Do not look dawn upon anna. That is the discipline of life.
annam na paricaksita tadvratam.
Do not neglect anna. That is the discipline of life.
annam bahu kurvita. tadvratam.
88th Session
Theme:
Food, Nutrition and
Environmental Security
ADDRESS
by
Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi
Minister for Human Resource Development,
Science & Technology and Ocean Development
INDIAN SCIENCE CONGRESS
ASSOCIATION
January 3, 2001
Hon'ble Prime Minister, Sri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Sri Nitish Kumar, Smt. Sheila Dixit, Dr. R. S. Paroda, Dr. Swaminathan, Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, Fellow Scientists, distinguished delegates, Ladies & Gentlemen;
It is a matter of great pleasure for me to participate in the 88th Session of Indian Science Congress, which is being inaugurated by Hon'ble Prime Minister, Sri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji. His very presence today, being the first formal function at the dawn of the new millennium is, indeed, a source of great encouragement for us all. I, therefore, wish him and all of you a very happy and prosperous New Year as well as new Millennium. It is only fitting that the first Science Congress of the new millennium is being held in an agricultural research institute, which itself is a first in the illustrious history of the Science Congress, due to the very crucial nature of the theme. Among the trio, who made the green revolution a reality, Dr. Swaminathan and Dr. Norman Borlaug are here today among us, however, sadly Sri C. Subramaniam is no more with us, but we shall always remember his leadership. I salute these great men.
Science Congress is always a unique event for us in the country and provides us an opportunity for heralding the success of our scientists in various disciplines, which has enabled us to progress much faster since independence. The event also provides an opportunity for interface among various young as well as eminent scientists representing various disciplines and also enables us to deliberate on specific scientific issues of relevance to our country. The theme this year is most befitting, since, basic issues of food, nutrition and environmental security are key for the future growth and development of our society.
Recognizing India's native intellectual capacity, our Government has accorded science and technology a privileged position at the centre stage of national consciousness. At the 86th Science Congress, the Hon'ble Prime Minister announced the launch of the Jai Vigyan Mission, I am happy to say that since then 21 Missions have been launched and are all progressing well. One of them is headed by Dr. Paroda and you will soon see the results. At the 87th Congress, the Prime Minister had committed to progressively enhance the investments on S & T to 2% of the GDP.
Our policy on Science & Technology would need to address itself to fulfilling the aspirations of one sixth of humanity, that is India. To me, the first priority is on using the great powers of Science & Technology to meet the basic human needs of our people relating to food, health, water, energy, employment, shelter etc. Economic growth without jobs is unsustainable. Momentous changes have taken place in the realm of Science & Technology since our Technology Policy Statement was adopted in 1983. The Scientists in India should deliberate seriously and provide necessary inputs to our S & T initiatives so that we can successfully meet the emerging challenges in the new millennium. I have accordingly directed the ministry to initiate the process.
Our past accomplishments since independence have clearly revealed that cutting edge of science supported well by policies of the government can help the nation to demonstrate world leadership. In the field of agriculture, health, space, industry, nuclear power, and information technology, we have made a global impact. I congratulate our agricultural scientists for their valuable services in increasing the food availability of our people since independence from around 400 gm per day to present by 512 gm per day despite three fold increase in our population. It is heartening that we had a record harvest of 206 million tons, of food grains last year and have also attained a milk production on 76 million tons besides 5.4 million tons of fish production. Also our milk availability has increased from 100 grams per day to presently 200 gram per day. All these clearly tell that given required mandate and policy support, our scientists can deliver desired results. I take this opportunity to salute the hard working farmers of India and the dedicated scientist who are working together to make the country self-reliant.
India today produces around 206 million tons of food grains for a population of around one billion. This means an average of 200 kg per capita per year. Indian staple food mostly consists of cereals and pulses. There is very little flesh or fish consumed in India and out of 209.3 kg of total staple consumed per capita in 1998 meat and fish accounted for only 9.8 kg. According to FAO reports average consumption of staple food (including Cereals, roots, pulses, meat, fish and sea food} is around 300 kg per capita per year in most countries of the world. Per capita consumption of staple food in India in 1998 was less that on Myanmar 266.2 kg, Nepal 236.8 kg, Africa 310.5 kg and China 332.2 kg. Indian consumption is even lower than the world average of 271.6 kg during the same period. This is the situation with respect to food available for human consumption. If we take into consideration the total supply of good-grains and roots, the Indian sense in comparison with the rest of the world is not encouraging. The supply of food grains pulses and roots together in India amounts to around 226 kg per capita per year of which around 200 kg constitute human food. If one makes an allowance for seed and waste nothing is left for the animals. In most countries their food production takes care for the livestock and if need be they go even for import. The average supply of food grains and roots in the world is nearly twice the quantity consumed by the human beings. The average would supply and consumption by human beings of cereals, pulses and roots in 1998 was 475.2 and 239.6 kg per capita. Much of the other half is used to feed the animals.
Total supply of food grains in India is thus far short of what we need if the animals are to be fed as they are fed in many other countries. Since our production is so low nothing is left for the 450 million population of our livestock. While during the year Europe, USA and China respectively fed 265, 166 and 191 million tons of food including cereals, pulses, and roots to their animals India provided a bare 2.9 million to feed her animals. Production of food grains in India is thus at a level that leaves far more to be done.
