List Of Agricultural Revolutions In India [1960-2024]

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India’s farming sector has gone through amazing changes in the last 60 years, marked by Agricultural Revolutions in India. These revolutions have helped the country grow more food, adopt new farming methods, and improve the lives of farmers.

Here are 16 important agricultural revolutions that played a big role in making India stronger in agriculture. Let’s take a closer look at them and how they shaped the nation’s farming progress.

This topic is important for agricultural knowledge as well as Static GK for competitive exams. Often, related crops and animal products such as meat and milk are asked in exams like SSC, RRB NTPC, and all state-level exams.

Table of Contents

Agriculture Revolutions in India

India’s farming journey has seen many important changes, known as agricultural revolutions. These moments show how Indian farmers have adapted to challenges and introduced new ideas to improve farming.

By combining old methods with modern techniques, these revolutions have shaped how our country grows and produces food. Let’s explore these key agricultural revolutions that have played a major role in India’s farming story.

Significance and Importance

An agricultural revolution means a big change in farming that happens quickly. It includes new tools, ideas, or methods that make farming easier and more efficient. These changes help farmers grow more food to meet the needs of a growing population, ensuring a better food supply and simpler farming practices for the nation.

List of Agricultural Revolutions in India

Major Agricultural Revolutions in India from 1960-2024

Sl.No	Name	Father of the Revolution	Key Focus / Objective	Year	Food/Products	Challenges that Remain
1	Green Revolution	M.S. Swaminathan	Food Grains Production	1960s	Boosted food grain yields	Sustainable water and land use
2	White Revolution	Verghese Kurien	Milk Production	1970s	Higher milk production	Ensuring fair returns for dairy farmers
3	Blue Revolution	Dr Arun Krishnan	Fish Production	1970s	Increased fish production	Overfishing and coastal habitat degradation
4	Yellow Revolution	Sam Pitroda	Oilseed Production, Mustard & Sunflower	Late 1980s	Boosted oilseed production	Enhancing productivity sustainably
5	Silver Revolution	Indira Gandhi	Egg Production, Poultry Production	1980s	Expansion of egg and poultry industries	Disease management and animal welfare
6	Grey Revolution	–	Fertilizers	1970s	Increased fertilizer usage	Balancing chemical use and soil health
7	Pink Revolution	Durgesh Patel	Onion, Pharmaceuticals, Prawn Production	1990s	Improved production in respective areas	Quality control and market fluctuations
8	Brown Revolution	Hiralal Chaudri	Leather, Cocoa, Non-Conventional Products	–	Diversified agricultural products	Ensuring sustainability and ethical practices
9	Round Revolution	–	Potato Production	1990s	Growth in potato cultivation	Storage and distribution challenges
10	Golden Revolution	Nirpakh Tutej	Fruits, Honey, Horticulture Development	1990s	Growth in horticultural products	Post-harvest losses and supply chain issues
11	Protein Revolution	Coined by Narendra Modi and Arun Jaitley	Higher Production through Technology	Coined (2020)	Increased food production	Ensuring equitable access to technology
12	Silver Fiber Revolution	–	Cotton Production	–	Enhanced cotton yield and quality	Pest resistance and sustainability
13	Red Revolution	Vishal Tewari	Meat Production, Tomato Production	–	Increased meat and tomato production	Quality assurance and resource use
14	Black Revolution	–	Petroleum Product Production	–	Reduced dependency on imports	Managing environmental impacts
15	Evergreen Revolution	–	Integration of ecological principles	–	Improved sustainability of agriculture	Spreading awareness and adoption
16	Golden Fiber Revolution	–	Jute Production	–	Enhanced jute production	Market competition and synthetic materials

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Key Highlights of Agricultural Revolution in India

Green Revolution

The Green Revolution or Third Agricultural Revolution
Initiated in developed countries in the early 20th century, spread globally till the late 1980s

Technological Innovations

Adoption of high-yielding varieties of cereals (dwarf wheat and rice)
Widespread use of chemical fertilizers
Pesticides and controlled irrigation

Key Contributors

Role of Norman Borlaug, “Father of the Green Revolution,” and his Nobel Peace Prize
Yuan Longping‘s contributions to hybrid rice varieties.
M. S. Swaminathan, India’s main architect or the Father of the Green Revolution.

Round Revolution

Focuses on improving the production of potatoes in India.
Recognizes potatoes as a staple food consumed by all strata of society.

Government Adoption

Adopted by the Indian government to enhance the growth and production of potatoes.
Aims to ensure the widespread availability of potatoes, catering to the dietary needs of all.

