List of Important Revolutions in India | General Test Preparation for CUET - CUET Commerce PDF Download

Indian Revolutions 

A revolution signifies an abrupt transformation in methods and perspectives, often spurred by advancements. It involves the adoption of novel techniques aimed at enhancing productivity. A compilation of significant revolutions in India heralded the onset of distinct eras across various socio-economic domains such as agriculture and petroleum. Typically, these revolutions were singularly focused on a specific field, catalyzing exponential growth within that domain by creating numerous opportunities and avenues for development. The revolutions in India can be categorized into two types, as outlined below.

Industrial Revolutions in India

The transition of an economy from agrarian and handicraft-based to one dominated by industry is termed as the Industrial Revolution in India, constituting a significant entry in the roster of pivotal revolutions in the country. This epoch marked a period devoid of modern amenities such as electricity, radio, television, computers, and vehicles, where manual labor consumed considerable time in various tasks. However, with the advent of industrialization, life underwent a profound transformation.
A multitude of individuals gained access to improved healthcare, education, and transportation, all of which were previously unattainable. Furthermore, industrial development played a pivotal role in job creation and bolstering the nation's economy. Industrialization entails a shift from agrarian-based economies to manufacturing-driven processes, where mechanized mass production supplants manual labor. The era of industrialization, known as the Industrial Revolution in India, commenced in the 19th century.
Following 1850, India entered a new phase characterized by the establishment of large-scale private industries specializing in jute, cotton, and silk. The inception of the first jute industry in the Hooghly Valley near Kolkata in 1854 marked a significant milestone. Moreover, the introduction of railways in India, with the first rail line connecting Bombay to Thane in 1854, facilitated seamless transportation of goods across the nation. This period represents the fourth epoch of industrial revolutions in India, underscored within the roster of seminal revolutions in the country.

First Industrial Revolution In India: Coal In 1769

The process of manufacturing where machines were introduced and products were manufactured for the first time. During this period, the discovery of coal and its mass extraction, as well as the development of the steam engine and metal forging completely changed the way goods were produced and exchanged. Inventions such as spinning machines and looms to make fabric were making their appearance. Canal transportation began replacing wagons and mules for moving around these goods.

Second Industrial Revolution in India: Gas in 1870

The invention of the combustion engine went hand-in-hand with these fuel sources. Both steel- and chemically based products entered the market during this time. Developments in communication technology got a jump start with the telegraph and later the telephone. Transportation grew by leaps and bounds with the invention of the plane and the car. Mechanical production grew in speed through the advent of mass production.

Third industrial revolution in India: Electronics and nuclear in 1969

The third industrial revolution in India is entering into the fields of electronics and nuclear industries.

Fourth Industrial Revolution in India

However, the momentum comes not from the shift in energy but from the acceleration of digital technology. The internet and the digital world mean a real-time connection within more and more components of a production line, both inside and outside facility walls. As the development of the Internet of Things, cloud technology and artificial intelligence continues, a virtual world will merge with the physical world. Predictive maintenance and real-time data will lead to smarter business decisions for a myriad of companies around the world.

List of Important Revolutions in India: Agricultural Revolution 

Agricultural revolution also a list of important revolutions in India refers to the significant changes in agriculture when there are inventions, discoveries or new technologies implemented. These revolutions changed the ways of production and increased the production rate. The Green Revolution was a period that began in the 1960s during which agriculture in India was converted into a modern industrial system by the adoption of technology, such as the use of high yielding variety (HYV) seeds, mechanised farm tools, irrigation facilities, pesticides and fertilisers.
The increased agricultural production of the 18th century can be traced to four interrelated factors:

• The increased availability of farmland
• A favourable climate
• More livestock
• Improved crop yield

List of Agricultural Revolutions

The major agricultural revolutions are explained along with the father of the revolutions and list of important revolutions in India in the table given below.

Green Revolution in India

The green revolution in India began during the late 1960s. Agriculture in India was converted into a modern industrial system by the adoption of technology, such as the use of high yielding variety (HYV) seeds, mechanised farm tools, irrigation facilities, pesticides and fertilisers. M.S.Swaminathan is known as the father of the green revolution who developed a high yielding variety of rice and wheat crops. He developed and promoted this sustainable development called green development. Foodgrains are the products yielded by the green revolution.

Protein Revolution in India

The protein revolution in India was started in the year 2014 coined by Narendra Modi and Arun Jaitley. It was nothing but the introduction of new technologies for the production of more crops. New technologies are introduced for the production of food grains. It is technology-driven and 2nd generation of the green revolution.

Yellow Revolution in India

The Yellow Revolution in India is one of the colours of colour revolutions that was launched to increase the production of edible oilseeds in the country to meet the domestic demand for edible oil. The father of the yellow revolution was Sam Pitroda. The revolution was launched in the year 1986 and continued until 1987 for the production of oilseeds.

