MSSRF will be hosting, the ‘M.S. Swaminathan Centenary Lectures’  – A series of monthly lectures leading up to the birth Centenary of M.S. Swaminathan on the 07^th of August 2025.

Launched on the 3^rd of October, 2024, this lecture series will take place every month and will feature prominent speakers from prestigious institutions from all over the world.

Professor M.S. Swaminathan, is celebrated as the “Father of the Green Revolution in India,”. He is internationally renowned for his contributions to agricultural science and technology. He shaped agricultural policies, nurtured scientific institutions, inspired generations of scientists, championed the cause of agrarian communities for a more equitable and food system based on sustainable aero-ecological practices. Beyond his contributions to agriculture, Swaminathan was also a strong advocate for environmental conservation and equality.

Professor M.S. Swaminathan established MSSRF in 1988, for advancing sustainable agricultural development, conservation of agrobiodiversity and promote livelihood opportunities in rural areas through research and innovative practices, ay integrating science and technology with local knowledge and through education and capacity building, MSSRF’s initiatives promote an agroecological and gendered approach to transform the lives of marginalized rural communities. Through partnerships with local communities, MSSRF nurtures resilient agricultural Systems.

This lecture series would serve as a platform to reflect on his enduring legacy and explore how his scientific ideas can be tuned with a social vision to address challenges such as climate change, dwindling natural resources, and the need for Sustainable development

• The M.S. Swaminathan Centenary Lecture series will engage with from various fields and stimulate interdisciplinary discussions that can influence policy and practice
• These lectures would also serve as an inspiration to the younger generation, highlighting the importance of science and innovation in addressing societal challenges.

Some talks will take place at our Chennai headquarters and all talks are live telecast and are free to view. There will be a Q& A session after the talk for the audience to participate and learn more.

The talks will also be available at our social media platforms and the upcoming talks will be announced in advance in our communication channels. We invite you to make note of the timing of talks and urge you to view and participate. Not only this will enable us to understand and further the professor’s work, but also expand on it to further our mission of adopting ‘Science for Sustainable Development.’

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MSS Centenary Lecture Series 1

Speaker: Prof. Ronnie Coffman, The First MS Swaminathan Professor-At-Large, TNAU

Time and Date: 03 October, 2024 11:15 am

Talk: ‘Essential Adaptation to Climate Change through Plant Breeding’

In the first M S Swaminathan Centenary Lecture, Ronnie Coffman (Emeritus Professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics at Cornell’s School of Integrative Plant Science) summarized significant advancements in crop improvement over the past two decades, highlighting the crucial role of plant breeding in adapting to climate change. Describing plants as ‘solar collection arrays’ supporting human civilization, he emphasized on increasing the capture efficiency of these elements through plant breeding for improvement of crop productivity. Innovative solutions to key challenges such as climate change, abiotic stress, and pest pressures will be vital in the future. Harnessing the potential of modern genomics, artificial intelligence, international collaborations for improved accessibility to pre-breeding germplasm in developing new climate-adapted plant genotypes is the way forward for plant breeding in the future.

Watch full video below:

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MSS Centenary Lecture Series 2

Speaker: Prof. Rajeev K Varshney FRS, Director, WA State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Murdoch University, Australia

Time and Date: 06 November, 2024 12:00 pm

Talk: ‘Genomics for food and nutrition security: Striving to realise the vision of Bharat Ratna Dr. M.S.Swaminathan’

Watch full video below:

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MSS Centenary Lecture Series 3

Speaker: Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Govt. of India & Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi

Time and Date: 16 December, 2024 11.00 am

Talk: ‘Indian Agriculture: Shortage to Surplus ‘

Watch full video below: