Page 60 - Mann Ki Baat English

India’s renewed relationship with millets,
collectively recognised today as Shree Anna,
is neither accidental nor episodic. It reflects
a deeper civilisational instinct to return to
food systems that nourish the body, sustain
the land, and honour the farmer. The Hon’ble
Prime Minister’s reflections in the January
2026 'Mann ki Baat', noting that enthusiasm
for millets has remained robust even years
after the International Year of Millets (IYM)
2023, point to a quiet but consequential shift
in public consciousness.
The Significance of the International
Year of Millets
The declaration of 2023 as the
International Year of Millets by the United
Nations General Assembly (UNGA) stemmed
Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi from both urgency and opportunity. In
Secretary the face of climate stress, shrinking water
Department of Agriculture & tables, and vulnerable farm incomes, millets
Farmers Welfare
offer a resilient answer: Built to thrive in high
Government of India
temperature and water scarcity, millets
draw strength from their C4 photosynthetic
pathway, enabling dependable production
in rain-fed areas with minimal inputs.
SHREE ANNA Significantly, millets are tremendously
healthy foods, rich in fibre, protein, and
essential micronutrients, making them
The Winter vital to addressing nutritional deficiencies.
India recognised this potential of millets
Superfood for a well before the UN declaration, introducing
a dedicated sub-mission on nutri-cereals
Fit India under the National Food Security Mission
(now National Food Security and Nutrition
Mission) in 2018. IYM 2023, declared by the
UNGA following India’s proposal and the
support of 72 countries, carried this long-
standing national vision onto the global
stage.
Under the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s
leadership, IYM evolved into a ‘Jan Andolan’,
a people’s movement. Central and State
governments, farmers, scientists, chefs,

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