Coffee table book on Green Revolution released at Punjab Agricultural University

A first of its kind coffee table book on the Green Revolution — ‘Ushering in of Green Revolution: PAU’s Colossal Feat’ — was released at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, Wednesday. The book has been brought out by PAU’s Communication Centre team.

Conceptualised by the varsity’s Vice-Chancellor Padma Shri Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, the book has contributions from Dr Navtej Singh Bains, director research, PAU, and Dr Tejinder Singh Riar, additional director of communication, PAU. It has been edited by Sheetal Chawla, assistant director (publications).

While releasing the book, V-C Dr Dhillon said the book adumbrated the hardships faced by people during the post-independence era, diligence and the hard work of Punjab farmers that made the nation food-secure and intellectual prowess of agricultural scientists of PAU (development of varieties – Kalyan Sona 227, PV 18 and PR 106 as well as technologies) that ushered in the Green Revolution. He also paid tribute to renowned scientists Dr M S Swaminathan, Dr J P Srivastava and Dr D S Athwal, who played a stellar role in the development of agriculture and ushering in of Green Revolution.

Dr Dhillon further said that the book is a pictorial history of the Green Revolution that grew with the introduction of land reforms; use of short-statured, high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice; provision of irrigation by canals and tubewells; use of chemical fertilizers; construction of rural link roads; provision of rural electrification; expansion of mechanization and impeccable administration of the government and unsurpassed scientific expertise.

In his welcome address, Dr Jaskarn Singh Mahal, director of Extension Education, said the development of improved technologies by PAU and their dissemination to the farmers in association with line departments proved to be a boon for the growth of agriculture in Punjab. The intellect of PAU scientists and the farmers of Punjab made the Green Revolution possible and cultivated admiration across the globe, he added.

Dr Navtej Singh Bains, director of research, said: “A significant aspect of the Green Revolution, however, is not just its early impact that shut the door on famine, but the continued and progressively larger contribution to the national food security system for about a hundred crop seasons now.”

Dr Riar said this coffee table book was dedicated to the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. The book also highlights the landmark varieties and technologies developed by PAU till date, etc.

The book has been designed by Swarnjit Savi and photographs have been contributed by Manjit Singh, senior photographer, PAU.