Dr. Bing Yang, Professor from College of Agriculture, University of Missouri, USA, who is on a visit to Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) to conduct a ten-day workshop on Genome Editing under the Fulbright Specialist Program at PAU’s School of Agricultural Biotechnology, visited the Green Revolution at the Communication Centre, PAU, here today. Dr Priti Sharma, Assistant Professor (Biotechnology), and students from the School of Agricultural Biotechnology, PAU, accompanied Dr Yang in his visit to the Museum. The visit was coordinated by Dr Ashoo Toor who led the team through the corridors of yore, showcasing glimpses of the pre and post Green Revolution era, against the backdrop of pre and post-partition India.

The Green Revolution Museum, situated in the heart of the Communication Centre, under the aegis of the Additional Director Communication, Dr TS Riar, provides intricate details of the pre-Green Revolution era, highlighting the pivotal factors behind this transformative agricultural movement that reshaped Punjab’s agrarian landscape. The first Hall of the Museum relates to glimpses from colonial India and the feudal structure of power, ruled by jagirdars and zamindars, the subsequent abolition of the feudal system leading to agrarian reforms and the reconstruction of Punjab. This Hall also depicts images of the geographical profile and agro-climatic zones of Punjab.

The second Hall of the Museum unfolds the progress of the Green Revolution, delineating the crucial role of PAU in the metamorphosis of the agrarian status of the nation in general and Punjab in particular. The story from the 1960s to the 1980s speaks of the remarkable leap in agricultural productivity, triggered by the adoption of modern farming practices and the introduction of high yielding varieties of crops. Further, the Hall depicts PAUs high-yielding dwarf, input-responsive varieties of wheat and rice developed in the mid-1960s that catapulted the nation’s agricultural productivity. Agricultural tales highlighting the rice revolution, cash crops, mechanization of agriculture, development of agricultural marketing infrastructure, extension and institution building initiatives are also narrated through the displayed images.

The visiting team of Dr Bing Yang, Dr Priti Sharma and the accompanying students expressed their wonder at the rich legacy of the story of the Green Revolution and how it had been preserved in the Museum, which in itself is an incredible feat. “I shall carry this profound understanding of the agricultural heritage of Punjab and the contributions of PAU to the Green Revolution”, remarked Dr Yang. The story of PAU and the Green Revolution symbolizes the indomitable spirit of the Indian farmer and the boundless potential of scientific advancement in shaping a prosperous future, he added.