.44 2.61
Source: Directorate of Economics and Statistics
Following diagram (1) shows the impact on wheat and paddy crops before and posts green
revolution:

Source: Paper on Agriculture transition in Asia: Trajectories and challenges

The main reasons for the deceleration in agricultural growth in the post-reform period have
been:

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  Significant deceleration in the public and overall investment in agriculture
 Shrinking farm size
 Failure to evolve new technologies
 Inadequate irrigation cover
 Inadequate use of technology
 Unbalanced use of inputs
 Decline in plan outlay
 Weaknesses in credit delivery system
Impact on Economy of India: On the other hand, coarse grain productivity remained almost
constant during this period. Certainly, production and yield per hectare increased under the influence
of GR. But there is another side to the film that tells a poignant story.
For example, per capita availability of food grains has declined from 510.1 grams. (1991)
422.4 grams per day. (2005) daily. However, it has slightly increased to 444.5 grams. daily in 2006.
Rice production, which received an early shock from GR, has started to pick up late. In
2001–02, a record production level of 93.3 million tonnes was achieved and declined to 92.7 million
tonnes in 2006–07. The performance of other food grains such as jowar, bajra and maize was not
significant though they increased between 1990-91 and 2001-02 and jowar production remained
stable at 6.5-7.5 million tonnes between 2001-02 and 2006-07.
Sociological Impact of Green Revolution: The Green
Revolution has pushed up income levels in the rural sector of the
economy. Growth in production has generated greater incomes in
the rural sector and widened regional disparities.
1. Interpersonal Inequality: The Green Revolution has
promoted inequality and widened the existing gap
between the rich and the poor in rural areas. A large part
of the benefits of the Green Revolution went to a privileged segment of rich farmers who
could afford the new techniques as a package programme. New techniques require substantial
investment which is generally beyond the reach of the majority of small and marginal
farmers.
2. Regional disparity: New agricultural techniques are limited to only a few regions. As a
result, the benefits of new strategies remain concentrated in these areas. Two-thirds of the
total cultivable land was kept outside the influence of the revolution.
3. Change in Attitudes: An encouraging feature of the Green Revolution is the changing
attitudes of farmers in
areas where new
agricultural
techniques have been
practiced. The increase in
productivity has
elevated the status of
agriculture from a
low-level subsistence

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 activity to a money-making activity. Indian farmers have accepted technological change for
profit making thus against them that they are backward, traditional, conservative and
unresponsive to price and productivity incentives.
Negative Impacts of Green Revolution: Every coin has two faces. The revolution was
greatly beneficial to the economy and the state of the country in general, but it also brought some
new problems.
 Non-Food Grains: Food grain crops like wheat, rice, jawar, bajra and maize were worked
upon in the revolution extensively. However, other crops that were non-grain like pulses,
coarse cereals, and oilseeds were excluded from the ambit of this revolution. Commercial
crops like cotton, tea, jute, and sugarcane were excluded to the extent that they remained
almost untouched by the Green Revolution.
 Limited Coverage of HYVP: The technology of the High Yielding Variety Programme
(HYVP) became restricted to only five crops: Wheat, Rice, Jowar, Bajra and Maize. The
HYV seeds for the non-food grain crops were not developed in the first place and the ones
that were developed were not promising enough for the farmers to risk their adoption.
 Regional Disparities: One major setback that the Green Revolution technology brought was
the rise in disparities regarding economic development at several levels.
 It has so far affected only 40 per cent of the total cropped area and 60 per cent is still
untouched by it.
 The areas that were affected the most were Punjab, Haryana
and western parts of Uttar Pradesh in the north and Andhra
Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in the south.
 It hasn't been able to touch the Eastern region, like the states of
Assam, Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa. Arid and semi-arid
areas of Western and Southern India have also been neglected.
 The Green Revolution affirmatively but exclusively affected areas which were already in
a better place from an agricultural perspective.
 Thus, the problem of regional disparities has been further aggravated as a result of the
Green Revolution.
 Excessive Usage of Chemicals: Another long-term impact the country is grappling with after
the Green Revolution is irrigation schemes and the promotion of the use of pesticides and
artificial nitrogen fertilizers to improve crop varieties. Little effort was directed toward
educating farmers about the high-risk factors associated with intensive use of pesticides.
 Water Consumption: The crops introduced during the green revolution were waterintensive
crops.
 Almost 50% of dietary water footprint was required for most of the crops that were
introduced in the revolution.
 The introduction of canal systems and irrigation pumps also hampered the groundwater
levels to provide for such water-intensive crops, like sugarcane and rice.
 Punjab is a major wheat and rice-cultivating area, and hence it is one of the highest water-
depleted regions in India.

