President Pranab Mukherjee conferred Honorary D. litt on Dr MS Swaminathan at a special convocation of the University of Mumbai here on Friday. Speaking on the occasion, Mukherjee heaped praise on Dr Swaminathan, saying: “He is considered a global scientist of rare distinction because of the indelible mark he has made on food production in India and elsewhere in the developing world” The President said Swaminathan’s work had brought about a sea-change in the life of our nation. It is due to his pioneering efforts that our country transformed from a ship-to-mouth existence to one of the leading producers and exporters of food grains in the world. “Over a period of 65 years, Dr Swaminathan has worked in collaboration with scientists and policy-makers on a wide range of problems in basic and applied plant genetics and agricultural R&D,” he said. The President said that Dr Swaminathan’s advocacy of sustainable agriculture leading to an ever-green revolution had made him an acknowledged world leader in the field of sustainable food security.