Dr MS Swaminathan, the agricultural scientist known as the father of India’s Green Revolution, passed away at his home in Chennai. He was 98, and is survived by three daughters, including former WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan.

Mr Swaminathan is best known for his role in developing high-yielding varieties of rice and wheat. He also served as the head of the Indian Council for Agricultural Research, the National Commission on Farmers and the International Rice Research Institute (in the Philippines). While he was highly decorated both by India and the UN, the Green Revolution has also been blamed for environmental destruction and the loss of crop genetic diversity.