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

India boasts a vibrant history of transformative movements that have left indelible marks on its socio-political fabric. For instance, the Indian Independence Movement, spearheaded by Mahatma Gandhi, serves as a prominent illustration, advocating for nonviolent resistance against British colonialism. Similarly, the Green Revolution, launched in the 1960s, revolutionized India's agricultural landscape by embracing high-yield varieties and modern farming techniques.
In the 1970s, the Chipko Movement emerged, aiming to safeguard forests from deforestation and promoting environmental awareness. More recently, the anti-corruption campaign led by Anna Hazare and the women's rights movement advocating for gender parity have heralded significant social transformations. These movements epitomize India's enduring pursuit of advancement, fairness, and inclusivity.

List of Agriculture Revolutions in India

Given below are the Important Revolutions in India:

Green Revolution

The Green Revolution witnessed a surge in food grain production through the adoption of modern technologies and agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds, irrigation systems, and pesticides. Championed by the Indian geneticist M.S. Swaminathan, it was initiated under the leadership of Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Blue Revolution

The Blue Revolution, also known as the Neel Kranti Mission, commenced in India in 1985-1900, focusing on the country's aquaculture sector. This initiative played a pivotal role in modernizing the fisheries industry and bolstering the income of fishermen. The National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) introduced various components to promote and enhance aquaculture practices through modern methods and equipment.

Golden Revolution

Initiated by Nirpakh Tutej, the Golden Revolution spanned from 1991 to 2003 and marked a significant period in India's agricultural landscape. It leveraged innovative technologies to augment the production of honey and various agricultural products such as flowers, fruits, spices, vegetables, and plantation crops. For more insights into this pivotal movement in India, refer to our comprehensive blog post titled "What is Golden Revolution?"

Black Revolution

The Black Revolution is associated with an increase in petroleum in India.  The government of India implemented various policies to boost this production by mixing ethanol- a renewable source of energy- with petrol to produce biodiesel. This gave rise to a positive result in reducing pollution caused by the emission of harmful gases. This initiative has also helped farmers switch to such alternatives which reduce pollutants. 

Grey Revolution

The Grey Revolution in India is associated with an increase in fertilizer production. This was in succession to the green revolution that was responsible for the high-yielding variety of seeds. The grey revolution was initiated to mend the things that went wrong with the agricultural sector. It aims to build a promising future for farmers and develop the agricultural sector in India. 

Brown Revolution

The brown revolution in India increased the production and demand for environmental-friendly coffee which was initiated by Hiralal Chaudri. This revolution is currently taking place in Visakhapatnam. 

Red Revolution

The increase in the production of meat was the core part of the Red Revolution in India. Durgesh Patel is known as the father of this revolution. It modernized the processing of meant and upgraded technologies used for the same. 

Silver Revolution

The Silver Revolution marked a significant advancement in poultry farming, particularly in egg production. Both private enterprises and government sectors contributed to this transformation by harnessing medical and applied sciences to innovate methods for increasing egg output.

White Revolution

Initiated to bolster milk and dairy product production in India, the White Revolution was spearheaded by Verghese Kurien, often regarded as its architect. Kurien's visionary concept of the 'billion litres' played a pivotal role in this endeavor. Key players like AMUL (Anand Milk Union Limited) played a crucial role in driving this revolution forward.

Golden Fibre Revolution

The Golden Fibre Revolution centered around the enhancement of jute production. With the onset of the Industrial Revolution, jute emerged as a vital raw material in the textile industry, known for its robust threads and various jute-based products. After cotton, jute stands as the most significant vegetable fiber.

Pink Revolution

The Pink Revolution witnessed a surge in both the production and export of meat in India. This revolution entailed the integration of technology into poultry and meat processing industries, encompassing initiatives such as meat testing facilities, cold storage infrastructure, and other related advancements.

Round Revolution

The Round Revolution focused on augmenting potato yield. Its primary objective was to substantially increase potato production, aiming for at least a twofold or threefold rise in annual output.

Yellow Revolution

During the Yellow Revolution, India transitioned from being a net importer to achieving self-sufficiency and becoming a net exporter. In the early 1990s, annual oilseed harvests reached a record high of 25 million tonnes. For further information on the Yellow Revolution, please visit the linked website.

