SSC
As Union Agriculture Minister in the mid-1960s, C. Subramaniam introduced the new agricultural technology in India under the:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option A — Green Revolution
Detailed Solution
Chidambaram Subramaniam (C. Subramaniam), Union Minister of Food and Agriculture from 1964 to 1967, played a key political role in bringing the new agricultural strategy of the Green Revolution to India. This strategy combined high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds with chemical fertilisers, irrigation and pesticides.
Background:
- In the mid-1960s, India faced severe food shortages, especially after the droughts of 1965 and 1966.
- India depended heavily on food imports, particularly wheat from the United States under the PL-480 programme.
- The government decided that a new strategy was needed to make India self-sufficient in food grains.
- Subramaniam's role:
- He pushed for the large-scale import of high-yielding dwarf wheat seeds from Mexico, despite opposition from some economists, politicians and officials.
- He supported agricultural scientists and gave them political backing to test and spread the new seeds.
- The New Agricultural Strategy, with the High Yielding Varieties Programme (HYVP), was launched in 1966-67.
Key institutions set up during this period:
The Food Corporation of India (FCI), established in 1965, to procure, store and distribute food grains.
Recognition:
- Subramaniam was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, in 1998.
- He also served as Union Finance Minister and Defence Minister, and as Governor of Maharashtra.
Results of the Green Revolution in India:
- Food grain production rose sharply in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, and India gradually became self-sufficient in food grains.
- Rice production also increased later, with new varieties.
- The benefits were concentrated in irrigated regions and among richer farmers, while dryland areas and crops such as pulses were left behind.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The Yellow Revolution relates to oilseed production (launched later, in the 1980s).
- ✗The Round Revolution relates to potato production.
- ✗The Pink Revolution relates to meat processing.
Quick tip
Remember: C. Subramaniam (Agriculture Minister 1964-67, Bharat Ratna 1998) = political architect of India's Green Revolution; Borlaug = global father of the Green Revolution.
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Agriculture in India Questions
View all ›- Q1.Who is known as the 'Father of the Green Revolution' in India?
- Q2.The 'Yellow Revolution' in India is related to the production of:
- Q3.In Madhya Pradesh, slash-and-burn (shifting) agriculture is known as:
- Q4.The variety of rice known as 'miracle rice', first harvested in India in the late 1960s with exceptional yields, was:
- Q5.'Johads' and 'Khadins' are traditional methods of water harvesting used in which state?
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
Agriculture in India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Agriculture in India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers agriculture in India: cropping seasons (kharif, rabi and zaid), major food and cash crops and their leading producer states, irrigation, the Green, White, Blue and other agricultural revolutions, and allied activities such as animal husbandry and fisheries. Questions usually ask which crop belongs to which season, which state is the largest producer of a crop, and which revolution relates to which product. For example, the White Revolution relates to milk and was led by Verghese Kurien, and the Blue Revolution relates to fisheries. Producer rankings can change from year to year, so check the latest data for those questions. Practise the agriculture in India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.