Consider the Green Revolution as the time when the farms of India received a boost of power! In the 1960s, India could not produce enough food to feed everybody, but the Green Revolution, which started in 1965, changed all that.

What is the Green Revolution?

The Green Revolution is the idea of producing significantly more food with the help of new technologies. Instead of just relying on rain and old methods, farmers started using:

• HYV Seeds: The scientists developed High-Yielding Varieties (HYV) of wheat and rice. They were shorter and stronger plants and, therefore, did not fall over and produced more grains.

• New Technologies: Farmers began to use tractors and more effective irrigation methods rather than relying on the monsoon.

• Improved Production: New fertilisers and pesticides were applied to ensure that crops were healthy and grew quickly.

When did it start?

The Green Revolution began in India in the mid-1960s (around 1965). Its leaders were two renowned scientists: M.S. Swaminathan and Norman Borlaug. They wanted to make sure no one in India went hungry.

Why was it important?

• India stopped importing food and began to produce sufficient food to nourish the entire population. 

• Farmers in states such as Punjab and Haryana became a lot more successful. 

• It made India a world leader in agriculture.