12  Agricultural Revolutions That Transformed India

According to Eugene V. Debs, the most heroic word in all languages is revolution. Our nation has witnessed various revolutions and movements which have given us freedom and power and reformed India into an independent, developing country. From freedom revolutions, agricultural revolutions, digital revolutions, and many more, our country has been through it all. Let’s look at the various hues of the Revolutions that have added life and colour to our nation. This blog shares all the relevant information in detail related to all kinds of revolutions.

S. No.	Revolution Name	Associated With	Timeline
1	Green Revolution	M.S. Swaminathan (research), Govt. of India under PM Lal Bahadur Shastri	Mid-1960s onwards
2	Blue Revolution	National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB)	1980s onwards
3	Golden Revolution	Nirpakh Tutej, Govt. initiatives in horticulture & honey	1991 – 2003
4	Black Revolution	Govt. of India (policies on petroleum & ethanol blending)	2000s onwards
5	Grey Revolution	Linked to fertiliser production improvements	1980s – 1990s
6	Brown Revolution	Hiralal Chaudri (coffee production)	Ongoing (esp. Andhra Pradesh)
7	Red Revolution	Durgesh Patel (meat industry modernisation)	1980s – 1990s
8	Silver Revolution	Govt. & private sector in poultry farming	1969 – 1978 (main phase)
9	White Revolution	Verghese Kurien (Operation Flood, AMUL)	1970 – 1996
10	Golden Fibre Revolution	Govt. of India (jute industry focus)	1990s
11	Pink Revolution	Govt. of India (meat & poultry processing)	1990s – 2000s
12	Round Revolution	Govt. of India (potato production increase)	1965 – 2005

Agricultural Revolutions in India

The agricultural revolution refers to a period that brought about significant advancements in agricultural productivity driven by technologies and innovations. There have been several agricultural revolutions that have taken place in India, which brought about a new era. These revolutions created new opportunities and brought about productivity. The main agricultural revolutions in India are listed below.

Green Revolution

The Green Revolution saw an increase in the production of food grains by using various modern technologies and farming products like fertilisers, high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds, irrigation facilities, and pesticides. M.S. Swaminathan played a major role in research and development. The Green Revolution was largely a government-initiated program under Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. The revolution was able to improve food security and transform Indian from a food-deficient nation to a self-sufficient one.

Blue Revolution

The Blue Revolution (Neel Kranti Mission) in India started in 1980’s and is related to the aquaculture of the country. This revolution contributed to the enhancement of the fishery industry into a modern industry and also increased the income of fishers. The National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) included various components to develop and increase aquaculture activity by using modern methods and equipment. This revolution in India was able to increase fish production in the country and thus ensure the nutritional security of Indian citizens.

Golden Revolution

Founded by Nirpakh Tutej, the Golden Revolution went on from 1991 to 2003. It was a major movement in India that saw the use of new innovative technologies to boost the production of honey and products such as flowers, fruits, spices, vegetables, and plantation crops. The Golden Revolution was able to create export opportunities for Indian nationals and made horticulture a major contributor to agricultural GDP.

Black Revolution

The Black Revolution is associated with an increase in petroleum in India. The government of India implemented various policies to boost this production by mixing ethanol- a renewable source of energy- with petrol to produce biodiesel. This gave rise to a positive result in reducing pollution caused by the emission of harmful gases. This initiative has also helped farmers switch to such alternatives, which reduce pollutants. The revolution emphasised the importance of energy security in the country.

Grey Revolution

The Grey Revolution in India is associated with an increase in fertiliser production. This was in succession to the green revolution that was responsible for the high-yielding variety of seeds. The grey revolution was initiated to mend the things that went wrong with the agricultural sector. It aims to build a promising future for farmers and develop the agricultural sector in India. By increasing the efficiency of fertilisers, the revolution was able to support sustainable farming practices.

Brown Revolution

The brown revolution in India increased the production and demand for environmentally friendly coffee, which was initiated by Hiralal Chaudri. This revolution is currently taking place in Visakhapatnam. It highlights the growing demand for eco-friendly and sustainable farming practices. Moreover, it encouraged export-oriented coffee production. Thus, it gave Indian farmers access to international markets.

Red Revolution

The increase in the production of meat was the core part of the Red Revolution in India. Durgesh Patel is known as the father of this revolution. It modernised the processing of meat and upgraded technologies used for the same. This revolution created a standard for food safety and hygiene in the meat industry.

Silver Revolution

The Silver Revolution witnessed an enhancement in poultry farming or the production of eggs. Various private and government sectors contributed to this revolution by using medical and applied science to rediscover ways to grow egg production. This eventually made India one of the largest egg producers in the world.

White Revolution

The White Revolution was initiated to boost the production of milk and dairy products in India. Verghese Kurien is considered the father of this revolution, who came up with the ‘billion litres’ idea. Along with other important companies, AMUL – Anand Milk Union Limited played a major role in running the revolution for India. This revolution made our country one of the largest milk producers in the world.

Golden Fibre Revolution

The Golden Fibre Revolution is related to jute production. When the Industrial Revolution began, jute was used as a raw material in the fabric industry, and it has been used in several cases to make strong threads and jute products. Jute is the most important vegetable fibre after cotton.  This revolution was important for supporting the textile industry of India and creating employment in jute-growing regions such as West Bengal.