Black Revolution in India

Black Revolution in India was to increase petroleum production, the Government planned to accelerate the production of ethanol and to mix it up with petrol to produce biodiesel. Ethanol is a renewable source of energy and is a by-product of sugar production produced from molasses. The blending of ethanol with petrol has been practised in the USA and Brazil for over 70 years. The blending of ethanol with transport fuels would provide better returns to farmers, supplement scarce resources of hydrocarbons and be environment-friendly by reducing pollutants as it helps combustion.

Blue Revolution in India

The concept of the rapid increase in the production of fish and marine products through the package programme. The Blue revolution in India was launched during the seventh Five-year plan(1985-1990) when the central government sponsored the Fish Farmers Development Agency (FFDA).

Brown Revolution in India

This Brown revolution in India focuses on meeting the demand for coffee from developed nations by growing socially responsible and environment-friendly coffee. The Brown Revolution is related to Visakhapatnam’s tribal area.

Golden Fibre Revolution in India

Golden fibre revolution in India refers to the production of jute. Nirpakh Tutaj is the father of this golden fibre revolution. Jute is known as the golden crop, because of its colour and high cash value. It is the cheapest fibre obtained from the skin of the plants. In the period between 1991 and 2003, the golden fibre revolution took place.

Golden Revolution in India

The period between 1991 and 2003 is referred to as the Golden Revolution period of India. Golden revolution in India is one of the prominent agricultural revolutions which is related to increasing the production of honey and horticulture. Nirpakh Tutaj is the father of this golden revolution. The main purpose was to boost honey and horticulture production as it faced a massive increase from Rs.6308.5 crores in 2004-2005 to Rs. 28,62861 crores in 2014-2015.

Grey Revolution in India

Grey revolution in India is related to increased fertiliser production. It is basically associated with the mal effects of the green revolution of India focusing on what can happen if the new agricultural equipment turns things wrong. It was started in the 1960s to 1970s in India. Among the greenery, noticing grey, the grey revolution has laid its roots in the green revolution. The grey revolution is practised for the high production of food grains and crops.

Pink Revolution in India

Pink revolution in India is the term used for the technological revolutions in the meat and poultry processing sector. India is a country with a huge cattle and poultry population. The modernisation techniques can yield high potential growth in this sector.

Silver Revolution in India

Silver revolution in India is the immense growth of egg production in India by the use of modern techniques and methods to enhance the growth efficiently in poultry farming. It was started in 1969-1978 and innovation plays a major role in the growth of this industry. The father of the silver revolution was Indira Gandhi.

Silver Fibre Revolution in India

Silver fibre revolution in India is associated with Cotton. Cotton is mainly found in Gujarat in India. The improvising process and adoption of modern techniques help the growth of cotton in India. India has been the richest producer of cotton after the silver fibre revolution.

Red Revolution in India

Red revolution in India is preferred to boost the production of tomatoes and meat in India. Vishal Tewari was the father of the Red Revolution in India. This revolution boosted the forming and poultry sector took place in the 1980s. This led to growth in rapid production of tomatoes and livestock products(meat) by which India’s agriculture grew on average by 3.1% per year.

Round Revolution in India

The Round Revolution in India is the technique adopted by India to increase the production of potatoes in the country. The technique aims to increase the production of potatoes by double or triple in order to meet the annual income.

White Revolution in India

This white revolution in India is associated with the increase in the production of milk and dairy products in the country. Verghese Kurien, known as the "Father of the White Revolution" in India, was a social entrepreneur whose "billion-litre idea", Operation Flood, made dairy farming India's largest self-sustaining industry and the largest rural employment sector providing a third of all rural income.

Rainbow Revolution in India

The objective of attaining a growth rate exceeding 4 percent annually through the implementation of the 'rainbow revolution' over the next two decades was set forth to sustain a total GDP growth of 6.5 percent. In July 2000, the Central Government of India introduced its inaugural national agricultural policy. The various hues of the Rainbow Revolution symbolize diverse agricultural practices, encompassing the Green Revolution (focused on food grains), White Revolution (emphasizing milk), Yellow Revolution (centered around oilseeds), Blue Revolution (pertaining to fisheries), Golden Revolution (targeting fruits), Silver Revolution (concentrated on eggs), Round Revolution (pertaining to potatoes), Pink Revolution (focused on meat), Grey Revolution (centered around fertilizers), and more. Consequently, the Rainbow Revolution concept embodies an integrated approach to the development of crop cultivation, horticulture, forestry, fisheries, poultry, animal husbandry, and the food processing industry.
The following table illustrates the crop production levels before and after the Agricultural Revolution:

The effects of the Industrial Revolution on agriculture and farming are listed below: 

• More demand for raw materials
• Mechanised farming to meet the demand for raw materials.
• The invention of chemical fertilisers to grow bumper crops and to improve the financial status of the farmers.
• Digging of soil with the use of machines so that even barren lands can be cultivated.
• Irrigation facilities.
• Rearing farm cattle.
• Import of raw materials.