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  Impacts on Soil and Crop Production: The soil's
nutrients were depleted by the repeated crop cycle to
ensure increased crop production.
 Farmers had to increase the use of fertilisers to meet the
needs for new kinds of seeds.
 From the heavy usage of such alkaline chemicals, the
soli’s pH level increased as well.
 Beneficial pathogens were destroyed by the toxic chemicals in the soil. This resulted in a
further decline in the yield.
 Unemployment: Despite the great promises of employment, the green revolution created
massive unemployment owing to its mechanisation which reduced the need for human
labour. Except in Punjab, and to some extent this loss was observed among agricultural
labourers in the rural areas. The poor and the landless labourers were hit the worst because of
this.
 Health Hazards: A number of critical health illnesses including cancer, renal failure,
stillborn babies and birth defects were observed due to the large-scale use of chemical
fertilizers and pesticides such as Phosphamidon, Methomyl, and Phorate, Triazophos and
Monocrotophos.
Regional Dispersal of Green Revolution and Regional Inequalities: HYVP was started in
1966-67 in a small area of 1.89 million hectares and even in 1998-99 it covered only 78.4 million
hectares which is about 40 percent of the total cropped area. Naturally, the benefits of the new
technology were concentrated only in this area. Moreover, since the Green Revolution was limited to
wheat for a few years, its benefits mostly accrued to wheat-growing areas.
Interpersonal Inequalities: A general consensus seems to be that in the early days of the
Green Revolution, large farmers benefited more from new technologies than small and marginal
farmers. This was not unexpected as the new technology called for significant investment which was
generally beyond the means of the majority of small and marginal farmers in the country. Larger
farmers continued to have larger absolute gains in income due to lower costs per acre and
reinvestment of earnings in non-agricultural and farm assets, including purchases of land from small
farmers who could not convert to the new technology.
The Question of Labour Absorption: Although there is disagreement among economists
about the effect of new agricultural techniques on interpersonal inequality and the real wages of
agricultural workers, there is a general consensus that the adoption of new technologies has reduced
labor exploitation in agriculture.
Achievements of the New Agricultural Strategy: Let us now turn our analysis towards the
achievements of the new agricultural techniques adopted in India. The most important achievement
of the new strategy is the significant increase in the production of staple food grains like paddy and
wheat.
Table (2): - Shows increase in the production of food crops since 1960-61 in million
tonnes.

Item 1960-61 1980-81 2008-09

Rice 35 54 99.2

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Wheat 11 36 80.6
(a)Total cereals 69 119 219.2
(b)Total Pulses 13 11 14.7
(c)Total food grains(a+b) 82 130 233.9
Source: Director of economics and stastics

The TABLE (2) reveals that the production of rice has increased from 35 million tonnes in
1960- 61 to 54 million tonnes in 1980-81 and then to 99.2 million tonnes in 2008-2009, showing a
major break-through in its production. The yield per hectare has also improved from 1013 kgs in
1960 to 2,186 kg in 2008-09.

Again, wheat production also increased significantly from 11 million tonnes in 1950-51 to 36
million tonnes in 1980-81 and then to 80.6 million tonnes in 2008-09. During this period, the yield
per hectare also increased from 850 kg to 2,891 kg per hectare showing a 240 percent increase in
the yield rate in the last five decades. All these improvements are due to the adoption of new
agricultural techniques in wheat and paddy production.

Total production of foodgrains in India has experienced wide fluctuations due to monsoon
uncertainty. Despite these fluctuations, the total production of food grains increased from 82
million tonnes in 1960-61 to 130 million tonnes in 1980-81 and then to 213.5 million tonnes in
2003-04 and then to 233.9 million tonnes in 2008-2008. New commercial crops like sugarcane,
cotton, jute, oilseeds did not achieve significant growth in production.

Table (3): Production of Cash Crops in India from 1960-61

Item 1960-61 1970-71 1980-81 2008-09

Sugarcane(m.tonnes) 110 126 134 273.9
Cotton(m.bales) 6 5 7 23.2
Jute and Mest(m.bales) 4 6 8 10.4
Oilseeds(m.tonnes) 7 10 9 28.2
Source: Director of economics and stastics

The TABLE (3) reveals that the production of sugarcane and other cash crops recorded some
increase during the last four decades but this increase cannot be termed a significant one. Thus, the
green revolution was very much confined to mainly wheat production and its achievements in
respect of other food crops and cash crops were not at all significant.

