Descriptive Summary for the M.S. Swaminathan Collection Title M.S. Swaminathan Collection Date 1954 - 2013 Collection Number MS001 Creator M.S. Swaminathan (born 7 August 1925) Extent 100 Cubic Ft. Repository Archives at M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai. Abstract M.S. Swaminathan is an agricultural scientist and plant geneticist, popularly known for his work on the ‘Green Revolution in India’. A collection of his research notes, annotated drafts, correspondences and photographs makes up the M.S. Swaminathan Collection at the Archives at M.S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF). Physical Location M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai. Language Represented in the Collection English, Hindi, Tamil and Japanese. Access The collection is open to researchers. Publication Rights Copyright is assigned to the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation. Permission for reproduction or distribution must be obtained in writing from the Archives at MSSRF. The user must obtain all necessary rights and clearances before use of material and material may only be reproduced for academic and non-commercial use. Preferred Citation Object ID, M.S. Swaminathan Collection, Archives at M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation. Acquisition Information The material was initially located at three spaces within the Foundation: Dr. Parasuraman’s cabin (Principal Scientist associated with Coastal Systems Research at the foundation and formerly, the personal secretary of M.S. Swaminathan until 2013), the Bhoothalingam library, and office of the Chairperson at the Foundation. As of Nov. 02 2020, the bulk of the material is now in the cabin next to the office of the Executive Director. Biography Monkombu Sambasivan Swaminathan is a plant geneticist, agricultural scientist and scientific administrator. He was born on 7 August 1925 at Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. He completed his early school education at the Native High School and, later, the Catholic Little Flower High School in Kumbakonam. He moved to Trivandrum in 1940 to pursue his undergraduate studies in Zoology at University College. The Bengal Famine of 1943 urged M.S. Swaminathan to devote a career to improve agricultural standards and food security in the country. He obtained a B.Sc. in Agriculture in 1947 from the Agricultural College and Research Institute at Coimbatore. In 1949, he completed his associateship with the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi with distinction in Genetics and Plant Breeding. In 1949, he also qualified the Civil Service Examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission and was offered a position with the Indian Police Service. However, Swaminathan opted for research by accepting the offer to become a UNESCO Fellow in Genetics at the Agricultural University at Wageningen, the Netherlands, during 1949-50. He went on to complete his PhD on ‘Species Differentiation, and the Nature of Polyploidy in certain species of the Genus Solanum- section Tuberarium’ at the School of Agriculture, Cambridge University, England. Following this, he worked as a research associate in the Department of Genetics at the University of Wisconsin- Madison in the United States of America, until 1953. Swaminathan returned to India in 1954 and undertook work in the Indica Japonica Rice Hybridization Programme at the Central Rice Research Institute, Odisha. In October 1954, he joined the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, as Assistant Cytogeneticist in the Botany Division. He proceeded to head the Botany Division in 1962 and later assumed leadership of IARI from 1966 to 1972. In January 1972, he took lead as the Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi. In 1979, he joined the Government of India as Principal Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation. In 1980, he then retired from government services and joined the Planning Commission as a member for agriculture and rural development. Swaminathan also served as the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission between April and June, 1980. In April 1982, he took over as the Director-General of the International Rice Research Institute, Philippines. It was during his tenure at IRRI when he was awarded the first World Food Prize in 1987 at the Smithsonian Institution, in Washington D.C. Returning to India in 1988, he began formally establishing his own research centre named the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, located in Chennai from the proceeds of the World Food Prize. He has also held other administrative positions of importance. He was the Chairman of the National Commission of Farmers, Government of India (2004-06), President of National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (2005-07) and was a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha (2007-2013). He also served in the capacity of President for the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs from 2002 - 2007. His early years of research were focused on the origin and differentiation of potato species. He is also popularly known for his contributions to research in wheat and rice, made popular by the ‘Green Revolution’ in India. Other areas of research include disaster management strategies, improved crop productivity, genetic resource centres and work in biotechnology. He has authored and edited 18 books and over 250 research papers. He is well-recognized by the scientific community with honorary positions at various academies that include the Royal Society of London, Indian National Science Academy, National Academy of Sciences at the United States etc. He has received 84 honorary doctorates and is the recipient of many prestigious awards, including the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award (1961), Padma Shri (1967), Ramon Magsaysay Award (1971), Padma Bhushan (1972), World Food Prize (1987), and the Padma Vibhushan (1989). Processing Information Processed by Sangeeta D on 03/Feb./2021 Subjects Indian Council of Agricultural Research Indian Agricultural Research Institute International Rice Research Institute Borlaug, Norman Chopra, V.L. Rice Research Wheat Research Green Revolution Genetic Engineering Farmers Rights Scope and Content The collection is organized in the following series: Series (1). Research Notes Series (2). Correspondence Series (3). Administration Series (4). Published Writings Series (5). Unpublished Writings Series (6). Personal Series (7). Media Coverage Series (1), Research Notes: Research notes include material relating to M.S. Swaminathan’s academic work. The series is organized into four sub-series: 1960 - 1980, 1981 - 1982, 1983 - 1988 and 1989 - 2019. They include research notebooks and diaries containing notes taken during conferences, workshops and field visits. Series (2), Correspondence: It has been organized into five sub-series, which correspond closely to the institutional positions he has held during the particular duration. Correspondence from 1954-1972 corresponds to M.S. Swaminathan’s duration at the Central Rice Research Institute. Sub-series 1973-1979 contains correspondence during his tenure at the Indian Council of Agriculture Research and the Department of Agricultural Research, Government of India. Sub-series 1980-1982 contains correspondence during his tenure as the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission and as a member (Agriculture, Rural Development, Science and Education) Planning Commission, Government of India. Sub-series 1982 - 1988 includes correspondence during his tenure at the International Rice Research Institute, Philippines. Sub-series 1989 - 2013 includes correspondence during his tenure as the founding chairman of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation. Series (3), Administration: It contains deputation reports in four sub-series, corresponding to his institutional positions at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research and the International Rice Research Institute. Material ranges from 1977 to 2013. Series (4), Published Writings: It is organized into four subseries that include books, journal articles, reprints and committee reports authored by M.S. Swaminathan. Material ranges from 1950 to 2017 Series (5), Unpublished Writings: It includes two sub-series. One is on annotated drafts on academic pieces. Another is on lectures and talks that M.S. Swaminathan has delivered in universities and other public events. Material ranges from 1969 to 2015. Series (6), Personal: It contains two sub-series. The first sub-series consist of awards and recognitions that M.S. Swaminathan has received, and related correspondence. The second sub-series includes photographs of his family and close friends. Material ranges from 1953 to 2014. Series (7), Media Coverage: It contains two sub-series. The first sub-series is titled Coverage of M.S. Swaminathan in Print, Broadcast and Digital Media, and includes twenty volumes of media clippings from newspapers and popular magazines containing work by and of M.S. Swaminathan. Material ranges from 1960 to 2019. The second sub-series is titled Event Coverage. It includes photographs and recordings (in the form of CDs and other media) of M.S. Swaminathan attending events, addressing lectures, collecting awards and his other recognitions. Excepting containers 72 to 74 (pre-existing volumes that are physically difficult to separate from each other), the material is arranged in chronological order. Sub- Physical Series Sub-series Container Container Folder Title Date Folder Description Location 1: Research Notes 1 1: 1960 - 1980