The Green Revolution and Its Benefits in India

The three basic elements of India's green revolution were the use of seeds with improved genetics, the continued expansion of plantations, and established farmland double-cropping. Through improving plant genetics, farmers were able to grow plants that were more disease resistant and, among other things, yielded a higher yield. The continued expansion of farms and double cropland also allowed higher production of crops. Industrial growth induced by the green revolution resulted in more job openings and indirectly helped other parts of the economy including electricity as reservoirs were constructed to better control water, which also created hydroelectricity.

The green revolution created jobs in India, made India an exporter of food as opposed to a starving nation, and allowed India to repay its loans to the World Bank. The green revolution also allowed people to specialize in other areas of study now that they were not required to farm but could buy crops from other, larger farms. The green revolution also increased the GDP of India as manufacturing and other areas of the economy developed and grew. India is still not entirely self-sufficient, as it still relies on goods from other countries, especially in times of drought, such as onions and sugar. Yet self-sufficiency is not as essential as it was in the globalizing world. India has also failed to extend the theory of high yield crops to all crops and regions, and the green revolution remains largely confined to food grains, as opposed to all agricultural practices.

The Green Revolution resulted in overall grain production of 131 million tons in 1978-79, making India one of the biggest agricultural producers in the world. In crop areas under high-yield varieties, more water, more nitrogen, more pesticides, fungicides, and certain other chemicals are required. It promoted the growth of the local manufacturing industry. The industrial growth created new employment, contributing to the state's GDP. The increase in irrigation led to the need for increased management of monsoon water for new dams. The pumped water was used to create hydroelectric power. This, in effect, stimulated industrial growth, created jobs and improved the quality of life of people by providing them with more access to electricity and water. Today, demand still falls short of the agricultural production of India. The Green Revolution has NOT succeeded, however impressive it may be, in making India fully and indefinitely self-sufficient in food. India faced severe drought conditions in 1979 and 1987 due to poor monsoon, raising questions as to whether the Green Revolution was a real long-term achievement.

India was unable to apply the high-yield seed theory to all crops or areas. In respect to crops, it remains largely confined to food grains, not all types of agricultural products. Only the states of Punjab and Haryana showed the best regional performance of the Green Revolution. The east plains of the River Ganges also produced reasonably good results in the West Bengal region. But the numbers were less impressive in other parts of India. Nothing like Bengal's drought will occur in India again. Nevertheless, it is troubling to note that even today there are places such as Kalahandi (in India's eastern state of Orissa) where conditions similar to famine have continued for many years and some hunger deaths have also been reported. This is attributed, of course, to reasons other than food availability in India, but the very fact that some people still die of malnutrition in India raises questions as to whether the Green Revolution has succeeded in its overall social objectives, even though it has been a resounding success in agricultural production.

The Green Revolution's positive effects greatly outweigh the negatives. While it could be argued that the Green Revolution has not succeeded in making its star pupil, India, completely independent, or that there are places such as Kalahandi (in the eastern state of Orissa in India) where poverty-like conditions have existed for many years and deaths from hunger have also been reported, these negative aspects of the Green Revolution are not enough to say it was a negative event. The Green Revolution has generated some positive results, such as the when Green Revolution between 1947 (when India gained political independence) and 1979 when it was deemed to have produced its commodities, yield per unit of farmland increased by more than 30%. As well as how more irrigation, more nitrogen, more pesticides, fungicides, and certain other chemicals are necessary for plant areas under high-yield varieties. This stimulated local manufacturing sector growth. This industrial growth created new employment and added to the country's GDP.

All in all, India has become a food exporter from a starving country. This has gained admiration for India in the comity of nations, especially in the Third World. India not only benefited from the green revolution, it also supported China, Mexico and the Philippines among many others. This event greatly benefited less developed countries and although the Green Revolution did not achieve all that was expected of it, the Green Revolution improved the agriculture of numerous countries and quite frankly, some change for the good is better than none.