Topic -Major crops cropping patterns in various parts of the country
6) What is the importance of growing millets for India. Discuss. Also discuss the initiatives taken by the government for promoting production and consumption of millets.(250 words)
Why this question
India has recently succeeded in getting the FAO’s approval to observe 2023 as the international year of millets. In this context it is important to analyze the importance of millets and their benefits and schemes and programmes dedicated towards them.
Directive word
Discuss- this is an all-encompassing directive which mandates us to write in detail about the key demand of the question. we also have to discuss about the related and important aspects of the question in order to bring out a complete picture of the issue in hand.
Key demand of the question.
The question wants us to bring out in detail the advantages of growing millets for India- what advantages it has. It also wants us to discuss in detail about the initiatives taken by the government to promote growing and consumption of millets.
Structure of the answer
Introduction– write a few introductory lines about Millets. E.g type of grain, areas of production and trends in production etc.
Body-
- Discuss the advantages of growing and consuming millets. E.g millets can grow well in dry zones/rain-fed areas under marginal conditions of soil fertility and moisture; Due to their short growing season, these can develop from seeds to ready to harvest crops in about 65 days; millets are highly nutritious, non-glutinous, non-acid forming and easily digestible foods; Being gluten free, individuals suffering from celiac disease can easily incorporate various millets in their diets; Millet ingestion helps in a slower release of glucose over a longer period of time; thus, due to low glycaemic index (GI), their habitual intake reduces the risk of diabetes mellitus; Further, millets are rich sources of minerals like iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium; Their prolonged and easy storability under ordinary conditions has accorded them the status of “famine reserves” etc.
- Discuss the initiatives and programs dedicated by the government to promote growth and production of coarse grains with main emphasis on millets. E.g Under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM), of the preliminary targets for enhancing food grain production by an additional 25 MT, the share allocated for millets is 2 MT (8% of the enhanced food grain production); Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion (INSIMP) – a part of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana” (RKVY) which is the only comprehensive initiative to support millet production; Rainfed Area Development Programme (RADP) – a component of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana” (RKVY); and Integrated Cereals Development Programmes in Coarse Cereals based Cropping Systems Areas (ICDP-CC) under Macro Management of Agriculture (MMA etc. .
Conclusion– based on your discussion, form a fair and a balanced conclusion on the given issue.
