Government asks States to introduce millet recipes in school canteens

New Delhi:

Schools across the country should introduce millet-based dishes in their canteens and prepare a calendar of activities to boost awareness of the healthy coarse cereals during the ongoing International Year of Millets, the education ministry has reminded all states and union territories.

The ministry wrote to all states and union territories in April, requesting them to share a month wise calendar of activities to create awareness on millets, it said in a statement on July 5. “However, the information is still pending,” the ministry said.

“Kindly instruct the concerned officials in your State/UT for taking suitable actions to adopt millet-based recipes in the canteens/mess of the schools/offices and promote their health and nutritious benefits as well as provide month wise calendar of activities to create awareness regarding use of Shree Anna for celebration of International Year of Millets to this Department at the earliest,” the ministry said.

At India’s instance, the United Nations declared 2023 as International Year of Millets, and the country has since embarked on a mission to popularise the coarse grains that are both rich in micronutrients as well as hardy.

Despite repeated requests, some states have not yet informed the ministry about the activities and efforts they are putting in making the millet year a success, an official said, declining to be named. “The ministry has again requested the states to submit the details,” the official said.

The ministry also asked the states to follow a millet-based recipe book prepared by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. The ministry had last year asked all states to include millets in the free midday meal menus served to students at government and government-aided schools up to class 8. It had also emphasized on increasing awareness about the use of millets among students and parents and the contribution of millets to food security and nutrition.