The International Year of Millets has started from January 1, 2023, as a result of which the days of millets, which have disappeared from the plates of all homes, are going to flourish again. Under the leadership of the Prime Minister himself, the Government of India has geared up to encourage coarse grains and its agriculture. India is presiding over international groups like Shanghai Regional Cooperation Organization (SCO) and G20 this year, G20 conferences are going to be held in 55 cities of the country, apart from this many mega events are going to happen in the country this year. Full advantage will be taken of these opportunities to encourage coarse grains. In all conferences, with the cooperation of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Food and State Governments, only products made from coarse grains will be displayed and dishes made from coarse grains will be served to all the guests coming from the country and abroad, due to which it has been decided to ring around the world. Is .

There is a great possibility of benefiting the general public as well as the farmers by increasing the circulation of coarse grains. On the one hand, it will provide a new and easy way to deal with the problem of malnutrition. On the other hand, this will also pave the way for doubling the income of the farmers. This is the reason that on the one hand farmers will be made aware to cultivate these grains in the year of coarse grains and on the other hand people will be made aware of the importance of coarse grains so that their consumption increases and farmers show interest in their cultivation. Apart from this, to promote the cultivation of coarse grains, the government has also increased the support prices of coarse grains this year.

There was a time when every plate of India used to have dishes made only of Jowar, Bajra, Ragi, Cheena, Kodo, Sawa, Kutki, Kuttu and Chaulai, but then times changed and today the situation has become such that people They have forgotten the importance of cereals and even their names. In today's environment, when the elders in the house take the names of these cereals or tell their importance to the new generation, then either they listen with surprise or start frowning as soon as they hear the names. Through Mota Anaj Varsh, the people of the new generation will also understand and accept the importance of these grains on a scientific basis and when they accept them, they will also be able to do startups and innovations by cultivating them and making new dishes made from them. Since the discussion of the last few days, many young entrepreneurs of the country have also started innovation on many types of dishes made from jowar, millet and other coarse grains. Jowar, millet flour is making dosa, laddoos and papads are also being made.

In December 2022, at the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar treated ambassadors from all over the world with dishes made from coarse grains, during the Parliament session in the capital Delhi, all MPs were served dishes made from coarse grains and they were given coarse grains. Important information was given about the year. Now the process of feasting on coarse grains is going on not only in the whole of India but also in the whole world.

In 2018, the Government of India started promoting coarse grains by keeping them in the category of nutritious grains, since then the positive effect of the steps taken by the government is now coming to the fore. Presently 175 startups are working in this direction. In March 2021, a proposal presented by India was unanimously accepted by the United Nations General Assembly, under which the year 2023 was declared the Year of Millets. The Year of Millets aims to raise awareness about the nutritional and health benefits of millets and their suitability for cultivation under changing climatic conditions. Millets include Jowar, Bajra, Ragi, Kangni, Kutki, Kodo, Sawa etc. We all should also know that in April 2016, the United Nations General Assembly also declared the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition from 2016 to 2025, recognizing the need to eradicate hunger and prevent all forms of malnutrition worldwide.

Coarse grains have been considered good for consumer, producer and climate. Apart from being nutritious, they can also be grown with less water irrigation. Experts are of the opinion that millets will play an important role in creating a malnutrition-free and sustainable future and countries need to work together for this. Promotion of coarse grains is also the demand of the present time as this grain is able to prevent many diseases and malnutrition due to change in modern lifestyle.

The central government had started preparations long back to make the year of coarse grains a success and now it is ready to hit the ground successfully. To make the year of coarse grains a success, the central government has come up with several schemes. Emphasis is being laid on the distribution of millets under the ration system. Millets have also been included in the Anganwadi and Mid-Day Meal Schemes. The Prime Minister keeps mentioning dishes made from millets in the Mann Ki Baat programmes. The most important The thing is that now the slogan “Eat coarse grains and sing the praises of the Lord” is going to be very popular. Coarse grains are said to be the best food for nutrition. Dietary fiber and up to 5 percent fat is available due to which it is found capable of fighting malnutrition. Coarse grains have great importance in Ayurveda as well.

There is evidence of millet cultivation in India from the time of the Indus Valley Civilization and it is cultivated in 131 countries of the world. India accounts for 20 per cent of global production of coarse cereals and 80 per cent in Asia. India ranks first in the world in the production of jowar. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh produce the most jowar in India. , Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka are ahead.

All of us should take part in the year of fat grains and give it a regular place in our diet because it has many special properties. In terms of nutrition, this grain is far ahead in comparison to other grains like wheat and paddy. Their cultivation is cheap and requires less water. Coarse grains are easier to store. By including these grains in the diet, it can be possible to avoid many major health problems. This is the reason that today the government is going to run a special awareness campaign across the country to make farmers aware about coarse grains so that the farmers of the country can cultivate these grains in maximum quantity and double their income. Initiative is being started by Indian Agricultural Research Institute to increase awareness among farmers and in future many other agricultural universities of the country will join this campaign.

Today, when a large part of the world is fighting malnutrition, Sanatan Bharat's coarse grain plate is being seen as the solution. Realizing the importance of India's proposal of the Year of Whole Grains with the principle of liberal character and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the United Nations accepted it and now it is the responsibility of all of us Indians to make efforts at our own level to make it successful. Government of India is emphasizing on increasing the scope of cultivation of coarse grains. Many goals can be achieved simultaneously through the coarse grain year. With the increase in awareness about coarse grains, where the area under cultivation of jowar, millet etc. will increase, the problem of malnutrition will also be solved to some extent.

Source: Naiduniya