Need to revitalise agri research institutes: Montek Singh Ahluwalia
New Delhi, Aug 6 (PTI) Former Deputy Chairman of erstwhile Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Wednesday emphasised on the need of revitalising India's agricultural research institutes and said they need more funds and autonomy.
Speaking at the launch of a book on agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan, Ahluwalia also said that the successive governments subsidised fertiliser to a completely ridiculous level.
'Revitalise our agricultural research centres…..We (India's agricultural research institutes) were the leaders, we are not now," the eminent economist said.
Ahluwalia said India's agricultural research institutes need more funds and autonomy.
Referring to the period before the Green Revolution in India, he said, 'International perception of India was that it's a gone case".
Ahluwalia said even the Planning Commission was not in favour of allowing Swaminathan to import new varieties of seeds from abroad to increase productivity but the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi overruled the Planning Commission.
He said Swaminathan had extensive contacts with international agricultural scientists, which today's agricultural scientists of the country lack.
'We are moving into an uncertain world, and challenges are multi- dimensional… we need to persuade farmers to reduce excess use of fertilisers," Ahluwalia said.
Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan, fondly addressed as 'MS' by his friends and colleagues, made the stellar contribution of making the nation foodgrain surplus, ending dependency on American wheat imports.
Swaminathan batted for 'evergreen revolution' to ensure food and nutrition security for all, alongside the sustainability of global food systems.
Notably, he played a significant role in changing the trajectory of the agriculture sector when farmers were dependent on archaic farming techniques.
Born in Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu on August 7, 1925 to Dr M K Sambasivan and Parvati Thangammai, he passed away in Chennai at the age of 98 on September 28, 2023. PTI BKS HVA
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August 06, 2025, 22:15 IST
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