The Green revolution and social inequalities in rural India

Since 1967 when the High Yielding Varieties (seeds) Programme (hereafter HYVP) was introduced in Indian agriculture, a lot has been written for and against the green revolution. It would, however, be erroneous to equate the green revolution with HYVP alone. The green revolution has to be understood as a broader ideology of rural transformation, whereas programs such as HYVP, the Integrated Rural Development Program (hereafter IRDP) , and the like are specific institutionalized measures for translating the green revolution ideology into practice. Even at the risk of appearing to be stating the obvious rather simplistically, it is necessary to emphasize that the green revolution as a package (ideology and program) is to be defined as the large-scale application of modern science and technology to agriculture. Green revolution technology involves extensive use of farm machinery (as labor-saving, efficient devices), high-yielding hybrid seeds, energized well irrigation and lift irrigation, use of large quantities of fertilizers and pesticides, and the like. In short, “extensive and intensive use of improved production technology and high yielding varieties of seeds” has been the essence of the green revolution.