To enhance the nutritional value of mid-day meals, students attending government schools in Uttar Pradesh could soon receive millets at least once a week.
The proposal to designate the year 2023 as the ‘International Year of Millets’, put forth by the Government of India, has been endorsed by the governing bodies of FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) and the 75th session of the UN General Assembly. Thus, 2023 has been officially declared as the ‘International Year of Millets’.
In recognition of a proposal put forth by the Government of India and endorsed by members of the FAO Governing Bodies, as well as by the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, the year 2023 has been designated as the ‘International Year of Millets’.
Director General School Education in Uttar Pradesh Vijay Kiran Anand said, “We will soon have a meeting with Union government officials regarding the introduction of millets in mid-day meals.”
The Mid Day Meal Authority of Uttar Pradesh is responsible for providing mid-day meals to government and aided schools from grades 1 to 8. They have proposed to the Union government that a millet-based meal should be served to students in 1.42 lakh schools across the state.
Under the proposed plan, students receiving mid-day meals will be offered either chapatis or khichdi made from bajra, along with a serving of either vegetables or moong dal.
To implement the proposal, the Mid Day Meal Authority would need to obtain around 62,000 metric tonnes of millet. At present, children are served wheat or rice-based meals along with vegetables or protein six days a week.
The mid-day meal program in Uttar Pradesh is set to include millets, as announced by the state’s Agriculture Minister, Surya Pratap Shahi, in a recent statement.
In addition, the state government has submitted a proposal to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) requesting the provision of millets for the mid-day meal program.
Officials from the education department have stated that if the proposal is approved by the Union government and the required quantity of millets is obtained, the plan will be implemented soon after the summer vacations.
Currently, the budget for mid-day meals in Uttar Pradesh amounts to approximately INR 3,000 crore, with 60% of the cost being borne by the Union government and the remaining 40% by the state government.
Experts suggest that millets are a more nutritious food option than wheat or rice, as they are rich in essential nutrients and compounds.
Poornima Kapoor, a Lucknow-based Dietician, said, “Millets are currently not a food option in our homes. So, it will be a challenge to introduce millets as a meal for children in schools, especially because of their different taste and texture.”
In light of this, the state government has assigned teachers with the responsibility of raising awareness among students regarding the advantages of consuming millets.
“Teachers have been suggested to undertake several interactive activities to make students aware of the benefits of millets. This will certainly increase the acceptability of the grains among them,” an education department official said.
The Uttar Pradesh government has declared that it will allocate over INR 110 crore towards promoting the cultivation and consumption of millets in the state this year.
“The programme to promote the production and consumption of millets in the state will be run till 2027. Introduction of millets in mid-day meals is also part of this effort,” said Jagdish Kumar, the Joint Director of Agriculture (planning).
Agriculture department statistics indicate that in 53 out of the 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh, the state produces roughly 19.5 lakh metric tonnes of millets.
