In which decade did the Green Revolution take place in India?

Key Points

• The Green Revolution was a period of agricultural transformation that took place in the 1960s and 1970s in India.
• The goal of the Green Revolution was to increase agricultural productivity and food security by introducing high-yielding crop varieties (HYV seeds), modern irrigation systems, and chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
• It was a significant success in India, as it helped to increase agricultural output (especially wheat and rice) and reduce food shortages.
• However, it also had some negative impacts, such as environmental degradation, soil erosion, and the loss of traditional farming practices.

Additional InformationThe Green Revolution in India:

• The Green Revolution, which refers to the large-scale introduction of high-yielding varieties of seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides in agriculture, has been criticized for its negative impact on small farmers.
• The Government of India launched the Green Revolution in 1965 under the Third Five-Year Plan(1961-66).
• MS Swaminathan is considered the father of the Green Revolution in India.
• Norman Borlaug is known as the 'Father of Green Revolution' in the world.
• In India, the aim of this revolution was to increase the productivity of agricultural crops, particularly wheat and rice.
  • The main focused crops were Wheat, Rice, Jowar, Bajra and Maize.
• In the first phase of the Green Revolution, the use of HYV seeds was limited to the more prosperous states of Haryana, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Western Uttar Pradesh.
• HYV seeds refer to high-yielding varieties of seeds that were developed during the Green Revolution to increase crop yields.
  • These are resistant to insects and diseases and have a high yield capacity.