What is Green Revolution?

The Green Revolution, also known as the Third Agricultural Revolution,

marked a phase of technology transfer initiatives leading to substantial increases
in crop yields. Commencing in developed nations in the early 20th century,
these transformative changes in agriculture extended globally until the late
1980s.

Objectives of the Green Revolution

The major objectives of the green revolution are listed below:

o The main short aim behind this revolution is to address India’s hunger
crisis during the second Five Year Plan.
o The long term goal of this revolution is to modernize agricultural practice
in rural areas. This will lead to the modernization of rural development,
industrial development, infrastructure, raw material, etc.
o Another main objective after this revolution was to provide employment
to agricultural and industrial workers.
o Another objective is to produce strong plants that can withstand extreme
climates and diseases.

Components of the Green Revolution

The major components of the Green Revolution are listed below:

o The HYV Seeds - The HYV plays a crucial role in the green revolution
as the maturing time of such crops is less than others. This enables the
farmers to do multiple cropping. For example: Traditional varieties of
rice and wheat take around 130 to 150 days to harvest,, but new varieties
of seed only need 100 to 110 days for harvesting. Apart from that, such
seeds also help create more employment rates as they require more labor
per unit area under optimum conditions.
o
o Irrigation - Irrigation is considered the second most important
component of the green revolution. Over and under-irrigation is harmful
to plants. Farmers can not rely on rainfall for the irrigation process
because the season is completely irregular. So, for getting a good-quality
harvesting yield, regular timing of irrigation and quantity of water
supplied are important. By doing this, one can enhance the yield by 80%
o
o chemical Fertilizers - By the time natural fertility of soil keeps on
decreasing, and HYV variety of seed requires high amounts of fertilizers
to give high yield of crops. In terms of consumption of fertilizers
 southern India is leading in comparison to Northern India till 1970, but
after this consumption of fertilizers in Northern states increased
tremendously especially in states like: Punjab, Haryana and Uttar
Pradesh.
o
o Consolidation of Holding - Earlier, the landholding process was the
major problem in performing agriculture practice, but after the Green
Revolution, this problem was also sorted.
o Land Reforms - Earlier, the Zamindari system was there, which led to
the exploitation of farmers. But the system was changed with the
introduction of the Green Revolution as the new law was implemented
i.e., ceiling laws.

 Pro Live Tests

 Unlimited Test Re-Attempts

Basic elements of green revolution

There were three basic elements in the method of the Green Revolution:

Continued expansion of farming areas

o As previously stated, the amount of land under cultivation has increased

since 1947. However, more was needed to fulfill expanding demand.
o Other approaches were needed. Nonetheless, the growth of arable land
had to continue.
o As a result, the Green Revolution’s quantitative growth of agriculture
proceeded. However, this is hardly the Revolution’s most remarkable
feature.

Double-cropping existing farmland

o The Green Revolution was characterized by double-cropping. Instead of

having just one agricultural season per year, the decision was taken to
have two.
o The practice of having only one season each year was founded on having
only one natural monsoon per year.
o As a result, each year is required to have two “monsoons.” One would be
a natural monsoon, while the other would be a man-made’monsoon.’
o The artificial monsoon arrived in the form of massive irrigation systems.
Dams were erected to capture vast amounts of natural monsoon water that
would have otherwise been wasted.

Using seeds with improved genetics

 o The scientific side of the Green Revolution was this. In 1965 and again in
1973, the Indian Council for Agricultural Research was reorganised. It
created novel high yield value (HYV) seed strains, primarily for wheat
and rice but also for millet and corn.
o The K68 wheat cultivar was the most notable HYV seed. Dr. M.P. Singh,
also known as the hero of India’s Green Revolution, is credited with
inventing this strain.

Features of the Green Revolution

o The Green Revolution in India involved the adoption of high-yielding

varieties of crops such as wheat and rice.
o The Green Revolution emphasized the expansion of irrigation facilities to
ensure a consistent water supply for crops.
o The Green Revolution promoted the use of chemical fertilizers and
pesticides to enhance crop productivity.
o The Green Revolution led to the mechanization of agricultural practices.
Farm machinery was introduced to improve efficiency and productivity in
farming operations.
o The Green Revolution promoted the adoption of modern agricultural
practices such as crop rotation, multiple cropping, and proper crop
management.

Green Revolution in India

o In 1943, India is counted on the top of those countries that suffered the
world’s worst recorded crisis, the Bengal Famine; this led to the death of
approx 4 million people in eastern India due to hunger.
o After the independence of India i.e From 1947 to 1967 the government of
India largely concentrated on expanding the farming areas. But the
growth in population of India is much more than the rate of food
production. This leads to the need for more food.
o Because of all these conditions, there is an urgent need to increase the
crop production yield. This led to the start of the Green Revolution in
India.
o In India, the Green Revolution led to a period when Indian Agriculture
was converted into an industrial system. Under this revolution there is an
adoption of modern methods and technology, such as using HYV seeds,
tractors, irrigation facilities, pesticides, and fertilizers.
o The India Green Revolution result is best for the wheat crop as after the
introduction of green revolution in India the wheat production increased
by more than three times between 1967-68 and 2003-04, whereas for the
 rest of crops like cereals, overall increase in production was only two
times.

