New Delhi: The growing interest for millets and entrepreneurs tapping its potential in India finds mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s monthly Mann Ki Baat programme.
A sizable portion of PM Modi’s Mann Ki Baat on Sunday was dedicated to millets.
“Just as people have made yoga and fitness a part of their lives by taking active participation on a large scale; similarly people are adopting millets on a large scale. People are now making millets a part of their diet. A huge impact of this change is also visible. On the one hand, the small farmers who traditionally used to produce millets are very excited,” PM Modi said, as per the English rendering of his address released by the Prime Minister’s Office.
“They are very happy that the world has now started understanding the importance of millets. On the other hand, FPOs and entrepreneurs have started efforts to market millets and make them available to people.”
He has drawn parallels between millets and Yoga. Notably, the United Nations has taken the decision of both International Yoga Day and International Year of Millets after India’s proposal.
The government of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi spearheaded the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution for declaring the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets and the proposal of India was supported by 72 countries. UNGA declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets back in March 2021.
The International Year of Millets 2023 officially kicked off on January 1, 2023.
In his Sunday’s Mann Ki Baat address, PM Modi mentioned KV Rama Subba Reddy of Nandyal district of Andhra Pradesh, who left a well-paying job for the sake of millets.
“The taste of millets made by his mother’s hands was such that he started a millet processing unit in his village. Subba Reddy ji also explains the benefits of millets to the people and also makes it easily available,” PM Modi said.
Safe disposal of e-waste
Modi also discussed about ‘Electronic Waste’ during his monthly radio programme and said that today’s latest mobile and laptop devices are the future’s ‘e-waste’, and they should be discarded properly.
He said that today’s devices like mobile phones, laptops, and tablets have become common in every household. Their number will be in billions across the country. Today’s latest devices are also the future’s e-waste.
“Whenever someone buys a new device or replaces one’s old device, it becomes necessary to keep in mind whether it is discarded properly or not. If E-Waste is not disposed of properly, it can also harm our environment,” PM Modi said.
PM said that if the waste is discarded properly and carefully then they can become a great force in the Circular Economy of recycling and reusing.
