List of different Revolutions in Primary (Agriculture) Sector of India

In India, after independence, there have been several different revolutions in the primary sector (agricultural revolutions) such as Green Revolution, Evergreen Revolution, Yellow Revolution, Blue Revolution, Golden Fiber Revolution, Golden Revolution, Grey Revolution, Pink Revolution, and many others. These revolutions significantly enhanced the production processes in India and increased the agricultural output. Let us learn how the agriculture revolutions shaped India’s food security from Food aid imports from the US, on which the country was reliant when India was on the verge of a mass famine in the 1960s.

Green Revolution: During the third Five Years Plan (1961-66), the priorities were on self-sufficiency in food grains, meeting the raw material needs of industries, and increasing exports. During this period geneticist Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, along with Norman Borlaug and other scientists, stepped in with high-yield variety seeds of wheat and rice, setting off what came to be known as the Green Revolution.

Evergreen Revolution: Dr M.S. Swaminathan forged the term Evergreen Revolution. The Evergreen Revolution started in 1990 after the failure and several demerits of the Green Revolution. This revolution started with the idea that the area for crop production and farming would remain the same, with the priority of increasing the productivity of the same land. Dr. Swaminathan champions environmentally sustainable agriculture, sustainable food security, and the preservation of biodiversity. He called this an “evergreen revolution”. The total Foodgrain production in the country during 2022-2023 is estimated at a record 3296.87 Lakh tonnes which was around 41 million tonnes during the 1950s.

White revolution:

In 1970, India set in motion the ‘White Revolution’, the world’s biggest dairy development program, led by Dr. Verghese Kurien. He helped Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union Ltd expand its work, ushering in the White Revolution.  ‘Operation Flood’, as it is otherwise known, transformed the dairy-deficient nation into the global leader in milk production. In the years that followed, the government’s Operation Flood led to a rapid increase in milk production. Self-sufficiency in the dairy sector was achieved entirely through the cooperative movement, which has spread to more than 12 million dairy farmers across the country. Decades later, Amul, the brand started by cooperative farmers in Anand, remains a market leader.

Blue Revolution:

India launched the Blue Revolution during 1985-90 popularly known as Neel or Neeli Kranthi to develop, manage, and promote fisheries to increase overall fish production responsibly and sustainably for economic prosperity both inland and marine. The programs focussed on modernizing the fisheries with a special focus on new technologies. The multi-dimensional activities include the objectives of ensuring food and nutritional security, generating employment and export earnings, ensuring inclusive development, and empowering fishers and aquaculture farmers. Hiralal Chaudhuri and Arun Krishnan are regarded as the fathers of the Blue Revolution in India. Chaudhuri was the architect of induced breeding and spawn production of the economically important carp Cirrhinus reba in captivity.

Yellow Revolution:       The Yellow Revolution is associated with the production of oilseeds in the country. The Yellow Revolution was a movement started in 1986–1987 to achieve self-sufficiency in oilseeds cultivation and production of edible oil, particularly from mustard, sunflower, groundnuts, soya bean, linseed, castor, niger, and sesame seeds, to achieve self-reliance. In India, Sam Pitroda is regarded as the father of the Yellow Revolution. Due to the yellow revolution, India became a net exporter of oilseeds from being a net importer. During the early 1990s, an all-time high of 25 million tonnes of oilseeds was produced from yearly oilseed harvests.

Silver Revolution:

The main focus in the 1980s was   Egg Production, Poultry Production, Expansion of egg and poultry industries, Disease management, and animal welfare. Silver revolution is a process of increase in the production of eggs by poultry farming. Silver Revolution was initiated by the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. This process was rendered by using hybrid cocks as well as hens and applying science to promote egg production.

Grey Revolution:

The grey revolution is related to increased fertilizer production in the 1970s. It is associated with increased fertilizer usage       Balancing chemical use and soil health.

Pink Revolution:

Pink revolution denotes the technological revolution in the poultry and meat processing industry ushering in significant changes in the agricultural and industrial framework. The modernization of the meat and poultry processing sector and increasing in Onion production in India is the Pink Revolution. Durgesh Patel distinguished as the Father of the Pink Revolution, played a vital role in this transformation.

Brown Revolution:

Brown Revolution is the scheme that focuses on diversified agricultural products particularly increasing the production of Cocoa, coffee, and other non-conventional crops. Hiralal Chaudri was the author of the brown revolution and is known as the father of the brown revolution.    

Round Revolution:

The round revolution in India focused on ways to improve and increase the production of potatoes in India. The revolution was led by the research institute in Shimla, so there is no specific person to be named the father of the round revolution. The potato revolution aimed to make the production of potatoes double or triple instead of a single annual increase.

Golden Revolution:

The years 1991 to 2003 are known as the period of Golden Revolution in India. The Golden Revolution prioritized the growth of Honey production and the development of Horticulture. There was a huge increase in the production of fruits, honey production, and horticulture products during this period. Nirpakh Tutej is considered to be the Father of The Golden Revolution in India.

Silver Fiber Revolution:

In the 1970s, Mrs. Indira Gandhi came up with the idea of a silver fiber (cotton) revolution with enhanced cotton yield and quality Pest resistance, and sustainability. The success of the cotton revolution in India made her the father of the Silver Revolution in India. The name silver fiber is derived from cotton fiber’s silvery, wasplike appearance. Silver Revolution is also associated with eggs. In later years, it was Indian plant growth expert and poultry rancher Banda Vasudev Rao who improved and sustained Indian chicken farming.

Red Revolution:

The Red Revolution relates to agricultural reform in India that increased tomato and meat production. It was started in the 1980s led by Vishal Tewari, who is known as the father of the red revolution in India.

Golden Fiber Revolution:

The Golden Fibre Revolution started in India during the 1990s. Jute is referred to as Golden fiber due to its colour and high monetary value.  Jute is the second most widely used fiber after cotton. Nirpakh Tutej is the father of the Golden Fibre Revolution in India for his enormous contribution to guiding this critical agrarian movement.

Protein Revolution:
The tremendous rise in the availability and consumption of protein in the Indian diet is referred to as the protein revolution. The government of India refers to the protein revolution as the second technology-driven green revolution aimed at increasing productivity. To protect farmers from volatility, the government is giving them 500 crores in price stabilization grants under this revolution. The government has launched the Kisan TV channel, which educates farmers on a variety of effective farming methods and water conservation strategies and equips them with both practical and theoretical understanding of the agricultural industry. Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Union Minister Arun Jaitley launched the protein revolution in the period 2014-2020.

Related Posts: