UGC to Celebrate 2023 as International Year of Millets, Asks Colleges to Create Awareness About the Benefits of the Grain

The University Grants Commission (UGC) will be observing 2023 as the International Year of Millets. The aim behind this move is to create awareness and inspire all stakeholders to work towards improving the production and productivity of the climate-resilient and nutritious millets across the globe.

The commission in its November 29 notification informed that following the United Nations decision to observe the International Year of Millets in 2023 on India’s proposal, the Ministry of Education has asked universities and colleges to prepare for the same.

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UGC listed down a range of activities and programmes that all its affiliate colleges will have to undertake as part of this celebration. The council has asked universities to run awareness programmes highlighting the benefits of the nutritional value of millets which can help “tackle modern lifestyle problems and health challenges like obesity and diabetes.”

Further, banners propagating the benefits of millet’s consumption will have to be put up across the colleges and university campuses.

The UGC notification also directed the universities to organise workshops, debates, seminars, conferences, and health talks about the benefits of this grain. Millets will have to be included in the diet charts of canteens of higher education institutes across the country and a special chapter on millet’s benefits will be included in Home Science Departments, the letter read.

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The celebration will also focus on improving the production and productivity of millets in relevant departments like agriculture, home science, food processing, nutrition science, hotel management, catering science, culinary art, and community health in higher education institutes.

The mentioned programmes will have to be carried by all affiliated colleges and institutes under UGC. The proposal to celebrate the International Year of Millets in 2023 got unanimous approval from all the 193 members of the UN General Assembly in April this year. Initiated by India along with Russia, Bangladesh, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, and Senegal, the proposal got co-sponsored by more than 70 nations in the UN.

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