Padma Shri scientist's three-decade mission to revive India's forgotten millets

Dr. Nek Ram Sharma, a Padma Shri recipient from Himachal Pradesh, has emerged as a custodian of India's agricultural heritage through his sustained effort to conserve traditional millet and grain varieties that have largely disappeared from Indian farms.

For nearly three decades, Sharma has worked to reverse the decline of indigenous seed varieties that once formed the backbone of Indian agriculture. He has established a seed bank containing 40 different traditional grain varieties and has distributed seeds free of cost to over 10,000 farmers across six states, promoting the cultivation of climate-resilient crops that thrive with minimal external inputs.

Sharma's multi-grain farming initiative, which promotes the cultivation of nine traditional grain varieties in combination, represents an innovative approach to sustainable agriculture. The model emphasizes soil health and biodiversity alongside productivity, addressing concerns about soil degradation caused by decades of monoculture farming practices.

His advocacy challenges the dominant agricultural paradigm in India, which has prioritized yield maximization over seed conservation and soil sustainability. Sharma argues that preserving traditional grain varieties is essential for long-term food security and agricultural resilience, particularly as climate change intensifies pressure on farming communities.

The movement has gained traction among farmers seeking alternatives to chemical-intensive cultivation methods. By demonstrating the viability of traditional crops through his seed distribution network and farming demonstrations, Sharma has helped rekindle interest in millets and indigenous grains among a new generation of cultivators.