CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (NIScPR) has a glorious legacy of 70 years in science communication and building scientific temper among diverse stakeholders. The Institute has been actively involved in the conservation and promotion of traditional knowledge through its various activities such as the publication of ‘The Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge’ and ‘Wealth of India’, and the establishment of ‘The Traditional Knowledge Digital Library’. In continuation of these efforts for the conservation and promotion of traditional knowledge of India, CSIR-NIScPR has launched a national initiative,SVASTIK (Scientifically Validated Societal Traditional Knowledge) for communicating India’s traditional knowledge to the society upon the clarion call of our Hon’ble Prime Minister and President, CSIR Society, Shri Narendra Modi. As a part of this initiative, simplified creative content on traditional knowledge/practices of India with a scientific basis is being disseminated in various Indian languages on all popular social media platforms.

Millets are a diverse group of cereal crops such as bajra, ragi, kangni, etc. characterized by their small seeds which exhibit strong adaptability to arid climatic conditions. With a long history of cultivation in India, these ancient crops have been deeply ingrained in our dietary practices for centuries, offering a wide range of health benefits. Year 2023 is marking the celebration of International Year for Millets as they are the nutri-cereals that have the potential to play a crucial role against malnutrition and food insecurity, and thus are the superfoods of the future. India is at the forefront of popularizing millet production under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to enhance the food security of the nation. Millets have many nutraceutical, ecological, agricultural as well and economic benefits. Unlike other cereals like rice, wheat, and maize which are easy to process, millets are hardy grains and hence are not suitable for ready to cook or eating. They need to be processed thoroughly for consumption. It is further to be noted that processing techniques play a profound role in the nutrient content bioavailability, and digestibility of millets. Processing is much more convenient to do in contemporary times with the help of modern technologies. However, our ancestors used their traditional knowledge and day-to-day wisdom to process them effectively. It is time to revisit the past and revive a few of the sustainable and traditional ways to process millet. Do you know any? If yes, then you can contribute to the documentation of traditional ways of processing millets by taking part in the NIScPR-SVASTIK - MyGov activity "Share Your Traditional Ways to Process Millets". This activity allows participants to share knowledge and a picture of traditional millet processing techniques.

NIScPR-SVASTIK and MyGov are inviting traditional ways of processing millets through the activity "Share Your Traditional Ways to Process Millets".

The future of millets is awaiting the processing secrets from the past!

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