Pink Revolution

The Pink Revolution was an increase in the export and production of meat in India. It includes the involvement of technology in the poultry and meat processing industries. The revolution includes meat testing facilities, cold storage for growth, and other infrastructure facilities. The pink revolution in India diversified the agricultural exports and thus made companies enter the global market.

Round Revolution

Round Revolution is the increase in the production of potato yield. The production of potatoes was aimed to be increased by at least double or triple the single annual increase. The revolution supported food security as potatoes are a staple crop in the country. Moreover, it encouraged the use of the scientific method in potato farming to improve both productivity and quality.

Yellow Revolution

During the Yellow Revolution, India went from being a net importer to becoming self-sufficient and a net exporter. During the early 1990s, an all-time high of 25 million tonnes of oilseeds was produced from yearly oilseed harvests. This revolution in India reduced the country’s dependency on imported edible oil and promoted oilseed cultivation across different states.

Protein Revolution

The government declared a technology-driven second green revolution with an emphasis on improved productivity and a “protein revolution,” committing to a 4% sustainable increase in the agriculture sector. It established a price stability fund with a capital of INR.500 crore to assist farmers in dealing with volatility. In addition, a Kisan TV channel was launched to provide real-time information on innovative techniques, water conservation, and organic farming. The money for improving storage capacity was increased to Rs. 5,000 crore. INR.100 crore was set aside for soil health cards and INR.56 crore for mobile soil-testing laboratories.

Evergreen Revolution

The Green Revolution changed India’s image from “begging bowl” to “bread-basket.” However, to address its faults and vulnerabilities, we must make it evergreen. India is self-sufficient in many sectors of food production, but it still imports pulses and oilseeds. The “evergreen revolution” refers to long-term productivity growth that is not harmful to the environment or society. Its goal is to produce more with less land, less pesticide, and less water for sustainable agriculture.

Also Read: How to Make a Career in Agriculture: Complete Guide

Freedom Revolutions in India

Apart from the agricultural revolution, one of the most important revolutions in India is the First War of Independence. Although in India we have had several movements and events that led to the freedom struggle, the Indian rebellion of 1857 is considered a revolution. This is because it was the starting point of all freedom movements yet to come. 

The Indian Rebellion of 1857

The revolt in 1857 arose due to the build-up of various controversial factors. The recruitment of caste-neutral armies and local sepoys’ demand for high taxes from local Indians, the prohibitions on Indian religious customs, were some of the many factors for the rebellion.

However, the triggering factor was the Enfield rifle. The sepoys believed that the opening of the rifle cartridges was greased with cow/pig fat. This caused severe rage among the Hindu and Muslim sepoys because of the attack on their religious sentiments. The revolt emerged in Delhi, Punjab, Jhansi, Bengal, Indore, and many other places in India. The rebellion caused mass loss of people, accusations of rape, and other violent and gruesome acts. This gave rise to the Government of India Act, 1858 which eradicated the rule of the EIC and led to the direct responsibility by the British Parliament.

Must Read: 1857 to 1947 History of India

Quiz on Agricultural Revolutions in India 

Here is an MCQ quiz about agricultural revolutions. Now that you have understood the key details of the revolution, it’s time to test your knowledge. The answers are available towards the end.

Q1. Which of the following revolutions aimed at increasing the production of oilseeds?

A	Yellow Revolution
B	Black Revolution
C	Evergreen Revolution
D	Grey Revolution

Q2. Which of the following revolutions aimed at the production of Milk/Dairy?

A	Yellow Revolution
B	Black Revolution
C	White Revolution
D	Grey Revolution

Q3. Which of the following revolutions aimed at the production of Egg/Poultry?

A	Silver Revolution
B	Black Revolution
C	White Revolution
D	Grey Revolution

Q4. Which of the following revolutions aimed at the production of Cotton?

A	Black Revolution
B	White Revolution
C	Grey Revolution
D	Silver Fiber Revolution

Q5. Which of the following revolutions aimed at the increased production of Potatoes?

A	Black Revolution
B	Round Revolution
C	Grey Revolution
D	Black Revolution

Q6. Which of the following revolutions aimed at the increased production of Meat and tomatoes?

A	Pink Revolution
B	Red Revolution
C	White Revolution
D	Silver Revolution

Q7. Which of the following revolutions aimed at increasing the production of Fertilizers?

A	Pink Revolution
B	Red Revolution
C	Grey Revolution
D	Yellow Revolution

Q8. Which of the following revolutions aimed at the increased production of Fruits/Overall Horticulture development/Honey?

A	Golden Revolution
B	Pink Revolution
C	Green Revolution
D	Yellow Revolution

Q9. Which of the following revolutions aimed at the production of Fertilizers?

A	Brown Revolution
B	Pink Revolution
C	Green Revolution
D	Yellow Revolution

Q10. Which of the following revolutions aimed at the increased production of Fruits/Overall Horticulture development/Honey?

A	Golden Revolution
B	Pink Revolution
C	Green Revolution
D	Yellow Revolution

Answer Key

The answer key to the above quiz is here. Match your answers, and let us know how much you have scored in the comments. A high score means you have understood everything about the agricultural revolutions in India.

Answer Key
1.	C
2.	A
3.	C
4.	A
5.	D
6.	B
7.	B
8.	C
9.	C
10.	A

There have been many agricultural movements in India that have changed the course of Indian history. For example, the green revolution made us self-sufficient, and the white revolution boosted milk and dairy production in India. Each revolution has contributed something to India’s agriculture. Learning about these revolutions can make our general knowledge about India strong.

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