Reasons Behind Round Revolution:

Addresses the growing demand for potatoes in India.
Aims to diversify and improve potato varieties.

Potato Facts

Uttar Pradesh is the number one contributor to potato production, followed by West Bengal and Bihar.
Potatoes are rich in starch and Vitamin B1.
Considered a cash crop due to high marketable value per unit area.
Introduction to India dates back to the 16th century by Portugal.

Grey Revolution

Related to increased fertilizer production.
Emerged post-1960s as a response to setbacks of the Green Revolution.
Aims to improve upon the Green Revolution and address its shortcomings.

Sustainable Agriculture Solutions

Agritech startup Grey Revolution focuses on developing sustainable food system solutions.
Creates a platform for smallholder farmers to enhance yield and profitability.

India’s Approach

As part of the Grey Revolution, India emphasizes using fertilizers to stimulate growth.
Shifts focus from seed productivity to sustainable agricultural practices.

Brown Revolution

Focus: Meeting the demand for high-quality, sustainable coffee from developed nations.

Location: Primarily focused on the tribal areas of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Products: Primarily focused on coffee but includes leather and cocoa production.

Key aspects

Environmentally friendly: Promotes organic farming practices, soil conservation, and forest protection.

Socially responsible: Ensures fair trade for farmers, improves livelihoods and promotes tribal empowerment.

Economic development: Aims to increase coffee production and exports, contributing to the regional economy.

Initiator: Hiralal Chaudhari, the “Father of the Brown Revolution”.

Pink Revolution

Denotes a revolution in technologies used in poultry and meat processing.
Durgesh Patel is recognized as the Father of the Pink Revolution.

Scope of Pink Revolution

Encompasses the poultry and meat sector, onion production, and pharmaceuticals.
Focuses on leveraging India’s rich poultry and cattle population.

White Revolution

Launched on January 13, 1970, by India’s National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).
World’s largest dairy development program.
Transformed India into the world’s largest milk producer.
Surpassed the United States in 1998 with about 22.29 per cent of global output in 2018.

Leadership

Dr. Verghese Kurien, Chairman and Founder of Amul, was named Chairman of NDDB by Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.
Dr. Kurien was recognized as the father of the White Revolution.

Competitive Edge

Skim milk powder allowed Amul to compete successfully with cow milk-based suppliers like Nestle.

Blue Revolution

Government initiative for aquaculture industry growth.
Originated in China, accounting for two-thirds of global aquaculture production.

Blue Revolution in India

Launched during the 7th Five Year Plan (1985-1990).
Fish Farmers Development Agency (FFDA) is sponsored by the Central Government.
Intensive Marine Fisheries Program launched during the 8th Five Year Plan.
Fishing harbours were established in Vishakhapatnam, Kochi, Tuticorin, Porbandar, and Port Blair.

Yellow Revolution

Initiated in 1986-1987 in India.
Aimed at boosting edible oil production, particularly mustard and sesame seeds.
Goal: Achieve self-sufficiency in oilseed production.

Key Figures

Sam Pitroda is acknowledged as the key figure behind the Yellow Revolution.
Spearheaded advanced technologies and expansion of agricultural land.

Cultivated Crops

Targeted oilseeds included linseed, castor, safflower, soybean, sunflower, mustard, groundnuts, and sesame seeds.

Protein Revolution

Protein revolution compared to a technology-driven second Green revolution.

Establishment of a Price Stabilization Fund with a corpus of Rs. 500 crores.

A fund designed to assist farmers in managing market fluctuations.

Introduction of Kisan TV to provide real-time information on innovative techniques.

Kisan TV also focuses on water conservation and organic farming practices.

Black Revolution

Government initiative to increase petroleum production.

The plan involves accelerating ethanol production by mixing with petrol to create biodiesel.

Ethanol is a renewable energy source obtained from molasses, a by-product of sugar production.

The long-standing practice of blending ethanol with petrol in the USA and Brazil has existed for over 70 years.

Blending ethanol with transport fuels offers better returns to farmers.

Helps supplement scarce hydrocarbon resources.

Environmentally friendly approach by reducing pollutants during combustion.

Golden Fiber Revolution

Golden Fiber Revolution is associated with jute production in India.

It gained prominence during the Industrial Revolution when jute became a significant raw material in the fabric industry.

Processed jute continues to create robust threads and various jute products.

The term highlights the pivotal role of jute in India’s industrial and economic landscape.

Jute, often referred to as the “Golden Fiber,” contributes to the production of a wide range of products, including bags, textiles, and other eco-friendly items.

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