Agriculture & Food Security
The Green Revolution, Minimum Support Price and procurement, the Public Distribution System and the National Food Security Act, and India's colour revolutions.
Key Takeaways
- The Green Revolution (1960s) made India self-sufficient in foodgrains using HYV seeds, fertilisers and irrigation.
- MSP is recommended by the CACP and operationalised through procurement by the FCI.
- The National Food Security Act (2013) made subsidised foodgrains a legal entitlement.
Core concept
Agriculture supports nearly half of India's workforce and underpins food security — the assurance that all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to enough safe and nutritious food. India moved from food scarcity (the 1960s) to a food surplus through the Green Revolution, and then to a rights-based approach with the NFSA.
Static foundation — the Green Revolution
The Green Revolution (mid-1960s) used High-Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilisers, pesticides and assured irrigation — concentrated in wheat in Punjab, Haryana and western UP. M. S. Swaminathan led it in India, building on Norman Borlaug's work.
From Farm to Ration Shop — the Food-Security Chain
CACP recommends the MSP
The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices recommends a Minimum Support Price for major crops each season.
FCI procures at MSP
The Food Corporation of India (and state agencies) buy foodgrains from farmers at the MSP, giving them a price guarantee.
Buffer stock & storage
Grain is stored to maintain a buffer stock for price stability and emergencies.
Distribution via TPDS
Subsidised grain reaches beneficiaries through the Targeted Public Distribution System (ration shops) under the NFSA.
Reforms like 'One Nation, One Ration Card' let beneficiaries collect their quota anywhere in India.
India's 'Colour Revolutions'
| Revolution | Sector |
|---|---|
| Green Revolution | Foodgrains (wheat, rice) |
| White Revolution (Operation Flood) | Milk & dairy (Verghese Kurien) |
| Blue Revolution | Fisheries / aquaculture |
| Yellow Revolution | Oilseeds |
| Golden Revolution | Horticulture / honey |
Value addition — the MSP debate
The Swaminathan Committee recommended MSP at C2 + 50% (comprehensive cost plus 50%). Farmers demand a legal guarantee for MSP; economists warn of fiscal cost and market distortion. Market reforms — e-NAM (national online mandi), PM-KISAN (income support), and contract-farming rules — aim to modernise agriculture.
Current affairs linkage
Live issues: the legal-MSP demand, natural/organic farming, crop diversification away from water-guzzling paddy, farm exports, and climate resilience. (Add the latest MSP announcement or a farm-sector scheme.)
Prelims trap zones
- MSP is RECOMMENDED by the CACP, but ANNOUNCED by the government; procurement is by the FCI.
- White Revolution = milk (Operation Flood), not water.
- The NFSA (2013) is rights-based; the PDS existed long before but was made a legal entitlement only by the NFSA.
Knowledge Check
2 questions · check your understanding
1. Who is regarded as the 'Father of the Green Revolution in India'?
2. The Minimum Support Price (MSP) is recommended by:
Prelims Pointers
- M. S. Swaminathan is the 'Father of the Green Revolution in India'; Norman Borlaug pioneered the HYV seeds.
- MSP is recommended by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
- The NFSA (2013) covers about two-thirds of the population with 5 kg of foodgrain per person per month.
- White Revolution (milk) = Operation Flood, led by Verghese Kurien.
Mains Angle
- 'The Green Revolution solved hunger but created ecological and regional imbalances.' Discuss.
- Examine the debate over legalising MSP and reforming agricultural markets.
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