Protein Revolution

The government launched a technology-driven second green revolution, emphasizing enhanced productivity and a "protein revolution" aimed at achieving a sustainable 4% increase in the agriculture sector. To support farmers in managing market volatility, the government established a price stability fund with an initial capital of Rs. 500 crore. Additionally, initiatives included the creation of a Kisan TV channel for disseminating real-time information on innovative techniques, water conservation, and organic farming. Funding for expanding storage capacity was increased to Rs. 5,000 crore, with Rs. 100 crore allocated for providing every farmer with a soil health card, and an additional Rs. 56 crore set aside for mobile soil-testing laboratories.

Evergreen Revolution

While the Green Revolution transformed India's agricultural landscape, transitioning it from a "begging bowl" to a "bread-basket," addressing its shortcomings and vulnerabilities necessitates making it evergreen. Despite achieving self-sufficiency in many food sectors, India still relies on imports for commodities like pulses and oilseeds due to inadequate output to meet demand. The concept of the "evergreen revolution" focuses on achieving long-term productivity growth without harming the environment or society. It involves integrating ecological principles into technology development and dissemination, aiming to produce more with fewer resources—less land, pesticides, and water—thus ensuring sustainable agriculture practices.

Freedom Revolutions in India

Apart from the aforementioned Revolutions, the Freedom/Independence Revolution is still considered the most fierce and powerful revolution in the entirety of Indian history. The movements and struggles faced during those revolutions are deeply rooted in the Indian archives. The existence of structural racism, discrimination, and social issues today, have their origins embedded in the past. Let’s travel back and discuss those dynamic revolutions and Indian freedom fighters who have changed India forever.
The Indian Rebellion of 1857The revolt in 1857 arose due to the build-up of various controversial factors. The recruitment of caste-neutral armies and local sepoys’ demand for high taxes from local Indians, the prohibitions on Indian religious customs were some of the many factors for the rebellion. However,  the triggering factor was the Enfield rifle. The sepoys believed that the opening of the rifle cartridges was greased with cow/pig fat. This caused severe rage among the Hindu and Muslim sepoys because of the attack on their religious sentiments. The revolt emerged in Delhi, Punjab, Jhansi, Bengal, Indore, and many other places in India.  The rebellion caused mass loss of people, accusations of rape, and other violent and gruesome acts. This gave rise to the Government of India Act, 1858 which eradicated the rule of the EIC and led to the direct responsibility by the British Parliament.
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre which is also called the Massacre of Amritsar occurred on April 13, 1919. This is certainly one of the most heinous acts of violence by the Britishers which shook every Indian. On the 13th of April afternoon, people from various regions gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh to celebrate Baisakhi and peacefully protest against the ban on public gatherings. The British troops precipitously fired on a large crowd of unarmed Indians and also sealed the main gate. This led to the killings of at least  379 people and left thousands of people injured. The inhumane humiliation spread across the country and caused various Indians to stand for their country who previously were loyal to the Britishers. This rage led to the Satyagraha movement by Mahatma Gandhi and people also began to boycott British goods. To protest against the genocide, the Indian poet  Rabindranath Tagore renounced his knighthood which he had received from the British in 1915.
Delhi Assembly BombingWhen President of the Central Assembly -Vithalbhai Patel began to give his ruling on the Trade Disputes Bill at the Assembly on the afternoon of 8th April 1929, an explosion occurred and the slogans were raised by the youth with chants of ‘Inquilab Zindabad’, ‘Workers of the world unite’, and ‘Down with imperialism. The two main voices among the crowd were of the young revolutionary freedom fighters, who were also members of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association- Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt. They even stayed back courageously and got arrested and proclaimed that their mission wasn’t to vandalize, but to ‘make the deaf hear’. These revolutionaries only wanted to instil their ideas of revolution in the youth and inspire Indians to fight British imperialism.
This was one of the most significant movements by Gandhi Ji which laid the foundation and the root for Independence. This movement brought an intense wave of unity among Indians where everyone was ready to give their all for the freedom of the country. This included labourers, workers, and poor people who risked their lives due to the extreme oppression of the British. The movement began in 1930 when Gandhiji had laid demands before the British government which wasn’t fulfilled. He then decided to march from Sabarmati to the coastal town of Gujarat and break the salt law which was in defiance of the British. Everyone across the nation was asked to rebel and refuse to adhere to the unjust colonial laws of the British. This led to the arrest of over 90,000 people including Gandhiji and Nehru Ji. People boycotted all foreign clothes and all the peasants refused to pay taxes. After negotiating with Gandhi who was still under arrest, the viceroy of India Lord Irwin signed a pact with Gandhi which came to be known as the “Gandhi Irwin Pact”.