Statistical Results of the Green Revolution

 The Green Revolution led to a record crop production of 131 million tonnes in 1978-79.
This established India as one of the largest agricultural producers in the world. No other
country in the world, which has attempted a green revolution, has recorded such a level of
success. At that time India also became an exporter of food grains.Yield per unit of
farmland improved by more than 30 per cent between 1947 (when India gained political

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 independence) and 1979 when the Green Revolution was considered to have delivered its
goods.
 During the 10 years of the Green Revolution, HYV cultivars increased from seven percent
of total cultivated land to 22 percent. Over 70 percent of the wheat crop area, 35 percent of
the rice crop area, and 20 percent of the millet and maize crop area are using HYV seeds.

Economic results of the Green Revolution:

 Crop areas under high-yield varieties needed more water, more fertilizer, more pesticides,
fungicides and certain other chemicals. This spurred the growth of the local manufacturing
sector. Such industrial growth created new jobs and contributed to the country's GDP.
 The increase in irrigation created need for new dams to harness monsoon water. The water
stored was used to create hydroelectric power. This in turn boosted industrial growth,
created jobs and improved the quality of life of the people in villages.
 India paid back all loans it had taken from the World Bank and its affiliates for the purpose
of the Green Revolution. This improved India 's creditworthiness in the eyes of the lending
agencies.
 Some developed countries, especially Canada, which were facing a shortage in agricultural
labor, were so impressed by the results of India 's Green Revolution that they asked the
Indian government to supply them with farmers experienced in the methods of the Green
Revolution. Many farmers from Punjab and Haryana states in northern India were thus sent
to Canada where they settled (That's why Canada today has many Punjabi-speaking
citizens of Indian origin). These people remitted part of their incomes to their relatives in
India. This not only helped the relatives but also added, albeit modestly, to India 's foreign
exchange earnings.

Sociological results of the Green Revolution

The Green Revolution created a lot of employment not only for agricultural workers but also
for industrial workers with ancillary facilities such as factories and hydroelectric plants as
explained above.

Political results of the Green Revolution

 India has transformed itself from a starving country to a food exporter. It won praise for
India among countries, especially the Third World.
 The Green Revolution was one of the reasons why Mrs. Indira Gandhi (1917-84) and her
party made the Indian National Congress a very powerful political force in India.
Government Schemes Under Green Revolution in India: Recently, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi green-lighted the umbrella scheme Sabuj Biplab – 'Krishonnati Yojana' in the
agriculture sector for three years from 2017 to 2020. Central share is equal to Rs. 33,269.976 crores.
Krishnananti Yojana has 11 schemes to help and facilitate the achievement of its objectives.
All these schemes are scientifically and holistically designed for the development of agriculture and

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allied sectors. The primary objective is to maximize farmers' income by increasing productivity,
production and returns on produce, along with improving production infrastructure, reducing
production costs and facilitating the marketing of agricultural and allied products.
1. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)
2. National Food Security Mission (NFSM)
3. National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)
4. Submission on Agriculture Extension (SMAE)
5. Sub-Mission on Seeds and Planting Material (SMSP)
6. Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM)
7. Sub Mission on Plant Protection and Plan Quarantine (SMPPQ)
8. Integrated Scheme on Agriculture Census, Economics, and Statistics (ISACES)
9. Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Cooperation (ISAC)
10. Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Marketing (ISAM)
11. National e-Governance Plan (NeGP-A)
Conclusion: The impact of Green Revolution in India is positive. Because the green
revolution has increased production per hectare. Wheat Green Revolution took place in Punjab,
Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and other states of India. Wheat revolution also took place in
West Bengal. Agricultural revolution also took place in other parts of India. The overall development
of agriculture in the Five-Year Plan is called Green Revolution. Agriculture has been included in our
National Plan since 1952-53. Agriculture is no longer the livelihood of farmers. Government, banks
and other institutions, businessmen, industrialists have also taken interest in the development of
agriculture.
HYV seeds, fertilizer irrigation water, agricultural machinery, pesticides, agricultural know-
how of farmers have brought significant changes in agriculture and India has become self-sufficient
in food-front. This significant change in agriculture is technically known as Green Revolution or
Agricultural Revolution.

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 Bibliography:
1. Chandra, Bipan: “India Since Independence”, Penguin Books, Noida, 2008.
2.

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