Impact of the Green Revolution in India

o One of the major impacts of the Green Revolution was a significant

increase in agricultural production. The introduction of high-yielding
varieties and improved agricultural practices led to a substantial rise in
crop yields.
o The Green Revolution played a crucial role in ensuring food security in
India. The increased agricultural production helped in meeting the
growing food demands of the population.
o The Green Revolution had a positive impact on poverty alleviation and
reduction in hunger. Increased agricultural productivity provided better
income opportunities for farmers and improved livelihoods.
o The Green Revolution brought about technological advancements in
agriculture. The adoption of modern farming techniques reduced labor
requirements, and increased overall productivity.
o The impact of the Green Revolution was not evenly distributed across all
regions in India. Some regions, particularly those with better access to
irrigation and infrastructure, experienced more significant benefits
compared to others.

Significance of the Green Revolution

Some of the positive impacts of Green Revolution are listed below:

o Because of the green revolution, India is known to be one of the world’s

biggest agricultural producers resulting in a crop yield of 131 million
tonnes in t978-79.
o After the start of the green revolution, India became self-sufficient in
terms of food grains, and because of this, we are not in need of food
grains by import from other countries. Instead of that, we started
exporting food grains.
o With the help of the green revolution, farmers have increased their net
income, and they have invested their income in more agricultural
productivity. This revolution also promoted capitalist farming.
o After the Green Revolution, people started getting employment in
agricultural and industrial fields

Disadvantages of the Green Revolution

o The green revolution promoted the Monoculture of some remunerative

species.
 o The green revolution targeted only 40% of total crops to particular
regions like Punjab, Haryana, Western UP in Northern India and Andhra
Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in South India.
o Farmers with more than 10 hectares of land benefit more from this
revolution.
o Farm mechanization in the green revolution has created widespread
unemployment among rural laborers.

Schemes Under Green Revolution in India

o Green Revolution- Krishonnati Yojana is an umbrella scheme that

encompasses 11 schemes.
o These plans aim to develop the agriculture and allied sector scientifically
and holistically to increase farmers’ income by increasing productivity,
production, and better returns on produce, strengthening production
infrastructure, lowering production costs, and marketing agriculture and
allied products.
o In 2005, India’s government launched the Green Revolution Krishonnati
Yojana to help the country’s agriculture sector.
o It comprises 11 schemes and missions under a single umbrella scheme:

Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)

o The mission aims to promote holistic development and growth of the

horticulture sector in India.
o It focuses on the production, post-harvest management, and marketing of
horticultural crops.

National Food Security Mission (NFSM)

o The mission aims to increase the production and productivity of rice,

wheat, and pulses in India.
o It focuses on bridging the yield gap in target crops and regions.

National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)

o The mission focuses on promoting sustainable agriculture practices in

India.
o It aims to increase agricultural productivity while ensuring the
conservation of natural resources and minimizing the impact on the
environment.

Submission on Agriculture Extension (SMAE)

 o The scheme aims to strengthen agricultural extension services in India.
o It focuses on providing timely and relevant information, knowledge, and
technologies to farmers.

Sub-Mission on Seeds and Planting Material (SMSP)

o The sub-mission aims to ensure the availability of quality seeds and

planting material to farmers.
o It focuses on the production, distribution, and promotion of high-quality
seeds of improved crop varieties.

Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM)

o The sub-mission aims to promote the adoption of agricultural machinery

and equipment in India.
o It focuses on mechanizing various farming operations to enhance
productivity and efficiency.
o The sub-mission provides financial assistance to farmers for the purchase
of farm machinery.

Sub-Mission on Plant Protection and Plant Quarantine (SMPPQ)

o The sub-mission focuses on plant protection and quarantine measures to

prevent the spread of pests and diseases in crops.
o It aims to strengthen plant protection infrastructure, surveillance systems,
and pest management practices.

Integrated Scheme on Agriculture Census, Economics and Statistics

(ISACES)

o The scheme aims to generate reliable data on agriculture, farmers, and

agricultural practices in India.
o It focuses on conducting periodic agricultural censuses, surveys, and data
collection activities.

Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Cooperation (ISAC)

o The scheme aims to promote agricultural cooperatives and cooperative

farming models in India.
o It focuses on strengthening the cooperative movement in agriculture and
allied sectors.

Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Marketing (ISAM)

 o The scheme aims to improve agricultural marketing infrastructure and
practices in India.
o It focuses on the development of agricultural marketing infrastructure
such as market yards, cold storage facilities, and rural haats.
o The scheme promotes the adoption of direct marketing, e-marketing, and
value addition activities.

National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGP-A)

o The plan aims to promote the use of information and communication

technology (ICT) in agriculture governance and service delivery.
o It focuses on digitizing agricultural processes, data management, and
online service delivery to farmers.