The architect of “white revolution”, Verghese Kurien, who led “Operation Flood” to transform India from a milk-deficient country to the world’s biggest milk producer, is credited with laying the foundation of the nation’s co-operative dairy model.
Hailed as the undisputed “Milkman of India”, who created the billion dollar brand Amul, Kurien, who passed away this morning at the age of 90, had received both national and international recognition.
The Indian government had conferred on him the Padma Vibhushan while he was also the recipient of World Food Price, Ramon Magsaysay award for Community Leadership, Carnegie — Wateler World Peace Prize and International Person of the Year award from US.
Born in Kozhikode, Kerala, on November 26, 1921, Kurien had graduated in science from Loyola College in Chennai (1940) and obtained his degree in engineering from the Guindy College of Engineering in Chennai.
After a stint at TISCO, Jamshedpur, Kurien got the government of India’s (GoI) scholarship to study dairy engineering.
Following specialised training at Imperial Institute of Animal Husbandry and Dairying in Bengaluru, Kurien went to the United States where he completed his masters’ degree in mechanical engineering, with dairy engineering as a minor subject, from the Michigan State University in 1948.
On his return to India, Dr Kurien was assigned to join Government Creamery located at Anand in Gujarat to serve his bond period. By the end of 1949, Kurien got release orders from his job at the creamery.