DT-MUN (DAV Thane Model United Nations)

 Science Department - Ajita Nair

Millets have been an integral part of our diet for centuries. In addition to a plethora of health benefits, millets are also good for the environment with low water & inp requirement. Millets are high in nutrition and dietary fibre. They serve as good source of protein, micronutrients and phytochemicals. The millets contain 7-12% protein, 2-5% fat, 65-75% carbohydrates and 15-20% dietary fibre. Millets are a group of cereal grains that belong to the Poaceae  family, commonly known as the grass family. It’s widely consumed in developing countries throughout Africa and Asia. While it may look like a seed, millet’s nutritional profile is similar to that of sorghum and other cereals.

Millet is a common term for categorising small-seeded grasses that are often called Nutri-cereals. Some of them are sorghum (jowar), pearl millet (bajra), finger millet (ragi), little millet (kutki), foxtail millet (kakun), proso millet (cheena), barnyard millet (sawa), and kodo millet (kodon).

Further, besides being climate resilient, millet grains are rich sources of nutrients like carbohydrates, protein, dietary fibre, and good-quality fat; minerals like calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, manganese, zinc and B complex vitamins. Most importantly, millet production is not dependent on the use of chemical fertilizers. Millets were traditionally consumed, but due to the push given to food security through Green Revolution in the 1960s, millets were less consumed and almost forgotten.

Before the Green Revolution, millets made up around 40 per cent of all cultivated grains, which has dropped to around 20 per cent over the years. Not only has the consumption of millets declined, but the area under production has been replaced with commercial crops, oilseeds, pulses and maize. These commercial crops are profitable, and their production is supported by several policies through subsidised inputs, incentivised procurement and inclusion in the Public Distribution System. This has resulted in changes in dietary patterns with preferential consumption towards fine-calorie-rich cereals. India produces more than 170 lakh tonnes of millet, which is 80 per cent of Asia’s and 20 per cent of global production. India produces all the nine commonly known millets and is the largest producer and fifth-largest exporter of millets in the world. Most of the states in India grow one or more millet crop species. Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana are the major millets producing states.

Its nutritional properties and benefits:

      ·        Helping the digestive system
·        Supporting the cardiovascular system
·        Improving mood
·        Reducing the risk of diabetes
·        Managing obesity
·        Reducing oxidative stress

Millets have gained popularity in the West because they are gluten-free and boasts high protein, fibre, and antioxidant contents cereals such as maize. With the aim to create awareness and increase production & consumption of millets, United Nations, at the behest of the Government of India, declared 2023 the International Year Millets. International Year of Millets (IYOM) – 2023 will provide an opportunity to globally promote millets as the nutritious cereals – Shri Narendra Singh Tomar
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare working in mission mode to increase millet production and consumption. Shri Tomar said that on the initiative of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the United Nations has declared the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYOM)

Include millet-based products in your daily diet once a week and stay healthy.

AJITHA NAIR

 SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

 D.A.V PUBLIC SCHOOL, THANE