A grand centenary tribute to Prof. M.S. Swaminathan—Architect of Green Revolution and apostle of biohappiness

In an epoch fraught with ecological precarity and food insecurity, India has assumed the mantle of convener, philosopher, and pathfinder. The M.S. Swaminathan International Conference, unfolding over three consequential days at the National Agricultural Science Centre (NASC), marks the centenary of Prof. M.S. Swaminathan—the indomitable agronomist whose Green Revolution transformed India from a supplicant to a self-sufficient sovereign in matters of sustenance.

Jointly orchestrated by the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in concert with ICAR, NAAS, IARI, and the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, the conference assembles an eclectic pantheon of scientists, statesmen, grassroots farmers, civil society torchbearers, and youth leaders to resurrect and renew the Swaminathanian vision for our turbulent times.

A Prime Ministerial Benediction and Commemorative Iconography

The gathering will be inaugurated by none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be paying florid tribute to Prof. Swaminathan’s epochal legacy, and ceremonially unveiling both a Rs 100 commemorative coin and a special issue postage stamp—numismatic and philatelic homages that immortalise the centenarian icon in currency and culture alike.

Joining the ceremonial gravitas were eminent dignitaries: Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare; Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences; and Dr. Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog.

“Evergreen Revolution”: A Global Summit Plants the Seeds of Biohappiness

Titled “Evergreen Revolution: The Pathway to Biohappiness,” the conference unfurls a profound intellectual tapestry—recasting agriculture not merely as a mechanistic pursuit of yield, but as an ethical, ecological, and civilizational enterprise.

At the heart of the deliberations lies biohappiness—a term imbued with philosophical gravitas by Prof. Swaminathan himself—referring to a harmonious agrarian paradigm where biodiversity, nutritional security, and farmer dignity coalesce in symphonic equilibrium.

The MSS100 Global Call to Action: A Manifesto for the Anthropocene

Slated for release on August 9, the MSS100 Global Call to Action articulates a visionary yet pragmatic framework that integrates climate-resilient agronomy, ecological stewardship, and social justice. Eschewing reductionist binaries between productivity and sustainability, the declaration exhorts policymakers to conceive agriculture not as an extractive enterprise, but as a regenerative act of planetary custodianship.

A Titan Remembered, A Planet Renewed: Prof. Swaminathan’s Vision Lives On

Prof. Swaminathan once mused, “The future belongs to nations with grains, not guns.” The MSS100 Conference, in echoing that sentiment, is not merely a retrospective celebration of a titan—it is a prospective convocation of planetary conscience. It gestures toward a world where agriculture becomes the locus of renewal, not ruin.