India has a long tradition of emphasising on growing food in plenty and also of sharing. There are numerous references in ancient Indian texts which indicate that Indians looked upon an abundance of food as the main characteristic of civilisation. A text like the Taittiriyopnis given expression to this attitude towards food when it prescribes a number of disciplines forming inviolable rules of living as.
Do not look dawn upon anna. That is the discipline of life.
annam na paricaksita tadvratam.
Do not neglect anna. That is the discipline of life.
annam bahu kurvita. tadvratam.
Multiply food manyfold. Ensure an abundance of food all around. That is the discipline of life.
And for sharing of food the references in ancient texts are numerous. Bhisma himself in Mahabharat reminds Yudhisthira again and again of the importance of feeding others in general, but especially of the duty of the king to ensure that within his domain agriculture is well tended for, that peasants are not oppressed by unjust exactions, and the irrigation of the fields is not left merely on the mercy of the gods, so that there is always an abundance of food all around and nobody anywhere has to sleep on a hungry stomach.
Inscriptions from 10th century onwards till the beginning of the nineteenth century provide evidence that lands throughout India used to produce abundant food. Inscriptions from the Thanjavur region from 900 to 1200 AD record yields of paddy between 15-18 tons per hectare. An inscription from south Arcot of 1100 AD mentions a yield of 14.5 tons per hectare and another of 1325 AD from relatively dry area of Ramnathpuram records a production of 20 tons of paddy per hectare. European observers from many parts of the country and reported high levels of productivity in India. In the region around Allahabad one such report in the year 1803, when East India company had entered the arena, mentions a yield of 7.5 tons per hectare and another reported a yield of 13.0 tons of paddy from Coimbatore in 1807. This then was the situation immediately before India was completely subjugated by the British rulers. Needless is to point out that as a result of colonial rule, by 1947 the average productivity in India and come down to very low levels 1 ton per hectare for paddy and that of wheat to around 700 kg and of the coarse grains much below that. In this backdrop Indian agricultural achievements are highly impressive.
The future challenges before us are daunting. There is concern to increase at least additional 150 million tons of food grains in the coming years to feed almost 1.5 billion people by 2040. This will be almost the same as the present level of nutrition. The problem becomes all the more complex if we add the requirements of animal feed and take into account the declining trend in productivity and over exploitation of our natural resources. We shall have to be more sustainable in our approach so that while we increase productivity on one side, we are able to also have a balance with our nature and help in reducing poverty. Scientists will have to address all these issues urgently. The concern for household nutrition security also be addressed on priority since we have a very large number of protein energy malnourished people in our country. Ours is largely a vegetarian society and we also have the largest population of livestock (around 450 million). The Plant-Animal-Man chain had enabled us to have a balance with nature in the past. The livestock sector has also helped us in addressing the concerns for nutritional security. We need to look more critically now as to how this balance can be maintained while not increasing our dependence on animal protein and yet use livestock population for generating power and energy while also providing nutrition to our people. It is in this context, I feel that we should also pay attention to the traditional food, which has better nutritional security for people in tribal areas. The "Jai Vigyan" mission launched on household nutritional security in tribal areas using unexploited crops of economic importance, based on the recommendations of Indian Science Congress held in Chennai, is unique experiment which need to be promoted further.
Indians have been using Amaranth grain (Amaranthus hypochondriacus), popularly known as Ramdana almost as a poor man's food. It is one of the few known graminecious plants which produces sufficient amount of cereal grain with high protein content of 15%. The level of essential amino acid in Amaranth is better than the FAO/WHO recommended protein amino acid composition far optimal human nutrition. It is from this, the new gene AmAI has been isolated and introduced in potato to make it nutritionally important. Let us not forget India's traditional wisdom and prudence is unmatched and it is only the blending of this rich experience with modern scientific research which will show the true path of progress. Great strides have been promised for humankind by the recent advances in biotechnology. It is now possible through biotechnological interventions much better service and strength to the agricultural sector. These are tremendous possibilities in the whole area of biotech fertilisers and friendly pesticides.
Mr. Prime Minister Sir, while food is essential for physical survival of humankind accessibility to food is equally important for creating a just and equitable world order. About 800 million people in developing countries and 34 mil/ion in developed countries suffering from chronic food and nutritional security, disease and other socio-economic problems are a matter of grave concern. Food security for India with 204 million under-nourished people is a matter of vital importance for us. Non availability of and non accessibility to food may lead to serious social turbulence resulting in political and economic destabilization in many parts of the world. Food should not be allowed to be a weapon to dominate and dictate the political and economic futures of food-scarce nations by the food- rich nations. It is in this backdrop Mr. Prime Minister Sir, India needs a wake up call. We must plan to feed our burgeoning human population and also the livestock in the coming century. Sir, I conclude with what Apastamba has laid down as a discipline for the state:
Let no one suffer from hunger and disease, or from extremes of heat and cold. No one in the kingdom ought to suffer thus, either because of general scarcity or because of specific design against him.
Sir, I assure you that under your able statesmanship the Indian Scientists are committed to make India free from hunger and disease. We need your sustained guidance "Jai Vigyan" will be our Mahamantra for the 21st century for creating a world where no one dies for want of food.